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A4220 • 2026

Bars enforcement of provision in decedent's will that would require euthanasia of healthy domestic companion animal.

Bars enforcement of provision in decedent's will that would require euthanasia of healthy domestic companion animal.

Agriculture
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Murphy, Carol A.
Last action
2026-02-19
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Bars enforcement of provision in decedent's will that would require euthanasia of healthy domestic companion animal.

Bars enforcement of provision in decedent's will that would require euthanasia of healthy domestic companion animal.

What This Bill Does

  • Bars enforcement of provision in decedent's will that would require euthanasia of healthy domestic companion animal.
  • Topic: Agriculture and Natural Resources Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-19 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee

Official Summary Text

Bars enforcement of provision in decedent's will that would require euthanasia of healthy domestic companion animal.
Topic:
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A4220

ASSEMBLY, No. 4220

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBERUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Bars enforcement of provision in decedent�s will that
would require euthanasia of healthy domestic companion animal.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning domestic companion animals and supplementing
Title 3B of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this act:

���� (1)�� �Fiduciary� includes
executors, general administrators of an intestate estate, administrators with
the will annexed, substituted administrators, substituted administrators with
the will annexed, guardians, substituted guardians, trustees, substituted trustees
and, unless restricted by the subject or context, temporary administrators,
administrators pendente lite, administrators ad prosequendum, administrators ad
litem and other limited fiduciaries.

���� (2)�� �Domestic companion
animal� means any animal commonly referred to as a pet or one that has been
bought, bred, raised or otherwise acquired, in accordance with local ordinances
and State and federal law, for the primary purpose of providing companionship to
the owner, rather than for business or agricultural purposes.�

���� b.��� Any provision in a will
that directs the fiduciary to euthanize a healthy domestic companion animal is
against public policy and is void and unenforceable.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would bar the enforcement
of any provision in a decedent�s will that would require the euthanasia of a
healthy pet.

���� The bill was prompted by
reports in March 2019 that a healthy Shih Tzu in Virginia was euthanized
pursuant to her late owner�s will. Reportedly, a local animal shelter had
offered to hold the dog for adoption, but the executor declined. The executor
brought the dog to a vet, where she was euthanized.

���� Under the bill, any provision
in a will that directs the fiduciary to euthanize a healthy domestic companion
animal is against public policy and is void and unenforceable.

���� The bill�s definition of
�fiduciary� is identical to that in N.J.S.3B:1-1: the term includes includes
executors, general administrators of an intestate estate, administrators with
the will annexed, substituted administrators, substituted administrators with
the will annexed, guardians, substituted guardians, trustees, substituted
trustees and, unless restricted by the subject or context, temporary
administrators, administrators pendente lite, administrators ad prosequendum,
administrators ad litem and other limited fiduciaries.

���� The bill defines �domestic
companion animal� as any animal commonly referred to as a pet or one that has
been bought, bred, raised or otherwise acquired, in accordance with local
ordinances and State and federal law, for the primary purpose of providing
companionship to the owner, rather than for business or agricultural purposes.