KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

HB2263 • 2026

Animal Cruelty and Abuse

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 2, relative to cruelty to animals.

Agriculture Crime
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Martin G, Haile
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the cost of enforcement or the impact on prosecutions, leaving these points as unknowns.

Animal Cruelty Law Changes

This bill amends Tennessee's animal cruelty laws to make starving livestock animals to death a Class E felony if done in a depraved and sadistic manner without justifiable or lawful purpose.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds starvation resulting in the death of a livestock animal as a form of aggravated cruelty when it is done in a depraved and sadistic manner without justifiable or lawful purpose, making this new type of cruelty a Class E felony.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who commit acts of cruelty towards livestock animals in Tennessee will face stricter penalties under this law.

Terms To Know

Class E felony
A serious crime that carries a specific range of punishments set by the state's laws.
Livestock animal
Farm animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, and goats raised for food or other products.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much it will cost to enforce the new law.
  • It is unclear if this change will lead to more prosecutions of animal cruelty cases.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  4. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  5. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  7. 2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026

  8. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  9. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  10. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  15. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  16. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  17. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  21. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  22. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  24. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  25. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  26. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  28. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2133
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 2263
By Martin G
HB2263
011103
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 14, Part 2, relative to cruelty to animals.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-14-217(b), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(b) Except as provided in subsections (d) and (e), a person commits aggravated
cruelty to a livestock animal who, in a depraved and sadistic manner, intentionally:
(1) Starves the livestock animal to death without justifiable or lawful
purpose; or
(2) Engages in any of the conduct described in subdivisions (c)(1)-(12),
the conduct results in serious bodily injury to the animal or the death of the
animal, and is without justifiable or lawful purpose.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.