Menéndez Cruelty Bill Pulls In Every Uncaptured Wild Creature

The text as introduced · 253 words

89R12815 EAS-F

By: Menéndez
S.B. No. 1673

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the prosecution and punishment of the offense of

cruelty to nonlivestock animals.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended by adding Article 42.0365 to read as follows:

Art. 42.0365. PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING FOR CRUELTY TO

NONLIVESTOCK ANIMALS. A court sentencing a defendant for an

offense under Section 42.092, Penal Code, shall order the defendant

to participate in psychological counseling for a period to be

determined by the court.

SECTION 2. Section 42.092(a)(2), Penal Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(2) "Animal" means a [ domesticated ] living creature,

including any domesticated living creature and any [ stray or feral

cat or dog, and a ] wild living creature [ previously captured ]. The

term does not include [ an uncaptured wild living creature or ] a

livestock animal.

SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.

An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For

purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the

effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred

before that date.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.