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Senate adopts amendment making severe animal torture a felony and passes House File 23 48
Summary
The Senate adopted an amendment (Senate Amendment 52 32) that defines malicious, prolonged, or intensive torture of a companion animal as a felony and then passed House File 23 48 as amended by unanimous or near‑unanimous vote reported in the transcript.
Senator Bussello introduced and the Senate adopted Senate Amendment 52 32 to House File 23 48, creating a felony for intentionally, willfully and maliciously mutilating, burning, poisoning, drowning, starving or otherwise inflicting prolonged and intensive pain or death on a companion animal.
In floor remarks, Senator Bussello cited research on the link between animal abuse and later violent crime, referenced the FBI's tracking of animal torture since 2016 and described recent local cases of severe animal cruelty. The amendment text as described on the floor lists specific conduct (mutilation, burning, poisoning, drowning, starving and sustained torture) and makes clear malicious intent is required for the felony elevation.
After adoption of the amendment, Senator Bussello moved that House File 23 48 as amended be read for the final time and placed on passage. The secretary read the bill/title and the Senate recorded roll‑call votes by name in the transcript; the chair announced the bill had received the required majority and declared the bill passed. The transcript reports a final roll‑call count recorded as 46 yes, 0 no and the chair declared the bill passed.
What happens next: The Senate granted unanimous consent to message House File 23 48 to the House and withdrew the companion Senate file that had been called up for substitution.
