HB193 Alabama 2016 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

John W. Rogers

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2016

Title

Animals, crimes of cruelty and aggravated cruelty, penalties increased, crime of animal abandonment, created, Sec. 13A-11-14.2 added; Secs. 13A-11-14, 13A-11-14.1 am'd.

Summary

HB193 raises penalties for animal cruelty, creates a new animal abandonment crime, and requires convicted offenders to undergo psychological evaluation and counseling.

What This Bill Does

Toughens penalties for cruelty to animals and aggravated cruelty to animals, including a 15-year ban on owning animals after certain convictions and mandatory psychological evaluation and counseling. Creates a new crime, animal abandonment, with defined minimum care standards and escalating penalties for first and subsequent offenses. Defines minimum care requirements (air, food, shelter, water, waste disposal, and veterinary care) that must be provided to animals, and applies these in the abandonment offense. Includes a constitutional note about local-funds requirements, indicating the bill is exempt from the usual local expenditure vote rules because it creates or amends crimes, and states when the act becomes effective.

Who It Affects

• Owners, possessors, or custodians of animals who commit cruelty, aggravated cruelty, or abandonment; they face fines, potential jail time, long-term bans on owning animals, and mandatory psychological evaluation and counseling.
• Law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts who would enforce the new and heightened penalties and administer the psychological evaluations and counseling requirements.

Key Provisions

• Amends 13A-11-14 to maintain cruelty to animals as a Class A misdemeanor on first conviction, but impose harsher penalties on second conviction (financial penalty; up to 1 year in jail; Class D felony with a 15-year animal-ownership ban; mandatory psychological evaluation and counseling) and a Class C felony on third or subsequent convictions, plus a 15-year ownership ban.
• Amends 13A-11-14.1 to make aggravated cruelty to animals a Class C felony and add a 15-year ban on owning animals after conviction, with mandatory psychological evaluation and counseling.
• Adds 13A-11-14.2 to create animal abandonment as a crime, defines ABANDONMENT and MINIMUM CARE, and establishes penalties: first conviction is a Class B misdemeanor with a 15-year ownership ban and mandatory psychological evaluation and counseling; second or subsequent conviction or abandonment causing serious injury or death is a Class C felony.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Animals