Animal Cruelty and Abuse - As enacted, adds starvation resulting in death of a livestock animal to the types of conduct that constitute the Class E felony of aggravated cruelty to a livestock animal, when done in a depra, the official text

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State f/Jetlll&Ssee

                              PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 974

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 2133

                    By Haile, Campbell, Briggs, Crowe, Hatcher, Seal, Stevens, Yarbro

                                            Substituted for: House Bill No. 2263

                          By Greg Martin, Keisling, Lamberth, McCalmon, Renea Jones

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.
         SENATE BILL NO. 2133

PASSED:  April 20, 2026

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                                            RANDY Mc

                                   SPEAKER OF THE SENATE

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                         CAMERONSEXTON,SPEAKER

                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APPROVED this \2,-14- day of ~            2026

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                      BILL LEE, GOVERNOR