Florida House Bill 559
Session 2026
Animal Welfare
Became Law
Signed by Governor on May 12, 2026
Sponsors
3 Sponsors
First Action
Dec 1, 2025
Latest Action
May 13, 2026
Origin Chamber
House
Type
Bill
Bill Number
559
State
Florida
Session
2026
Criminal Justice Subcommittee
grade
Primary
checkPassed on February 25, 2026
Motion Text
Passage, Third Reading
House Roll Call Votes
Yes
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Didn't Vote
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Didn't Vote
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Smith
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Didn't Vote
Summary
Animal Welfare; Creating the offense of causing or enticing a minor to commit, or in the presence of a minor committing, animal cruelty; requiring a court to order a minor who commits specified acts of animal cruelty to undergo a psychological evaluation and receive counseling and treatment for a specified time period; requiring the minor's parent or guardian or the state to pay the cost of such evaluation, counseling, and treatment; providing an exception; authorizing the court to hold the parent or guardian in contempt under certain circumstances; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to post on its website specified information relating to each individual convicted of specified animal cruelty offenses; specifying time periods for which the information shall be posted; requiring the department to develop a procedure to allow a person to petition for the removal of his or her information under specified circumstances; requiring the department to remove specified information under specified circumstances; specifying the time period within which such information must be removed; authorizing the department to adopt rules; requiring clerks of court and county detention facilities to provide the Department of Law Enforcement with specified information, data, and images; creating the offense of causing or enticing a minor to commit, or in the presence of a minor committing, fighting or baiting animals; creating the offense of causing or enticing a minor to commit, or in the presence of a minor committing, sexual activities involving animals; increasing the maximum civil penalty for specified violations of ordinances relating to animal control or cruelty; increasing the level on the offense severity ranking chart for fighting or baiting animals; ranking offenses created by the act on the offense severity ranking chart, etc.
Bill Analysis -- Criminal Justice Subcommittee (Post-Meeting) (5/19/2026 10:04 AM)
Bill Analysis -- Judiciary Committee (Post-Meeting) (2/17/2026 3:19 PM)
Sort by most recent
05/13/2026
Florida Legislature
Chapter No. 2026-78
05/12/2026
Florida Legislature
Approved by Governor
05/11/2026
Florida Legislature
Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
03/04/2026
House
Ordered enrolled
03/04/2026
House
In Messages
03/04/2026
Senate
CS passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0
03/04/2026
Senate
Read 3rd time
03/04/2026
Senate
Read 2nd time
03/04/2026
Senate
Substituted for CS/SB 676
03/04/2026
Senate
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
03/04/2026
Senate
Withdrawn from Rules
02/26/2026
Senate
Received
02/26/2026
Senate
Referred to Rules
02/25/2026
Senate
In Messages
02/25/2026
House
CS passed; YEAS 114, NAYS 0
02/25/2026
House
Read 3rd time
02/25/2026
House
Added to Third Reading Calendar
02/25/2026
House
Read 2nd time
02/19/2026
House
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026)
02/17/2026
House
Added to Second Reading Calendar
02/17/2026
House
Bill released to House Calendar
02/17/2026
House
Reported out of Judiciary Committee
02/17/2026
House
Favorable by Judiciary Committee
02/13/2026
House
Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
02/06/2026
House
Now in Judiciary Committee
02/06/2026
House
Referred to Judiciary Committee
02/05/2026
House
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
02/05/2026
House
CS Filed
02/05/2026
House
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
02/05/2026
House
Reported out of Criminal Justice Subcommittee
02/05/2026
House
Favorable with CS by Criminal Justice Subcommittee
02/03/2026
House
PCS added to Criminal Justice Subcommittee agenda
01/13/2026
House
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
12/12/2025
House
Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
12/12/2025
House
Referred to Judiciary Committee
12/12/2025
House
Referred to Justice Budget Subcommittee
12/12/2025
House
Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee
12/01/2025
House
Filed
Sources
FL Legislature
Open States
Record Created
Dec 8, 2025 9:30:01 AM
Record Updated
Jul 19, 2026 2:29:11 PM