SB 559 — AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
Last action — 06/27/2025 Signed by Governor
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed Senate
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✓Passed House
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 26, 2025. Enacted.
Signed by Governor Dan McKee (Democratic) on June 27, 2025.
Odds of enactment
High chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.
Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.
A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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10 sponsors
10 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (10 D).
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 4 recorded votes so far.
Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.
Summary
Increases imprisonment penalties and adds mandatory community service for violations of § 4-1-9.
Bill Text
We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.
Read SB 559 on the official Rhode Island source →Action History
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06/27/2025 Signed by Governor
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06/23/2025 Transmitted to Governor
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06/20/2025 Senate passed Sub A in concurrence
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06/18/2025 Placed on Senate Calendar (06/20/2025)
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06/18/2025 House passed Sub A
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06/16/2025 Placed on House Calendar (06/18/2025)
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06/16/2025 Committee recommends passage of Sub A
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06/14/2025 Proposed Substitute
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06/14/2025 Scheduled for consideration (06/16/2025)
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06/14/2025 Referred to House Judiciary
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05/29/2025 Senate passed as amended (floor amendment)
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05/27/2025 Placed on Senate Calendar (05/29/2025)
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05/27/2025 Committee recommends passage
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05/23/2025 Scheduled for consideration (05/27/2025)
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04/10/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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04/04/2025 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/10/2025)
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02/26/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
Sponsors
- Lammis J. Vargas · Primary
- Lori Urso · Primary
- Melissa Murray · Primary
- John P. Burke · Primary
- Frank A. Ciccone III · Primary
- Todd M. Patalano · Primary
- Jacob E. Bissaillon · Primary
- David P. Tikoian · Primary
- Peter A. Appollonio Jr. · Primary
- Andrew R. Dimitri · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →10 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 104 not signed on
Sponsors (10)
- Lammis J. Vargas Democratic
- Lori Urso Democratic
- Melissa Murray Democratic
- John P. Burke Democratic
- Frank A. Ciccone III Democratic
- Todd M. Patalano Democratic
- Jacob E. Bissaillon Democratic
- David P. Tikoian Democratic
- Peter A. Appollonio Jr. Democratic
- Andrew R. Dimitri Democratic
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (104)
104 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 104 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 36 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (38)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Ruggerio | — | Not Voting |
| Madam President | — | Yea |
| de la Cruz | — | Yea |
| Alana M. DiMario | Democratic | Yea |
| Ana B. Quezada | Democratic | Yea |
| Andrew R. Dimitri | Democratic | Yea |
| Brian J. Thompson | Democratic | Yea |
| Bridget Valverde | Democratic | Yea |
| David P. Tikoian | Democratic | Yea |
| Dawn Euer | Democratic | Yea |
| Frank A. Ciccone III | Democratic | Yea |
| Hanna M. Gallo | Democratic | Yea |
| Jacob E. Bissaillon | Democratic | Yea |
| John P. Burke | Democratic | Yea |
| Jonathon Acosta | Democratic | Yea |
| Lammis J. Vargas | Democratic | Yea |
| Leonidas P. Raptakis | Democratic | Yea |
| Linda L. Ujifusa | Democratic | Yea |
| Lori Urso | Democratic | Yea |
| Louis P. DiPalma | Democratic | Yea |
| Mark McKenney | Democratic | Yea |
| Matthew L. LaMountain | Democratic | Yea |
| Meghan E. Kallman | Democratic | Yea |
| Melissa Murray | Democratic | Yea |
| Pamela J. Lauria | Democratic | Yea |
| Peter A. Appollonio Jr. | Democratic | Yea |
| Robert Britto | Democratic | Yea |
| Ryan W. Pearson | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Samuel D. Zurier | Democratic | Yea |
| Samuel W. Bell | Democratic | Yea |
| Tiara T. Mack | Democratic | Yea |
| Todd M. Patalano | Democratic | Yea |
| V. Susan Sosnowski | Democratic | Yea |
| Victoria Gu | Democratic | Yea |
| Walter S. Felag Jr. | Democratic | Yea |
| Elaine J. Morgan | Republican | Yea |
| Gordon E. Rogers | Republican | Yea |
| Thomas J. Paolino | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 59 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 73 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| % of votes cast | 97% | 0% | 0% | 3% |
How each member voted (75)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Speaker | — | Yea |
| O'Brien | — | Yea |
| ShallcrossSmith | — | Yea |
| Alex Finkelman | Democratic | Yea |
| Alex Marszalkowski | Democratic | Yea |
| Anthony J. DeSimone | Democratic | Yea |
| Arthur Handy | Democratic | Yea |
| Arthur J. Corvese | Democratic | Yea |
| Brandon C. Potter | Democratic | Yea |
| Brandon T. Voas | Democratic | Yea |
| Brian Patrick Kennedy | Democratic | Yea |
| Carol Hagan McEntee | Democratic | Yea |
| Charlene M. Lima | Democratic | Yea |
| Cherie L. Cruz | Democratic | Yea |
| Christopher R. Blazejewski | Democratic | Yea |
| David A. Bennett | Democratic | Yea |
| David Morales | Democratic | Yea |
| Deborah A. Fellela | Democratic | Yea |
| Earl A. Read, III | Democratic | Yea |
| Edith H. Ajello | Democratic | Yea |
| Enrique George Sanchez | Democratic | Yea |
| Evan P. Shanley | Democratic | Yea |
| Grace Diaz | Democratic | Yea |
| Gregory J. Costantino | Democratic | Yea |
| Jacquelyn M. Baginski | Democratic | Yea |
| Jason Knight | Democratic | Yea |
| Jenni A. Furtado | Democratic | Yea |
| Jennifer A. Stewart | Democratic | Yea |
| Jennifer Smith Boylan | Democratic | Yea |
| John G. Edwards | Democratic | Not Voting |
| John J. Lombardi | Democratic | Yea |
| Jose F. Batista | Democratic | Yea |
| Joseph J. Solomon, Jr. | Democratic | Yea |
| Joseph M. McNamara | Democratic | Yea |
| Joshua J. Giraldo | Democratic | Yea |
| Julie A. Casimiro | Democratic | Yea |
| June Speakman | Democratic | Yea |
| Justine A. Caldwell | Democratic | Yea |
| Karen Alzate | Democratic | Yea |
| Katherine S. Kazarian | Democratic | Yea |
| Kathleen A. Fogarty | Democratic | Yea |
| Lauren H. Carson | Democratic | Yea |
| Leonela Felix | Democratic | Yea |
| Marvin L. Abney | Democratic | Yea |
| Mary Duffy Messier | Democratic | Yea |
| Matt S. Dawson | Democratic | Yea |
| Megan L. Cotter | Democratic | Yea |
| Mia A. Ackerman | Democratic | Yea |
| Michelle E. McGaw | Democratic | Yea |
| Nathan W. Biah | Democratic | Yea |
| Patricia A. Serpa | Democratic | Yea |
| Ramon A. Perez | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Raymond A. Hull | Democratic | Yea |
| Rebecca M. Kislak | Democratic | Yea |
| Robert D. Phillips | Democratic | Yea |
| Robert E. Craven, Sr. | Democratic | Yea |
| Samuel A. Azzinaro | Democratic | Yea |
| Scott A. Slater | Democratic | Yea |
| Stephen M. Casey | Democratic | Yea |
| Susan R. Donovan | Democratic | Yea |
| Teresa Ann Tanzi | Democratic | Yea |
| Terri Cortvriend | Democratic | Yea |
| Thomas E. Noret | Democratic | Yea |
| Tina L. Spears | Democratic | Yea |
| Jon D. Brien | Independent | Yea |
| Brian C. Newberry | Republican | Yea |
| Christopher G. Paplauskas | Republican | Yea |
| David J. Place | Republican | Yea |
| George A Nardone | Republican | Yea |
| Marie A. Hopkins | Republican | Yea |
| Michael W. Chippendale | Republican | Yea |
| Paul M. Santucci | Republican | Yea |
| Richard R. Fascia | Republican | Yea |
| Robert J. Quattrocchi | Republican | Yea |
| Sherry Roberts | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 29 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 34 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| % of votes cast | 89% | 0% | 0% | 11% |
How each member voted (38)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Ruggerio | — | Not Voting |
| Madam President | — | Yea |
| de la Cruz | — | Yea |
| Alana M. DiMario | Democratic | Yea |
| Ana B. Quezada | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Andrew R. Dimitri | Democratic | Yea |
| Brian J. Thompson | Democratic | Yea |
| Bridget Valverde | Democratic | Yea |
| David P. Tikoian | Democratic | Yea |
| Dawn Euer | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Frank A. Ciccone III | Democratic | Yea |
| Hanna M. Gallo | Democratic | Yea |
| Jacob E. Bissaillon | Democratic | Yea |
| John P. Burke | Democratic | Yea |
| Jonathon Acosta | Democratic | Yea |
| Lammis J. Vargas | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Leonidas P. Raptakis | Democratic | Yea |
| Linda L. Ujifusa | Democratic | Yea |
| Lori Urso | Democratic | Yea |
| Louis P. DiPalma | Democratic | Yea |
| Mark McKenney | Democratic | Yea |
| Matthew L. LaMountain | Democratic | Yea |
| Meghan E. Kallman | Democratic | Yea |
| Melissa Murray | Democratic | Yea |
| Pamela J. Lauria | Democratic | Yea |
| Peter A. Appollonio Jr. | Democratic | Yea |
| Robert Britto | Democratic | Yea |
| Ryan W. Pearson | Democratic | Yea |
| Samuel D. Zurier | Democratic | Yea |
| Samuel W. Bell | Democratic | Yea |
| Tiara T. Mack | Democratic | Yea |
| Todd M. Patalano | Democratic | Yea |
| V. Susan Sosnowski | Democratic | Yea |
| Victoria Gu | Democratic | Yea |
| Walter S. Felag Jr. | Democratic | Yea |
| Elaine J. Morgan | Republican | Yea |
| Gordon E. Rogers | Republican | Yea |
| Thomas J. Paolino | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 26 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unaffiliated | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 36 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (38)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Cano | — | Yea |
| DeLuca | — | Yea |
| Goodwin | — | Not Voting |
| Lombardo | — | Yea |
| Miller | — | Yea |
| Picard | — | Yea |
| Mr. President | — | Yea |
| de la Cruz | — | Yea |
| Alana M. DiMario | Democratic | Yea |
| Ana B. Quezada | Democratic | Yea |
| Bridget Valverde | Democratic | Yea |
| David P. Tikoian | Democratic | Yea |
| Dawn Euer | Democratic | Yea |
| Frank A. Ciccone III | Democratic | Yea |
| Hanna M. Gallo | Democratic | Yea |
| John J. Lombardi | Democratic | Yea |
| John P. Burke | Democratic | Yea |
| Jonathon Acosta | Democratic | Yea |
| Leonidas P. Raptakis | Democratic | Yea |
| Linda L. Ujifusa | Democratic | Yea |
| Louis P. DiPalma | Democratic | Yea |
| Mark McKenney | Democratic | Yea |
| Matthew L. LaMountain | Democratic | Yea |
| Meghan E. Kallman | Democratic | Yea |
| Melissa Murray | Democratic | Yea |
| Pamela J. Lauria | Democratic | Yea |
| Robert Britto | Democratic | Yea |
| Ryan W. Pearson | Democratic | Yea |
| Samuel D. Zurier | Democratic | Yea |
| Samuel W. Bell | Democratic | Yea |
| Tiara T. Mack | Democratic | Yea |
| V. Susan Sosnowski | Democratic | Yea |
| Valarie J. Lawson | Democratic | Yea |
| Victoria Gu | Democratic | Yea |
| Walter S. Felag Jr. | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Elaine J. Morgan | Republican | Yea |
| Gordon E. Rogers | Republican | Yea |
| Thomas J. Paolino | Republican | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 559 do?
- Increases imprisonment penalties and adds mandatory community service for violations of § 4-1-9.
- Who sponsors SB 559?
- SB 559 is sponsored by Lammis J. Vargas (Democratic), Lori Urso (Democratic), Melissa Murray (Democratic), John P. Burke (Democratic), Frank A. Ciccone III (Democratic), Todd M. Patalano (Democratic), Jacob E. Bissaillon (Democratic), David P. Tikoian (Democratic), Peter A. Appollonio Jr. (Democratic), and Andrew R. Dimitri (Democratic).
- What is the current status of SB 559?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 26, 2025. Enacted.
- Where can I track SB 559?
- Track SB 559 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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