Virginia 2026 Session Status: Introduced

SB261 — Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat, penalty.

Last action — Left in Appropriations

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 12, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 7 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat, penalty.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB261 on the official Virginia source →

Action History

  1. H Left in Appropriations

  2. H Rereferred to Appropriations

  3. H Motion to rerefer to Appropriations agreed to

  4. H Read second time

  5. H Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

  6. H Placed on Appropriations Agenda

  7. H Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

  8. H Referred to Committee on Appropriations

  9. H Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N)

  10. H Placed on Courts of Justice Agenda

  11. H Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)

  12. H Placed on Courts of Justice Agenda

  13. H Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

  14. H Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  15. H Read first time

  16. H Placed on Calendar

  17. S Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  18. S Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)

  19. S Read second time

  20. S Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

  21. S Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  22. S Rules suspended

  23. S Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

  24. S Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations

  25. S Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 0-N 1-A)

  26. S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB261)

  27. S Assigned HACNR sub: Companion Animals

  28. S Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/14/2026 6:34 pm)

  29. S Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

  30. S Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101240D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on · 2 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (147)

147 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 147 →

"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.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Reported from Appropriations

Passed 22 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 22000
Total 22000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (22)
Member Party Vote
Alex Q. Askew — Yea
Amy J. Laufer — Yea
Betsy B. Carr — Yea
Bill Wiley — Yea
Briana D. Sewell — Yea
C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. — Yea
Charniele L. Herring — Yea
David A. Reid — Yea
Delores L. McQuinn — Yea
Ellen H. McLaughlin — Yea
James W. Morefield — Yea
Joshua E. Thomas — Yea
Kathy K.L. Tran — Yea
Luke E. Torian — Yea
M. Keith Hodges — Yea
Marcia S. "Cia" Price — Yea
Paul E. Krizek — Yea
Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. — Yea
Rodney T. Willett — Yea
Scott A. Wyatt — Yea
Shelly A. Simonds — Yea
Terry L. Austin — Yea

Official roll call →

Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations

Passed 20 Yea · 2 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 20200
Total 20200
% of votes cast 91%9%0%0%
How each member voted (22)
Member Party Vote
Atoosa R. Reaser — Yea
Charlie Schmidt — Yea
James A. "Jay" Leftwich — Yea
Jason S. Ballard — Yea
Justin Pence — Yea
Karen Keys-Gamarra — Yea
Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie — Yea
Karrie K. Delaney — Yea
Katrina Callsen — Yea
Leslie Chambers Mehta — Yea
Madison Whittle — Yea
Marcus B. Simon — Nay
Michelle Lopes Maldonado — Nay
Patrick A. Hope — Yea
Phil M. Hernandez — Yea
Rae Cousins — Yea
Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. — Yea
Terry G. Kilgore — Yea
Virgil Thornton — Yea
Vivian E. Watts — Yea
Will Davis — Yea
Wren M. Williams — Yea

Official roll call →

Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations

Passed 9 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9002
Total 9002
% of votes cast 82%0%0%18%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Charlie Schmidt — Yea
Karrie K. Delaney — Yea
Katrina Callsen — Not Voting
Leslie Chambers Mehta — Yea
Madison Whittle — Yea
Patrick A. Hope — Not Voting
Phil M. Hernandez — Yea
Rae Cousins — Yea
Vivian E. Watts — Yea
Will Davis — Yea
Wren M. Williams — Yea

Official roll call →

Read third time and passed Senate

Passed 40 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 40000
Total 40000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Angelia Williams Graves — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Emily M. Jordan — Yea
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. — Yea
J.D. "Danny" Diggs — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kannan Srinivasan — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Luther Cifers, III — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Michael J. Jones — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
T. Travis Hackworth — Yea
Tammy Brankley Mulchi — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Timmy French — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading)

Passed 40 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 40000
Total 40000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Angelia Williams Graves — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Emily M. Jordan — Yea
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. — Yea
J.D. "Danny" Diggs — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kannan Srinivasan — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Luther Cifers, III — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Michael J. Jones — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
T. Travis Hackworth — Yea
Tammy Brankley Mulchi — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Timmy French — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Reported from Finance and Appropriations

Passed 15 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 15000
Total 15000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea

Official roll call →

Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations

Passed 12 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 12003
Total 12003
% of votes cast 80%0%0%20%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Angelia Williams Graves — Not Voting
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Kannan Srinivasan — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Michael J. Jones — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
T. Travis Hackworth — Not Voting
Tammy Brankley Mulchi — Not Voting
Timmy French — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB261 do?
Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat, penalty.
Who sponsors SB261?
SB261 is sponsored by William M. Stanley, Jr..
What is the current status of SB261?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 12, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB261?
Track SB261 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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