SB 945 — Crimes and punishments; relating to animal cruelty; creating misdemeanor and felony offenses; modifying scope and penalty of certain felony offense. Effective date.
Last action — Coauthored by Representative Lawson (principal House author)
No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.
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✓Introduced
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2In Committee
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3Passed Senate
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4Passed House
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 03, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
LowHow often bills like it became law.
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In Committee
Current position in the legislative process.
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2 sponsors
2 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 R).
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 1 recorded vote 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.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
62 added · 60 removedPlain-language change summary
The updated version of SB 945 makes important changes to how animal cruelty is classified and penalized. Specifically, it introduces a clearer distinction between misdemeanor and felony offenses related to animal abuse, allowing for harsher penalties for more severe acts of cruelty. This change aims to strengthen protections for animals and improve the enforcement of laws against those who harm them. Essentially, it reflects a commitment to treating animal cruelty more seriously, potentially leading to better outcomes for vulnerable animals.
STATESENATE OFFLOOR OKLAHOMAVERSION 1stFebruary Session19, of2025 theAS 60thAMENDED Legislature (2025) FLOOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO.
Guthrie 65 FLOOR SUBSTITUTE [ crimes and punishments - animal cruelty - misdemeanor offense - felony offense - penalties - effective date ] 9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
Req.B.
No.Any person who shall willfully or maliciously torture knowingly, destroy, or kill, or cruelly beat or injure, maim, or SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB945 SFLR Page 1 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) mutilate any animal in subjugation or captivity, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to the person or to another, or deprive any such animal of necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent suffering;
1818or Pagewho 1shall B.cause, procure, or permit any such animal to be so tortured, destroyed, or killed, or cruelly beaten or injured, maimed, or mutilated, or deprived of necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent suffering;
Any person who shall willfully or maliciously torture, knowingly destroy or, kill, or cruelly beat or injure, maim, or mutilate any animal in subjugation or captivity, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to the person or to another, or deprive any such animal of necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent suffering that causes great bodily harm or death;
or who shall cause, procure, or permit any such animal to be so tortured, destroyed or, killed, or cruelly beaten or injured, maimed, or mutilated, or deprived of necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent suffering;
Any person providing commercial services for animals, including, but not limited to, veterinary care, grooming services, or boarding, who shall willfully or maliciously destroy, kill, beat, injure, maim, or mutilate an animal or pet in his or her care, Req.shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the Department of Corrections for a term not to SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB945 SFLR Page 2 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) exceed ten (10) years, a fine not more than Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.
No.
1818 Page 2 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed ten (10) years, a fine not more than Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.
D.
Any prosecution under this section that concerns livestock, as defined in Section 1-3 of Title 2 of the Oklahoma Statutes, shall require a determination by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry or by a licensed veterinarian that the alleged neglect constitutes a violation of accepted livestock management practices.
60-1-1818COMMITTEE CNREPORT 3/11/2025BY: 10:15:58 AM Req.
No.COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY February 19, 2025 - DO PASS AS AMENDED 6 8 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB945 SFLR Page 3 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments)
1818 Page 3
AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.
The bill modifies existing animal cruelty laws in Oklahoma by creating a new misdemeanor offense, updating penalties for felonies, and establishing a felony for specific acts of cruelty.
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21 O.S. 2021, Section 1685
punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not exceeding to exceed five (5) years, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed exceeding one (1) year, or by a fine not exceeding more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.→ punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term not exceeding five (5) years, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.Clarifies the penalization for felony cruelty to animals by fixing phrasing regarding terms and conditions.
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21 O.S. 2021, Section 1685
Any animal so maltreated shall be considered a neglected animal.→ Any animal so maltreated or abused shall be considered an abused or neglected animal.Expands the definition of mistreated animals to include those classified as abused.
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21 O.S. 2021, Section 1685
who shall willfully or maliciously destroy, kill, beat, injure, maim, or mutilate an animal or pet in his or her care, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed ten (10) years, a fine not more than Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.→ who shall willfully or maliciously destroy, kill, beat, injure, maim, or mutilate an animal or pet in his or her care, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed ten (10) years, a fine not more than Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.Affirms the penalties for veterinarians and others in commercial animal services who commit specific acts of cruelty.
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21 O.S. 2021, Section 1685
by a fine not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.→ by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.Clarifies the monetary penalty for the misdemeanor offense of animal cruelty.
Action History
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Coauthored by Representative Lawson (principal House author)
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Placed on General Order
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Title stricken
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Reported Do Pass as amended Public Safety committee; CR filed
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Second Reading referred to Public Safety
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Authored by Senator Guthrie
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First Reading
Sponsors
- Brian Guthrie · Primary
- Mark Lawson · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →2 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 149 not signed on · 3 voted No
Sponsors (2)
- Brian Guthrie Republican
- Mark Lawson Republican
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (149)
149 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 149 →"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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 56% | 33% | 0% | 11% |
How each member voted (9)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| STRIKE THE TITLE - ADOPTED | — | Not Voting |
| Michael Brooks | Democrat | Yea |
| Regina Goodwin | Democrat | Nay |
| Casey Murdock | Republican | Yea |
| Darcy Jech | Republican | Yea |
| District 24 | Republican | Yea |
| Jonathan Wingard | Republican | Nay |
| Spencer Kern | Republican | Yea |
| Warren Hamilton | Republican | Nay |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- Who sponsors SB 945?
- SB 945 is sponsored by Brian Guthrie (Republican) and Mark Lawson (Republican).
- What is the current status of SB 945?
- This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 03, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
- Where can I track SB 945?
- Track SB 945 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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