Rhode Island legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Rhode Island S2151: AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (Allows animal control officers in the cities and towns to
Status: Signed into law, June 10, 2026
AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (Allows animal control officers in the cities and towns to lawfully take charge of and provide adequate care to any animal found abandoned or neglected or hazardously accumulated and includes them as agents authorized to enforce the provisions of this law.)
What the bill says
From the introduced text, January 16, 2026:
2026 -- S 2151 ======== LC003222 ======== STATEOFRHODEISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ ANACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO ANIMALS Introduced By: Senators Urso, Appollonio, Tikoian, LaMountain, Patalano, Thompson, Bell, Gu, Euer, and Dimitri Date Introduced: January 16, 2026 Referred To: Senate Judiciary It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. Section 4-1-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 4-1 entitled "Cruelty to Animals" is hereby amended to read as follows: 4-1-22. Care of neglected animals by society -- Forfeiture of owner's rights -- Expenses. (a) An animal control officer of a city or town, or an officer or agent of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals may lawfully take charge of and shall provide adequate care to any animal found abandoned or neglected or hazardously accumulated as defined in § 4-1-1, or that in the opinion of that officer or agent, is aged, maimed, disabled, lame, sick, diseased, injured, unfit for the labor it is performing, or cruelly treated, and shall give notice to the owner or guardian, if known. (b) Every owner or guardian, upon conviction, plea of guilty, or plea of nolo contendere, of abandonment, neglect, hazardous accumulation as defined in § 4-1-1, or otherwise cruel treatment of any animal taken charge …
Sponsors
- Lori Urso (D, SD-008) · primary sponsor
- Peter Appollonio (D, SD-029)
- David Tikoian (D, SD-022)
- Matthew LaMountain (D, SD-031)
- Todd Patalano (D, SD-026)
- Brian Thompson (D, SD-020)
- Samuel Bell (D, SD-005)
- Victoria Gu (D, SD-038)
- Dawn Euer (D, SD-013)
- Andrew Dimitri (D, SD-025)
Latest actions
- : Signed by Governor
- : Transmitted to Governor
- : House passed in concurrence
- : Placed on the House Consent Calendar
- : Senate read and passed
- : Placed on Senate Calendar
- : Committee recommends passage
- : Scheduled for consideration
- : Committee recommended measure be held for further study
- : Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Votes
- House Seq #284: PASSAGE IN CONCURRENCE (June 4, 2026): 63 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Seq #274: (May 28, 2026): 36 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Committee on Judiciary: Passage (May 21, 2026): 8 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Committee on Judiciary: Passage (April 14, 2026): 11 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Common questions
- What is S2151?
- S2151 is a bill in the Rhode Island Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (Allows animal control officers in the cities and towns to.
- What does S2151 do?
- AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY -- CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (Allows animal control officers in the cities and towns to lawfully take charge of and provide adequate care to any animal found abandoned or neglected or hazardously accumulated and includes them as agents authorized to enforce the provisions of this law.)
- What is the status of S2151?
- Signed into law as of June 10, 2026. Latest action: Signed by Governor (June 10, 2026).
- Who sponsored S2151?
- Lori Urso (D, SD-008), with 9 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for S2151?
- On the Rhode Island Legislature website: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2151.pdf
Source: official Rhode Island record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.