H 7194Criminal Procedure

Criminal Procedure - Domestic Violence Prevention Act

This bill classifies hurting, killing, or abandoning a family pet as a form of domestic violence.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Jan 21, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This bill expands the legal definition of "domestic violence" in Rhode Island. It specifically adds crimes involving animals to the list of offenses that constitute domestic violence when committed by a family or household member. The added offenses include unnecessary cruelty to an animal, malicious injury to or killing of an animal, and the abandonment of an animal. This change allows the legal system to treat these acts against family pets as part of domestic abuse cases, potentially triggering protective orders and other domestic violence protocols.

For younger readers

This rule changes the list of bad actions that count as hurting a family member. Sometimes, people who want to hurt someone in their family will hurt that person's pet instead to make them scared or sad. This new rule says that if someone is cruel to a pet, hurts a pet on purpose, or leaves a pet behind to suffer, it counts as domestic violence. This helps the police and judges protect families and their pets better.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Domestic violence victimsPet ownersLaw enforcement officersFamily court judgesAnimal control officers

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Acknowledges the well-documented link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, allowing for earlier intervention in abusive households to protect both humans and animals.
Provides critical support to victims of domestic violence who often delay leaving abusive partners out of fear that their pets will be harmed if left behind.
Expands legal protections for sentient beings within the domestic sphere, aligning with a compassionate view of community welfare that includes animal rights.
Expands the scope of the criminal justice system and policing, which some progressives view as a less effective solution to social issues than restorative justice or social support.
Could disproportionately impact low-income families where an inability to afford veterinary care or proper housing for a pet might be criminalized as "abandonment" or "cruelty."
Focuses on punitive measures after harm has occurred rather than funding preventative mental health services or pet-friendly domestic violence shelters.

For Conservatives

Strengthens law and order by providing prosecutors with more tools to charge and punish violent offenders who target the vulnerable, including family pets.
Reinforces traditional moral responsibilities regarding the stewardship and care of one's property and household members.
Utilizes existing legal frameworks to address crime without creating new government agencies or significant taxpayer-funded entitlement programs.
Expands government intrusion into private family life by broadening the definition of domestic violence to include interactions with animals.
Creates a potential for abuse in divorce or custody proceedings, where one party might weaponize accusations of pet mistreatment to gain legal leverage.
Moves toward elevating the legal status of animals closer to that of humans, which may concern those who strictly adhere to traditional distinctions between people and property.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 7 additions · 1 deletion

SECTION 1. Section 12-29-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-29 entitled "Domestic Violence Prevention Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 12-29-2. Definitions.

(a) “Domestic violence” includes, but is not limited to, any of the following crimes when committed by one family or household member against another:

(1) Simple assault (§ 11-5-3);

(2) Felony assaults (chapter 5 of title 11);

(3) Vandalism (§ 11-44-1);

(4) Disorderly conduct (§ 11-45-1);

(5) Trespass (§ 11-44-26);

(6) Kidnapping (§ 11-26-1);

(7) Child-snatching (§ 11-26-1.1);

(8) Sexual assault (§§ 11-37-2, 11-37-4);

(9) Homicide (§§ 11-23-1 and 11-23-3);

(10) Violation of the provisions of a protective order entered pursuant to § 15-5-19, chapter 15 of title 15, or chapter 8.1 of title 8 where the respondent has knowledge of the order and the penalty for its violation, or a violation of a no contact order issued pursuant to § 12-29-4;

(11) Stalking (chapter 59 of title 11);

(12) Refusal to relinquish or to damage or to obstruct a telephone (§ 11-35-14);

(13) Burglary and Unlawful Entry (chapter 8 of title 11);

(14) Arson (chapter 4 of title 11);

(15) Cyberstalking and cyberharassment (§ 11-52-4.2);

(16) Domestic assault by strangulation § 11-5-2.3; ~~and~~

(17) Electronic tracking of motor vehicles (§ 11-69-1);

(18) Unnecessary cruelty to an animal owned or cared for by a household member (§ 4-1- 3);

(19) Malicious injury to or killing of an animal owned or cared for by a household member (§ 4-1-5); and

(20) Abandonment of an animal owned or cared for by a household member (§ 4-1-26).

(b) “Family or household member” means spouses, former spouses, adult persons related by blood or marriage, adult persons who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past three (3) years, and persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together, or persons who are, or have been, in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past one year which shall be determined by the court’s consideration of the following factors:

(1) The length of time of the relationship;

(2) The type of the relationship;

(3) The frequency of the interaction between the parties.

(d) “Victim” means a family or household member who has been subjected to domestic violence.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.