S 2723Criminal Procedure

Criminal Procedure - Domestic Violence Prevention Act

This bill classifies harming, killing, or abandoning a pet as domestic violence if done by a household member.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee Senate Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation expands the legal definition of "domestic violence" in Rhode Island to include crimes committed against animals. Specifically, it amends the Domestic Violence Prevention Act to classify unnecessary cruelty to an animal, malicious injury to or killing of an animal, and the abandonment of an animal as domestic violence offenses when these acts are committed by one family or household member against an animal owned or cared for by that household. This allows the legal system to treat these acts with the same severity and legal protocols as other forms of domestic abuse.

For younger readers

This new law changes the rules about what counts as domestic violence, which is when someone hurts a person in their family. Sometimes, people who want to hurt their family will hurt their pets to make them sad or scared. This law says that if a family member is cruel to a pet, hurts a pet on purpose, or leaves a pet behind without care, it will be treated as a very serious crime. This helps protect pets and keeps families safer from bullies in their own homes.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Pet ownersDomestic violence victimsLaw enforcementFamily court judgesAnimal shelters

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Recognizes the intersectional link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, providing earlier intervention opportunities to protect vulnerable family members who are often controlled or terrorized through threats to their pets.
Expands protection for animals, acknowledging their welfare as a community concern and ensuring that sentient beings within a household are legally shielded from abuse.
Empowers victims of domestic abuse to leave abusive situations without fear that their pets will be left behind to face retaliation or neglect, strengthening the overall social safety net for survivors.
Expands the carceral state by adding more offenses to the domestic violence statute, which may lead to increased policing and incarceration rather than addressing root causes of violence through rehabilitation.
Could potentially be used disproportionately against low-income communities or marginalized groups where resource scarcity might be conflated with "abandonment" or neglect of animals.
May divert limited judicial and prosecutorial resources away from cases involving physical violence against human victims, potentially slowing down the legal process for other urgent matters.

For Conservatives

Strengthens law and order by ensuring that individuals who commit violent acts or destroy property (animals) within a household face strict legal consequences.
Protects the traditional family unit by providing legal mechanisms to remove violent or unstable individuals who display dangerous behaviors, such as killing or torturing family pets.
Reinforces personal responsibility and accountability, ensuring that those who choose to own or care for animals are held liable for their malicious actions or negligence.
Represents an expansion of government power into the private sphere of the home, regulating how individuals interact with animals they own, which some may view as property rights interference.
Creates a slippery slope by equating animal welfare violations with violence against humans, potentially diluting the severity and focus of laws designed specifically to protect human life.
Could lead to potential abuse of the legal system, where false accusations of animal mistreatment are weaponized during divorce proceedings or custody battles to gain leverage.

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.