---
type: "Bill"
title: "Establishes procedures for seizure, care, and forfeiture of animals involved in animal cruelty violations.*"
description: "Establishes procedures for seizure, care, and forfeiture of animals involved in animal cruelty violations.*"
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "220"
identifier: "S 981"
citation: "New Jersey S 981 (220)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["ANIMAL CRUEL"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Benson, Daniel R.", "Chaparro, Annette", "Diegnan, Patrick J.", "Gopal, Vin", "Mukherji, Raj"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 11
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2022-01-31T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2023-07-26T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3b42d6d1-d243-4561-b1ed-3d3ca530da55"
source_url: "http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/downloads.asp"
source_hash: "bec48df9b772007de81b4eef2c08aad238a2af07eb68224c9a1197ca2c60cc40"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey S 981 (220) — Establishes procedures for seizure, care, and forfeiture of animals involved in animal cruelty violations.*

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2022/S1000/981_I1.HTM)
2. **Reprint AAN 3/23/23 1R** (committee substitute) — [source](https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2022/S1000/981_R1.HTM)
3. **Reprint AAP 5/18/23 2R** (committee substitute) — [source](https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2022/S1000/981_R2.HTM)

## Votes

- Reported favorably out of committee — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **36–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Benson, Daniel R. — primary (person)
- Chaparro, Annette — primary (person)
- Diegnan, Patrick J. — primary (person)
- Gopal, Vin — primary (person)
- Mukherji, Raj — primary (person)
- Calabrese, Clinton — cosponsor (person)
- Carter, Linda S. — cosponsor (person)
- Catalano, John — cosponsor (person)
- Clifton, Robert D. — cosponsor (person)
- Codey, Richard J. — cosponsor (person)
- Cruz-Perez, Nilsa I. — cosponsor (person)
- Cryan, Joseph P. — cosponsor (person)
- Cunningham, Sandra B. — cosponsor (person)
- Danielsen, Joe — cosponsor (person)
- Dunn, Aura K. — cosponsor (person)
- Eulner, Kim — cosponsor (person)
- Flynn, Victoria A. — cosponsor (person)
- Giblin, Thomas P. — cosponsor (person)
- Gopal, Vin — cosponsor (person)
- Greenstein, Linda R. — cosponsor (person)
- Haider, Shama A. — cosponsor (person)
- Holzapfel, James W. — cosponsor (person)
- Jasey, Mila M. — cosponsor (person)
- Johnson, Gordon M. — cosponsor (person)
- Matsikoudis, Michele — cosponsor (person)
- McCarthy Patrick, Bethanne — cosponsor (person)
- McGuckin, Gregory P. — cosponsor (person)
- Mejia, Pedro — cosponsor (person)
- O'Scanlon, Declan J. — cosponsor (person)
- Park, Ellen J. — cosponsor (person)
- Piperno, Marilyn — cosponsor (person)
- Pou, Nellie — cosponsor (person)
- Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina — cosponsor (person)
- Rooney, Kevin J. — cosponsor (person)
- Schepisi, Holly T. — cosponsor (person)
- Singleton, Troy — cosponsor (person)
- Stack, Brian P. — cosponsor (person)
- Stanfield, Jean — cosponsor (person)
- Turner, Shirley K. — cosponsor (person)
- Umba, Brandon E. — cosponsor (person)
- Zwicker, Andrew — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2022-01-31T05:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2022-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (36-0) `passage`
- **2022-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-23T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-05-18T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2023-05-25T04:00:00+00:00** Substituted for A2354 (2R)
- **2023-05-25T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (68-3-1) `passage`
- **2023-06-01T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Senate, 2nd Reading on Concurrence
- **2023-06-20T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (Passed Both Houses) (37-0) `passage`
- **2023-07-26T04:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2023, c.129. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3b42d6d1-d243-4561-b1ed-3d3ca530da55`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).