---
type: "Bill"
title: "Concerning animal welfare."
description: "Concerning animal welfare."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "SB 6300"
citation: "Washington SB 6300 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["VETERINARIANS", "CRIMES", "ANIMALS", "SENTENCING"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Rivers"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 37
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2020-01-15"
last_action: "2020-03-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a7369e65-d8a6-4070-935f-cd50718b4999"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6300&year=2019"
source_hash: "86220a6ce7f7a8e24d3d9ec541f907a43aa602dbe5bd6ec91b6648c0966fe6a8"
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-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 6300 (2019-2020) — Concerning animal welfare.

## Version chain

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

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6300.htm)
2. **Engrossed Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6300-S.E.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6300-S.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#42) — **43–5** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#13) — **89–8** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#15) — **45–3** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Rivers — primary (person)
- Frockt — cosponsor (person)
- Kuderer — cosponsor (person)
- Lovelett — cosponsor (person)
- Pedersen — cosponsor (person)
- Zeiger — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-01-15** First reading, referred to Law & Justice. `reading-1`
- **2020-01-30** LAW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-01-30** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-01-30** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-01-31** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2020-02-11** Made eligible to be placed on second reading.
- **2020-02-13** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2020-02-17** 1st substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2020-01-30** LAW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-01-30** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-01-30** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-01-31** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2020-02-11** Made eligible to be placed on second reading.
- **2020-02-13** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2020-02-17** 1st substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2020-02-17** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2020-02-17** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-02-17** Third reading, passed; yeas, 43; nays, 5; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2020-02-20** First reading, referred to Public Safety. `reading-1`
- **2020-02-27** PS - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2020-02-28** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2020-03-02** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
- **2020-03-05** Committee amendment(s) adopted as amended.
- **2020-03-05** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-03-05** Third reading, passed; yeas, 89; nays, 8; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2020-03-09** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2020-03-09** Passed final passage; yeas, 45; nays, 3; absent, 0; excused, 1. `passage`
- **2020-03-11** President signed. `passage`
- **2020-03-11** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2020-03-12** Delivered to Governor.
- **2020-03-25** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2020-03-25** Chapter 158, 2020 Laws. `became-law`
- **2020-03-25** Effective date 6/11/2020. `became-law`
- **2020-01-27T15:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:00 AM
- **2020-01-30T15:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:00 AM
- **2020-02-25T20:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Public Safety at 03:30 PM
- **2020-02-27T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Public Safety at 08:00 AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a7369e65-d8a6-4070-935f-cd50718b4999`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).