Existing law provides, subject to exceptions, that every person who overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks, tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter, cruelly beats, mutilates, or cruelly kills any animal, or causes or procures any animal to be so overdriven, overloaded, driven when overloaded, overworked, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter, or to be cruelly beaten, mutilated, or cruelly killed; and whoever, having the charge or custody of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, subjects any animal to needless suffering, or inflicts unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, or in any manner abuses any animal, or fails to provide the animal with proper food, drink, or shelter or protection from the weather, or who drives, rides, or otherwise uses the animal when unfit for labor, is guilty of a crime punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony, or alternatively as a misdemeanor or a felony and a fine of not more than $20,000.
Existing law provides, subject to exceptions, that every person who overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks, tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter, cruelly beats, mutilates, or cruelly kills any animal, or causes or procures any animal to be so overdriven, overloaded, driven when overloaded, overworked, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter, or to be cruelly beaten, mutilated, or cruelly killed; and whoever, having the charge or custody of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, subjects any animal to needless suffering, or inflicts unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, or in any manner abuses any animal, or fails to provide the animal with proper food, drink, or shelter or protection from the weather, or who drives, rides, or otherwise uses the animal when unfit for labor, is guilty of a crime punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony, or alternatively as a misdemeanor or a felony and a fine of not more than $20,000.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
SB 917 Lieu Senate Third Reading By SMYTH — 44–23 (pass) · lower
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations. — 5–2 (pass) · lower
Do pass, but re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. — 5–2 (pass) · upper
3rd Reading — 27–10 (pass) · upper
Do pass. — 11–5 (pass) · lower
Sponsors
Lieu — primary (person)
Hancock — coauthor (person)
Smyth — coauthor (person)
Solorio — coauthor (person)
Strickland — coauthor (person)
Williams — coauthor (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2011-02-18 Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. introduction, reading-1
2011-02-19 From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 21.
2011-03-10 Referred to Com. on PUB. S. referral-committee
2011-03-25 Set for hearing April 12.
2011-04-12 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 621.) (April 12). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. referral-committee, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2011-04-13 Set for hearing May 2.
2011-04-27 From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. reading-2, reading-1, committee-passage, amendment-passage, referral-committee
2011-05-03 From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8. committee-passage
2011-05-04 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-2, reading-1
2011-05-16 Read third time and amended. reading-3, reading-1, amendment-passage
2011-05-16 Ordered to second reading.
2011-05-17 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-2, reading-1
2011-05-27 Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 1140.) Ordered to the Assembly. reading-3, reading-1, passage
2011-05-27 In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. reading-1
2011-06-09 Referred to Com. on PUB. S. referral-committee
2011-06-22 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (June 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. referral-committee, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2011-07-06 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 5.) (July 6). committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2011-07-07 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-2, reading-1
2011-07-11 Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 44. Noes 23. Page 2266.) Ordered to the Senate. reading-3, reading-1, passage
2011-07-11 In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2011-07-14 Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 10 a.m.
2011-07-26 Approved by the Governor. executive-signature
2011-07-26 Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 131, Statutes of 2011.
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/82bea6fd-5e11-4e32-bb52-3b477d6febd4. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).
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