republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-1531.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Cruelty to elephants; pain-inflicting training tools prohibited, civil penalty.	Cruelty to elephants; pain-inflicting training tools prohibited; actions for attachment; civil penalty. Prohibits using devices such as a bullhook, axe handle, or block and tackle or engaging in certain practices in order to discipline, train, or control the behavior of an elephant. The bill provides that any person who uses such devices or engages in certain practices that inflict fear or pain on or cause physical injury to an elephant is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 for the first offense and not to exceed $5,000 for subsequent violations. Finally, the bill provides that an action in equity may be brought to request an attachment for any devices prohibited by the bill against a person violating the provisions of the bill.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2024	HB 1531	Virginia HB 1531 (2024)	bill		enacted	Kathy K.L. Tran	3	31	7	2024-01-19	2024-04-02	openstates	ocd-bill/27c13a43-a5f4-4336-884f-e067d05e9c3a	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1531	f7cf9eb330802bef35621f23ef3a385e0cc70d58d6ee8caa14832df6e5b3b31d	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 1531 (2024) — Cruelty to elephants; pain-inflicting training tools prohibited, civil penalty.

Cruelty to elephants; pain-inflicting training tools prohibited; actions for attachment; civil penalty. Prohibits using devices such as a bullhook, axe handle, or block and tackle or engaging in certain practices in order to discipline, train, or control the behavior of an elephant. The bill provides that any person who uses such devices or engages in certain practices that inflict fear or pain on or cause physical injury to an elephant is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 for the first offense and not to exceed $5,000 for subsequent violations. Finally, the bill provides that an action in equity may be brought to request an attachment for any devices prohibited by the bill against a person violating the provisions of the bill.

Version chain

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

1. CHAP0333 (committee substitute) — source
2. HB1531ER (committee substitute) — source
3. Presented and ordered printed 24105745D (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Passed Senate with amendment (29-Y 11-N) — 29–11 (pass) · upper
• Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N) — 7–3 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (14-Y 8-N) — 14–8 (pass) · lower
• VOTE: Adoption (63-Y 36-N) — 62–36 (pass) · lower
• VOTE: Passage (63-Y 36-N) — 62–36 (pass) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (11-Y 2-N 2-A) — 11–2 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Kathy K.L. Tran — primary (person)
• Debra D. Gardner — cosponsor (person)
• Irene Shin — cosponsor (person)
• Marcia S. "Cia" Price — cosponsor (person)
• Rae Cousins — cosponsor (person)
• Sam Rasoul — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2024-01-19 Presented and ordered printed 24105745D introduction
• 2024-01-19 Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources referral-committee
• 2024-01-26 Assigned ACNR sub: Agriculture referral-committee
• 2024-01-30 Impact statement from DPB (HB1531)
• 2024-01-31 Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N)
• 2024-02-07 Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (14-Y 8-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-09 Read first time reading-1
• 2024-02-12 Read second time and engrossed reading-2
• 2024-02-13 Read third time and passed House (63-Y 36-N) passage, reading-3
• 2024-02-13 VOTE: Passage (63-Y 36-N) passage
• 2024-02-14 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2024-02-14 Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources referral-committee
• 2024-02-20 Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (11-Y 2-N 2-A) committee-passage
• 2024-02-22 Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
• 2024-02-23 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-02-23 Reading of amendment waived
• 2024-02-23 Passed by for the day
• 2024-02-26 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-02-26 Reading of amendment waived
• 2024-02-26 Amendment by Senator Stanley agreed to amendment-passage
• 2024-02-26 Engrossed by Senate as amended
• 2024-02-26 Passed Senate with amendment (29-Y 11-N) passage
• 2024-02-28 Senate amendment agreed to by House (63-Y 36-N) amendment-passage
• 2024-02-28 VOTE: Adoption (63-Y 36-N)
• 2024-03-05 Enrolled enrolled
• 2024-03-05 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1531ER) passage
• 2024-03-05 Impact statement from DPB (HB1531ER)
• 2024-03-11 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2024 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2024-03-11 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 8, 2024 executive-receipt
• 2024-04-02 Approved by Governor-Chapter 333 (effective 7/1/24) executive-signature
• 2024-04-02 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0333)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/27c13a43-a5f4-4336-884f-e067d05e9c3a. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).