Law change in Missouri
Missouri legislative item tracked as metadata only. SB 1304 - This act provides that a person commits the offense of making a malicious false report of animal abuse if the person purposely makes a report that is known to be false with the purpose of and causing a disruption, harassment, monetary loss, or disturbance of the peace of the owner of the animal. This offense is a class C misdemeanor. There shall be an absolute defense for a prosecution of the offense if the reporting party reported an incident of animal abuse out of a good faith, reasonable belief that an animal was being abused. Additionally, this act modifies the offense of animal abuse to provide that it shall be a class E felony if the suffering of an animal is the result of starvation or dehydration, in addition to torture or mutilation, and which has been knowingly, instead of consciously, inflicted while the animal was alive. This act is substantially similar to SB 541 (2025) and HCS/HB 910 (2025). TRISTAN BENSON, JR.. Status: In Committee.