The bill amends Section 12-29-2 of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act to expand the definition of domestic violence to include specific animal cruelty offenses. The new legal language adds several offenses related to animals, including unnecessary cruelty to an animal owned or cared for by a household member, malicious injury to or killing of such an animal, and abandonment of an animal owned or cared for by a household member. These additions aim to recognize and address the impact of animal cruelty within the context of domestic violence. The bill also removes the reference to "and" before the last item in the list of offenses. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
5669: 12-29-2