Missouri Legislation 2026

These bills strengthen Missouri’s laws on animal abuse by clarifying the language of the statute to expressly state that starving an animal to death is equivalent to torture. Further, a new offense for malicious false reporting of animal abuse would be established.

Current Missouri law holds that torture and mutilation of an animal may be charged as a felony. Unfortunately, in recent years there have been several cases of extreme neglect and abuse on some animal operations, such as some puppy mills. While some of these abusers have been appropriately charged with felonies, others have had charges dropped due to loopholes created by the current language of the abuse statutes. These bills would correct this loophole and ensure prosecutors and law enforcement can enforce the law as intended and keep our communities safe. 

Additionally, the narrowly tailored false reporting provisions will help prevent malicious or intentional false reports. These provisions help protect innocent animal owners from harassment or abuse of the reporting system, while reinforcing the integrity and credibility of legitimate, good-faith reports of suspected animal abuse.

SB 1352 Bill Text: https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/pdf-bill/intro/SB1352.pdf 

SB 1304 Bill Text: https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/pdf-bill/intro/SB1304.pdf

Police officers serve our communities in many important ways. Often, especially in our smaller cities and towns, this includes animal control. Despite this, many officers do not receive training on canine encounters or canine behavior. 

Handling situations involving dogs can be dangerous, particularly without proper training. The training provided by this bill would help prevent cases like Teddy's, where an untrained police officer made a costly mistake that would have been avoided with proper training. 

This bill helps to protect our law enforcement officers, as well as Missouri’s pets, by providing our officers training on how to safely handle these situations. The training is designed to help officers better assess canine behavior during calls, use appropriate de-escalation techniques where possible, and make safer decisions in situations involving dangerous dogs. 

This bill enhances officer safety, prevents unnecessary shootings of companion animals, and helps reduce avoidable trauma for officers who are placed in high-risk situations without adequate preparation.

HB 1719 Bill Text: https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills261/hlrbillspdf/4922H.01I.pdf

SB 1108 modernizes Missouri’s cemetery laws to reflect the reality that companion animals are cherished family members. By formally recognizing and regulating human-and-pet cemeteries, the bill allows families, if they choose, to be laid to rest alongside their beloved animals, honoring the deep emotional bond between people and their pets in a dignified and respectful way. For many Missourians, pets are lifelong companions who provide love, comfort, and support, and this bill acknowledges that bond even in death.

Importantly, SB 1108 does not simply permit mixed cemeteries without oversight; it ensures that human-and-pet cemeteries are subject to the same licensing, endowed care, and regulatory standards as traditional cemeteries. This protects consumers, preserves cemetery grounds in perpetuity, and ensures that the remains of both humans and animals are treated with care, respect, and accountability.

Overall, SB 1108 is a compassionate, forward-looking measure that aligns Missouri law with modern values, respects the human–animal bond, and provides families with meaningful end-of-life choices while maintaining strong consumer and animal welfare protections.

SB 1108 Bill Text: https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/pdf-bill/intro/SB1108.pdf