Tennessee Senate Bill SB1325

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 14; Title 40, Chapter 39; Title 43; Title 44 and Title 53, relative to the treatment of animals.

Summary

SB1325 creates new animal confinement standards for certain livestock raised on Tennessee farms, specifically breeding pigs and calves raised for veal. The bill makes it an offense for a farm owner or operator to knowingly confine these animals in a way that prevents them from lying down, standing up, fully extending their limbs, or turning around freely, and it also sets minimum usable floor-space requirements: 24 square feet per breeding pig and 43 square feet per veal calf. The bill includes a series of exceptions for common agricultural and animal-care situations, including medical research, veterinary examination or treatment, transportation, fairs, 4-H and similar exhibitions, short-term husbandry needs, humane slaughter, and the period immediately before and after a breeding pig gives birth. It also states that customary farming practices and the fact that the animals are domestic livestock are not defenses to a violation. A violation is classified as a Class B misdemeanor with a mandatory fine range of $250 to $1,000 per offense, and each improperly confined animal counts as a separate offense.

Impact

The bill would add a new criminal animal-welfare provision to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39, expanding the state’s criminal code to regulate confinement conditions for breeding pigs and veal calves. It would affect farm owners and operators by imposing specific space and movement requirements, while preserving the ability of local governments to adopt stricter animal-protection ordinances and leaving other state, federal, or local animal-welfare laws in place. The act is set to take effect July 1, 2030.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, amendments, or partisan alignment in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a pro-animal-welfare approach with detailed carveouts intended to accommodate standard agricultural, veterinary, and exhibition practices. The delayed effective date suggests the bill is designed to give the agricultural sector substantial time to adjust if enacted.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is the bill’s regulation of livestock confinement on farms, especially the minimum space requirements and the prohibition on customary husbandry practices as a defense. Farm operators and agricultural interests may view the measure as a significant compliance burden or a challenge to existing production methods, while animal-welfare advocates would likely support the added protections for breeding pigs and veal calves. The bill’s exceptions indicate an attempt to balance those concerns, but the core issue remains whether the state should criminalize confinement practices commonly used in commercial livestock production.