HB1814 would create a new public database within the Virginia Department of State Police called the Animal Cruelty Conviction List. The list would include people convicted of certain felony animal-related offenses, including cruelty to animals, animal fighting, maiming or killing an animal, and killing or injuring a police animal. For each listed person, the database would show the offender’s name, the offense, and the date and jurisdiction of conviction, and it would be posted on the State Police website.
The bill also imposes a $50 fee on each conviction covered by the list, with the revenue dedicated to maintaining the database. A person’s information would be automatically removed 15 years after listing if there are no additional qualifying felony convictions. The bill directs the Superintendent of State Police to establish the list by January 1, 2028, and to include qualifying convictions entered on or after July 1, 2025.
Impact
If enacted, HB1814 would add a new section to Title 3.2 of the Code of Virginia and require the State Police to create and maintain a publicly accessible conviction registry for specified felony animal-cruelty offenses. It would affect convicted offenders by adding a monetary assessment and by placing their conviction information on a public website for up to 15 years, while also imposing an administrative duty on the Department of State Police to collect, maintain, and purge the data. The bill would not change the underlying criminal offenses, but it would expand post-conviction reporting and public disclosure requirements for those offenses.
Sentiment
The available vote history suggests mixed but somewhat skeptical support in committee: a subcommittee recommended laying the bill on the table by a 6-4 vote, indicating more members opposed advancing it than supported it. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded debate to show detailed arguments. Overall, the bill appears to have prompted concern about whether a public conviction list is the appropriate policy response, even though the proposal is framed around animal welfare and public transparency.
Contention
The main points of contention likely center on the creation of a public offender registry and the privacy, fairness, and administrative implications of publishing conviction information for 15 years. Supporters would likely emphasize deterrence, transparency, and stronger consequences for serious animal cruelty and animal fighting offenses, while opponents may question whether a separate public list is necessary beyond existing criminal records and whether the $50 fee and database maintenance burden are justified. The subcommittee vote to lay the bill on the table indicates that these concerns outweighed support at that stage.