‘Reba’s law’ passes Nevada Assembly floor
It was a shaky start for Assembly Bill 381, which sought to strengthen penalties for animal cruelty, after it appeared to die when it failed to pass the first committee passage deadline. But lawmakers worked to revive the bill, and on Friday it was voted out of the Assembly unanimously.
“It’s a victory, not just for me, but for all animal lovers,” said Assemblymember Melissa Hardy, the bill’s main sponsor, in a phone interview.
Named after an English bulldog left taped in a plastic tote bin during a summer heat wave, the bill includes sweeping reforms on animal cruelty laws and what happens when animals are taken into custody.
If somebody acts willfully and maliciously that results in the death of an animal, they will be charged with a category B felony, which would result in a minimum sentence of 1 year and no more than 6 years, according to Hardy, R-Henderson.
A court may also order a person convicted of animal cruelty from owning animals. If they’re convicted of a category B felony, they would be banned from owning an animal for the remainder of their life, Hardy said.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
