# Indiana HB 1165: Various animal related matters. Indiana HB 1165, Various animal related matters., is a Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) House bill sponsored by Wendy McNamara (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-04 (Signed by the Governor) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1165-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana HB 1165 - State: Indiana - Session: Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) - Title: Various animal related matters. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-05 - Last action: 2026-03-04, Signed by the Governor - Sponsor: Wendy McNamara (Republican) - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: courts and criminal code, the senate, corrections and criminal law - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (205 yes, 26 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary Removes partial liability for damages when a person removes a domestic animal from a motor vehicle. Increases certain penalties for offenses involving animals, and establishes a defense for an uninvolved person attacked by a law enforcement animal. Sets forth new definitions and amends various definitions for offenses relating to animals. Specifies that animal cruelty statutes apply to a rodent that is not a nuisance rodent. Makes certain acts an aggravating circumstance for purposes of sentencing. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Felony for using animals to threaten family: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, domestic violence animal cruelty is a separate Level 6 felony. It applies to knowingly or intentionally abusing, abandoning, killing, or neglecting a vertebrate animal. The person must intend to threaten, intimidate, coerce, harass, or terrorize a family or household member. - Felony penalties for stealing domestic animals: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, stealing a domestic animal carries a Level 6 felony classification. Theft means knowingly or intentionally taking unauthorized control of another person’s property with intent to deprive them of its value or use. The law defines domestic animals for theft and cruelty laws as… - Higher penalties for animal abuse and neglect: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, abuse, abandonment, and neglect of vertebrate animals remain Class A misdemeanors, but more cases carry Level 6 felony penalties. Felony triggers include serious permanent disfigurement, unconsciousness, lasting loss or impairment of a body part or organ’s function, or death… - Limited repair costs for animal rescuers: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, qualifying animal rescuers face liability for no more than half of vehicle-entry repair costs. The owner or lessee can waive that liability. The rescuer must reasonably believe a domestic animal faces imminent serious bodily harm inside a locked vehicle and determine forced… - New care standards for animal keepers: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, animal keepers must provide enough safe food and drink for health and normal development; frozen water does not count. Neglect includes failing to provide adequate bedding and shelter, replacing the former outdoor heat-and-cold rule for dogs and cats. Bedding must keep domes… - Police animal penalties and self-defense rights: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, knowingly or intentionally mistreating a law enforcement animal becomes a Level 5 felony when the animal dies, rather than Level 6. A defense applies when someone acts objectively reasonably and in good faith to protect themselves or another person from imminent injury by th… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Wendy McNamara (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Beau Baird (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Cyndi Carrasco (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mike Andrade (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Spencer Deery (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Steve Bartels (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-25 | House | House concurred with Senate amendments | pass | 78 | 14 | | | 2026-02-24 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 42 | 6 | | | 2026-01-28 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 85 | 6 | | ## Actions (23) - 2026-03-04: Signed by the Governor (House) - 2026-03-04: Public Law 80 (House) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2026-02-25: Returned to the House with amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-25: House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 374: yeas 78, nays 14 (House) - 2026-02-25: Motion to concur filed (House) - 2026-02-24: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 264: yeas 42, nays 6 (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Amendment #1 (Taylor G) prevailed; voice vote (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Senator Deery added as second sponsor (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2026-02-02: First reading: referred to Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Referred to the Senate (House) - 2026-01-28: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 140: yeas 85, nays 6 (House) - 2026-01-28: Senate sponsor: Senator Carrasco (House) - 2026-01-27: Second reading: ordered engrossed (House) - 2026-01-27: Representative Andrade added as coauthor (House) - 2026-01-22: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2026-01-05: First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code (House) - 2026-01-05: Authored by Representative McNamara (House) - 2026-01-05: Coauthored by Representatives Baird, Bartels (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.04.ENGS?format=pdf) - Enrolled House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.05.ENRS?format=pdf) - House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.02.COMH?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.03.COMS?format=pdf) - Introduced House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.01.INTR?format=pdf) ## Related bills - HB 1266: Department of education and education matters. (signed) - HB 1277: Health and human services matters. (signed) - HB 1210: Department of local government finance. (signed) - HB 1249: Various criminal law matters. (signed) - HB 1200: Bureau of motor vehicles. (signed) - HB 1115: Homeowners association governance. (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.04.ENGS?format=pdf) - [Enrolled House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.05.ENRS?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.02.COMH?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.03.COMS?format=pdf) - [Introduced House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1165/versions/HB1165.01.INTR?format=pdf) ## Related - [HB 1266: Department of education and education matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1266-2026) - [HB 1277: Health and human services matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1277-2026) - [HB 1210: Department of local government finance.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1210-2026) - [HB 1249: Various criminal law matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1249-2026) - [HB 1200: Bureau of motor vehicles.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1200-2026) - [HB 1115: Homeowners association governance.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1115-2026) - [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills) - [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1165-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).