HB 1220

                                                          Introduced Version
           HOUSE BILL No. 1220
                 _____
              DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 15-20-5.5.
Synopsis: Prohibition on declawing cats. Prohibits a person from
declawing cats in Indiana.
Effective: July 1, 2026.
                            Miller K
   January 5, 2026, read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture and Rural
Development.
2026  IN 1220—LS 6298/DI 150
                                                                                       Introduced
            Second Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2026)
 PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
 Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
 additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
   Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
 provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
 word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
 a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
  Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
 between statutes enacted by the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
                   HOUSE BILL No. 1220
    A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
 agriculture and animals.
     Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1    SECTION 1. IC 15-20-5.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2026]:
4    Chapter 5.5. Cat Declawing
5    Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "cat" means an animal of the
6 species Felis catus.
7    Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "declawing" means an
8 onychectomy or any other surgical procedure to:
9      (1) amputate; or
10      (2) modify;
11 a portion of a cat's paw in order to remove the cat's claws.
12    Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "tendonectomy" means a
13 procedure in which the tendons to a cat's:
14      (1) limbs;
15      (2) paws; or
16      (3) toes;
17 are cut or modified so that the normal functioning of the claws is
 2026  IN 1220—LS 6298/DI 150
                                    2
1 impaired.
2     Sec. 4. (a) As used in this chapter, "therapeutic purpose" means
3 a medically necessary procedure to address an existing or
4 recurring infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition in a
5 cat's:
6(1) claws;
7(2) nail bed; or
8(3) toe bone;
9 that jeopardizes the cat's health.
10     (b) The term does not include a procedure performed for a
11 cosmetic or aesthetic purpose or to make the cat more convenient
12 to keep or handle.
13     Sec. 5. (a) A person shall not perform:
14(1) surgical claw removal;
15(2) declawing; or
16(3) a tendonectomy;
17 on a cat or otherwise alter a cat's toes, claws, or paws to prevent or
18 impair the normal function of the cat's toes, claws, or paws.
19     (b) This section does not apply to a procedure performed solely
20 for a therapeutic purpose.
21     (c) A person who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty
22 of:
23(1) five hundred dollars ($500) for the first violation;
24(2) one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the second violation; and
25(3) two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for the third
26and any subsequent violation.
27     (d) Civil penalties collected under this section must be deposited
28 in the state general fund.
 2026  IN 1220—LS 6298/DI 150