Legislation - HB0438

Title: Civil Actions - Tortious Injury to or Death of Pet - Compensatory Damages (Buddy's Law)
Sponsored by: Delegates Bartlett, Hill, Kipke, Lehman, Ruth, Nkongolo, Arikan, Cardin, Kaufman, Phillips, Sample-Hughes, Schmidt, Simpson, Stinnett, and Williams
Status: In the Senate - First Reading Judicial Proceedings
Analysis: Fiscal and Policy Note (Revised)

Synopsis

Increasing from $10,000 to $25,000 the maximum amount of compensatory damages that may be awarded to an owner of a pet from a person who tortiously causes an injury to or death of the pet while acting individually or through an animal under the person's ownership, direction, or control.

Committees

Original:: Judiciary Click to view Recorded Media

Opposite:: Judicial Proceedings

Committee Testimony

Witness List

Details

Cross-filed with: SB0581

Introduced in a prior session as: SB0292 Session: 2021 Regular Session

Bill File Type: Regular

Effective Date(s): October 1, 2025

History

Legislation History
Chamber House Calendar Date 1/16/2025 Legislative Date 1/16/2025 Action First Reading Judiciary Proceedings
Chamber Calendar Date Legislative Date Action Text - First - Civil Actions - Tortious Injury to or Death of Pet - Compensatory Damages Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 1/17/2025 Legislative Date 1/17/2025 Action Hearing 2/05 at 1:00 p.m. Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 2/03/2025 Legislative Date 2/03/2025 Action Hearing canceled Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 2/03/2025 Legislative Date 2/03/2025 Action Hearing 2/05 at 2:00 p.m. Proceedings
Chamber Calendar Date Legislative Date Action Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary Proceedings Click to view Recorded Media
Chamber House Calendar Date 3/10/2025 Legislative Date 3/10/2025 Action Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 3/11/2025 Legislative Date 2/27/2025 Action Favorable with Amendments {603924/1 Adopted Proceedings 39CClick to view Recorded Media
Chamber House Calendar Date 3/11/2025 Legislative Date 2/27/2025 Action Second Reading Passed with Amendments Proceedings 39CClick to view Recorded Media
Chamber Calendar Date Legislative Date Action Text - Third - Civil Actions - Tortious Injury to or Death of Pet - Compensatory Damages (Buddy's Law) Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 3/11/2025 Legislative Date 2/28/2025 Action Third Reading Passed (139-0) Proceedings 40 Click to view Recorded Media
Chamber Senate Calendar Date 3/12/2025 Legislative Date 2/23/2025 Action Referred Judicial Proceedings Proceedings 43 Click to view Recorded Media

Chamber	Calendar Date	Legislative Date	Action	Proceedings
House	1/16/2025	1/16/2025	First Reading Judiciary
			Text - First - Civil Actions - Tortious Injury to or Death of Pet - Compensatory Damages
House	1/17/2025	1/17/2025	Hearing 2/05 at 1:00 p.m.
House	2/03/2025	2/03/2025	Hearing canceled
House	2/03/2025	2/03/2025	Hearing 2/05 at 2:00 p.m.
			Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary	Click to view Recorded Media
House	3/10/2025	3/10/2025	Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary
House	3/11/2025	2/27/2025	Favorable with Amendments {603924/1 Adopted	39CClick to view Recorded Media
House	3/11/2025	2/27/2025	Second Reading Passed with Amendments	39CClick to view Recorded Media
			Text - Third - Civil Actions - Tortious Injury to or Death of Pet - Compensatory Damages (Buddy's Law)
House	3/11/2025	2/28/2025	Third Reading Passed (139-0)	40 Click to view Recorded Media
Senate	3/12/2025	2/23/2025	Referred Judicial Proceedings	43 Click to view Recorded Media

File Code

Subjects

Statutes