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HB 1220INDIANASession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Indiana bill prohibits cat declawing and tendonectomy procedures and sets civil penalties

Original title: Prohibition on declawing cats.

Last action · January 5, 2026: First reading: referred to Committee on Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentSponsor: Kyle Miller

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Indiana House Bill 1220 prohibits individuals from performing declawing, surgical claw removal, or procedures on cats beginning July 1, 2026. The prohibition excludes procedures performed solely for medically necessary therapeutic purposes, but violators face civil penalties ranging from $500 to $2,500.

Why it matters

Veterinarians and cat owners face state-mandated restrictions on certain surgical procedures, with financial penalties enforced for non-therapeutic operations.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

veterinarians

Veterinarians are prohibited from performing non-therapeutic declawing or tendonectomy procedures on cats and face civil penalties for violations.

Directly affected

cat owners

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any exceptions where a cat can be declawed?

Yes, procedures performed solely for a therapeutic purpose—such as addressing an existing or recurring infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition affecting a cat's claws, nail bed, or toe bone—are exempt from the prohibition.

What is the penalty for violating the declawing prohibition?

Violators are subject to a civil penalty of $500 for the first violation, $1,000 for the second violation, and $2,500 for the third and any subsequent violation.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

2 actions

Jan 5, 2026HouseIntroduced
First reading: referred to Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Jan 5, 2026House
Authored by Representative Miller K

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Connected Entities

General Assembly of the State of Indiana

OrganizationGeneral Assembly of the State of Indiana“Legislative body enacting the bill”Map →

Sources

Open source document

iga.in.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
Controversy60
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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