The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Texas HB 1346 raises criminal penalties for dangerous dog attacks causing bodily injury and adds witness confidentiality
Last action · March 10, 2025: Referred to Public HealthSponsors: Liz Campos and 4 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Dog owners whose unrestrained or known dangerous dogs make unprovoked attacks resulting in now face increased criminal penalties ranging from a to a felony of the third degree, effective September 1, 2025. The bill also establishes witness identity confidentiality in dangerous dog determinations and mandates animal control investigations in specific large municipalities.
Dog owners face harsher criminal charges and potential felony records for unprovoked attacks by their pets, while witnesses to dangerous dog incidents receive legal confidentiality regarding their identifying information.
- Texas law regulates dangerous dogs under Chapter 822 of the Health and Safety Code, specifying requirements for secure enclosures, registration, and criminal liability for owners when attacks occur. context
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.
Dog owners
Dog owners face increased criminal penalties, including potential felony charges, for unprovoked attacks caused by criminal negligence or failure to secure a dangerous dog.
Witnesses to dog attacks
Witnesses who provide sworn statements regarding dangerous dogs have their identifying information made confidential and protected from public disclosure.
Animal control authorities in large municipalities
Animal control authorities in qualifying large municipalities are required to investigate reported dog incidents and issue written determinations.
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
What happens if a dog causes bodily injury due to an owner's criminal negligence?
Is witness information kept private when reporting a dangerous dog?
What is the penalty for repeat violations of failing to secure a dangerous dog?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Mar 10, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Public Health
- Mar 10, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Nov 15, 2024HouseIntroducedFiled
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.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Escalation of Criminal Penalties for Pet Owners
The bill links failure to secure dangerous animals directly to felony tiers based on injury severity, reflecting a tightening of owner accountability.
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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