Missouri House Bill 2495, the “Missouri Animal Abuser Registration Act,” would eliminate misdemeanor animal cruelty, elevating all acts of animal abuse to various felony classifications. It also would require the Missouri Highway Patrol to post a publicly accessible list and photos of all individuals convicted of animal abuse offenses on or after January 1, 2023. Animal abuse offenders would remain on the registration for a period of 2-5 years, or until such time as the offense has been expunged from their criminal record. If enacted, the bill would become effective on August 28, 2022.
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