Georgia CommonsHouse · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1196: Crimes; offense of criminal trespass involving a wild animal; provide
Last action March 16, 2026 · Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended
House Bill 1196 would expand Georgia's criminal trespass law involving wild animals to cover throwing objects into enclosures, tampering with cages, and animals kept by private owners, not just facilities open to the public.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia already makes it a crime to trespass into a wild animal's cage or enclosure without permission and harass the animal. This bill broadens that law (O.C.G.A. § 16-7-21.2) in several ways. It defines a 'foreign object or substance' as almost anything a person could throw or introduce into an enclosure, from rocks and chemicals to electronics, and makes it a crime to cause such an object to enter an enclosure, not just to physically enter it yourself. It also expands the definition of 'wild animal' to include domestic animals or livestock kept by private owners, not just those at zoos, aquariums, or educational facilities. It broadens 'harass' to include causing stress, not just injury or disrupted behavior. The bill also creates a new third-degree offense for knowingly interfering with the operation or integrity of a cage or enclosure, punishable as a misdemeanor with up to 12 months in jail. It extends liability for property damage or death to cover harm to the person caring for the animal, not just the animal itself.
What the bill does
- Expands the crime to cover knowingly causing a foreign object or substance, defined broadly, to enter an animal's cage or enclosure without permission.
- Broadens the definition of 'wild animal' to include domestic animals or livestock kept privately, beyond zoos, aquariums, and educational facilities.
- Adds stress infliction to the definition of 'harass,' widening what counts as harassing a wild animal.
- Creates a new third-degree offense for knowingly interfering with a cage's operation, functionality, or integrity, punishable by up to 12 months in jail.
- Extends liability for damage or loss to include harm to the person caring for or securing the animal, not just the animal itself.
Who it affects
People who enter or throw objects into animal enclosures without permission, owners and operators of zoos, aquariums, and animal sanctuaries, private owners of domestic animals or livestock, and individuals who care for or work around these animals and enclosures.
Why it matters
The bill would let prosecutors charge people who throw objects into enclosures or tamper with cages without physically entering them, and it would apply the law to privately owned animals for the first time, expanding who can be charged and what conduct counts as a crime.
Key provisions
- Subsection (a)(1) newly defines 'foreign object or substance' broadly, covering nearly anything introduced into an enclosure without authorization.
- Subsection (a)(3) expands 'wild animal' to include privately kept domestic animals and livestock, not just those at public-facing facilities.
- Subsection (b)(1)-(2) adds liability for knowingly causing a foreign object to enter an enclosure, alongside physically entering it.
- Subsection (b)(3) creates a new third-degree offense for knowingly interfering with a cage's operation or integrity.
- Subsection (c)(3) sets the penalty for third-degree trespass at up to 12 months imprisonment as a misdemeanor.
- Subsection (d) extends financial liability to cover harm to people who secure, assist, or care for the animal.
From the bill
“'Foreign object or substance' means any item or substance in solid, liquid, or gaseous form, including, but not limited to, anything likely to be consumed, inhaled, or absorbed by the animal, electronics, biological material, rocks, sticks, chemicals, fluids”
“A person commits the offense of criminal trespass involving a wild animal in the third degree if such person knowingly interferes with the operation, functionality, or integrity of a cage, enclosure, or other area where a wild animal is housed or otherwise contained.”
Discussed in meetings (13)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, February 23, 2026
From 2:26:21 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair presented HB 1196 as expanding animal-related criminal trespass to cover knowingly causing foreign objects to enter animal enclosures and interfering with cages or other containment areas. A Zoo Atlanta witness said patrons throwing objects at animals had become a concern, describing a Komodo dragon in Memphis that needed emergency surgery after swallowing a shoe. The witness said Zoo Atlanta had invested more than $281,000 in enclosure improvements since earlier legislation passed and supported strengthening the law. A member offered a wording amendment to clarify exclusions in the definition of wild animal, including domestic animals. The committee adopted the amendment and approved the amended bill by voice vote, then sent it to Rules.
House Rules Committee, February 25, 2026
From 1:10:19 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1196 would make it criminal trespass to knowingly cause a foreign object to enter a wild animal enclosure or interfere with the enclosure's operation, function or integrity. The sponsor described it as a follow-up to earlier legislation involving zoos. No questions or scheduling decision followed.
House Rules Committee, March 2, 2026
From 0:20:21 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1696
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 1196 on Tuesday’s calendar under modified rules. The motion was seconded, no opposition was heard, and there was no discussion of the bill’s contents.
House floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26, PM)
From 0:46:31 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1725
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described HB 1196 as a clarification of the law against trespassing involving wild animals. The sponsor said it would cover knowingly putting a foreign object into an animal enclosure or interfering with the enclosure's operation or integrity. Addressing concerns raised by Agriculture Committee members, the sponsor said the definition covers animals kept for public visitation, conservation, education or science, not livestock. No floor questions were asked. The House adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill 167-0.
Senate Judiciary Committee, March 9, 2026
From 0:39:40 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1196 would clarify criminal trespass law to cover knowingly causing a foreign object to enter a wild animal enclosure or interfering with the operation or integrity of an enclosure. The sponsor said the Department of Agriculture had been comfortable with the language during House consideration. A Zoo Atlanta witness supported the proposal, saying visitors had thrown objects at animals locally and elsewhere, and that animals could ingest objects and suffer harm. A member asked whether giving a monkey a stuffed animal would be covered. The witness responded that, in the example discussed, zoo staff had supplied the toy, but did not give a broader legal interpretation. The committee unanimously approved the bill.
Senate Rules Committee, March 12, 2026
From 0:20:04 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The Senate presenter said HB 1196 would create offenses and penalties for unauthorized entry into animal enclosures and interference with wild animals, protecting animals and caregivers at facilities such as zoos and sanctuaries. The presenter cited harassment at Zoo Atlanta, including an incident involving a stuffed animal thrown into an enclosure. Asked whether the bill would affect fishing, the presenter said it would not. Another member asked how wild animals were defined; the presenter described animals currently or historically found in the wild and also referred to domestic animals and livestock kept in agribusiness. A member questioned how the proposal related to existing criminal-trespass law. Another member noted that aquariums were mentioned in the presentation but not in the bill. The presenter said an amendment would be acceptable if aquarium coverage was missing, but no amendment was offered. The committee later unanimously included the bill in the floor calendar.
Senate floor session, March 16, 2026 (legislative day 32)
From 3:36:25 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1196 added offenses to protect wild animals in enclosures, citing concerns at zoos and aquariums. Members discussed its expanded harassment definition, including stress, amid extended joking questions about the sponsor's first floor presentation. Asked about evidence, the sponsor said injuries, witnesses or video could support prosecution. Asked about neighboring chickens, the sponsor said the proposal was aimed at facilities serving public visitation, conservation, education or science. A member then pointed out that the text included domestic animals and livestock outside those purposes. The sponsor acknowledged a drafting error and supported Amendment 3, adding a word to exclude those animals. The sponsor also said a referenced definition covered aquariums and that the bill would take effect upon the governor's signature. Amendment 1 proposed including trial lawyers as wild animals. Amendment 2 combined a wording correction with naming the act after the sponsor. Both were withdrawn. The Senate adopted Amendment 3 without objection and passed the amended bill 50 to 2.
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 5, 2026 (legislative day 13), 0:43:01
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 6, 2026 (legislative day 14), 0:52:34
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23), 0:53:41
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27), 0:44:46
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 10, 2026 (legislative day 30), 0:24:10
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 12, 2026 (legislative day 31), 0:27:58
Status timeline
- Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
Show full history (11 actions)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Tyler Paul Smith (R, HD-18)
- Tanya F. Miller (D, HD-62)
- Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
- John LaHood (R, HD-175)
- Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)
- Debbie Buckner (D, HD-137)
- Steven McNeel (R, SD-18)
Votes
- House voteMarch 3, 2026
167 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 1 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 16, 2026
50 yea, 2 nay (1 not voting, 1 excused)
Topics
- criminal trespass
- animal welfare law
- zoo and wildlife facilities
- misdemeanor penalties
- livestock and domestic animals