Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 2 and Title 40, Chapter 39, Part 1.

Under present law, the offense of cruelty to animals is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class E felony for a second or subsequent conviction. This bill revises the above penalty for animal cruelty to be as follows: (1) Except as provided in items (3) and (4) below, a first conviction will be a Class A misdemeanor when the offense involves cruelty against nine or fewer non-livestock animals or one or more livestock animals; (2) Except as provided in items (3) and (4) below, a second or subsequent conviction as described above in item (1) will be a Class E felony; (3) Cruelty to animals against more than nine but less than 25 non-livestock animals at the same time and location will be a Class D felony; and (4) Cruelty to animals against 25 or more non-livestock animals at the same time and location will be a Class C felony.