Provides for spaying and neutering stray or feral cats and establishes fund therefor; designated as "Compassion for Community Cats Law."
S 261, the "Compassion for Community Cats Law," requires animal shelters and rescue organizations in New Jersey to spay or neuter cats before adoption (with exceptions for kittens under two months or health reasons). It creates a new fund in the Department of Health, financed by penalties from shelter violations and other sources, to provide grants to municipalities for community cat programs. These programs must humanely trap, sterilize, vaccinate, ear-tip, and return outdoor cats to their original locations. The law directly affects animal shelters, municipalities running cat programs, and community cats (stray or feral cats with no known owner).
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2024
Committee Review
Dec 2025
Senate Passage
Dec 2025
General Assembly Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 9, 2024
Last action Dec 18, 2025
Floor votes · Senate Dec 18, 2025
How they voted
38–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 40
Dec 18, 2025
D
Democratic25
96% Yea
R
Republican15
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Dec 18, 2025
Committee
Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee
lower
Dec 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (38-0)
upper
Dec 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
upper
Jan 9, 2024
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee
upper
1 primary · 4 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Brian Stack
DDemocratic
Co
Gordon Johnson
DDemocratic
Co
Joe Cryan
DDemocratic
Co
Patrick Diegnan
DDemocratic
Co
Shirley Turner
DDemocratic
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