HB 1904 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Prohibiting the act of declawing cats.

HB 1904 prohibits veterinarians in Washington from performing declawing procedures on cats, except when medically necessary for conditions like infections or injuries. It requires vets to maintain detailed records for four years, including the cat's identifying details, procedure date, medical justification, and owner information, which must be auditable by the veterinary board. Violations carry fines up to $2,500 per offense, and the law overrides any stricter local ordinances. The bill explicitly excludes cosmetic declawing and defines "declawing" to exclude simple nail trimming or caps. This directly affects veterinarians, cat owners, and pet care facilities operating in Washington state.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Jan 27, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Substitute Bill · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was updated from the 2025 to the 2026 legislative session and reorganized to streamline the text. The most significant change is the removal of specific record-keeping requirements, annual reporting mandates, and the fine penalty schedule, leaving only the core prohibition on declawing and its definitions.
Scope change
The bill's scope regarding enforcement and administrative oversight was significantly reduced by removing the requirement for veterinarians to keep records, report procedures to the board, and face specific monetary fines.
REQUIREMENT

Deleted the requirement for veterinarians to maintain four-year records of declawing procedures.

Removed the mandate for annual reporting of declawing procedures to the state board.

ENFORCEMENT

Eliminated the specific fine amounts ($1,000 to $2,500) and the explicit mention of board disciplinary action.

TIMELINE

Updated the legislative session from 2025 to 2026 and adjusted the reading date.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
4
Committee
5
Jan 27, 2026
Committee
Referred to Rules 2 Review.
lower
Jan 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Minority; do not pass.
lower
Jan 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
lower
Jan 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM.
lower
Jan 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.
lower
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
lower
1 primary · 4 co-sponsors

Sponsors