S 261 New Jersey Senate · 2024-2025 Regular Session

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

380
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 40
Dec 18, 2025
D Democratic25
24 Yea 1
96% Yea
R Republican15
14 Yea 1
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