A proposal in Springfield making it illegal to declaw cats has passed on big hurdle.

The Illinois House on Thursday voted to enact a declawing ban in Illinois unless for a therapeutic purpose or medical emergency. State Representative Lance Yednock voted against banning declawing of cats.

The bill is sponsored by State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat from Aurora. She says declawing a cat is hurtful and if a cat is roaming the streets its now defenseless.

The proposed ban now heads to the Illinois Senate. If it eventually passes and is signed into law, anyone caught declawing a cat would be subject to an Illinois Department of Agriculture fine of $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for a second violation.

New York was the first state to ban the procedure in 2019, followed by Maryland in 2022.