H.R. 1477

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1477 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1477

To establish an Animal Cruelty Crimes Section within the Department of 
Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 21, 2025

Mr. Joyce of Ohio (for himself, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Ciscomani, and Mr. 
Cohen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish an Animal Cruelty Crimes Section within the Department of 
Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) There is a significant connection between animal 
cruelty and violence against humans, domestic violence, child 
abuse, sexual abuse, homicide, gang activity, drug trafficking, 
and other crimes.
(2) Animal fighting activity may increase the spread of 
diseases transmitted between animals and people.
(3) A number of Federal laws have been enacted to address 
cruelty to animals.
(4) Recognizing the connection between animal cruelty and 
serious crimes the Federal Bureau of Investigation tracks 
animal cruelty crimes.
(5) There is bipartisan and widespread public support for 
addressing animal cruelty.
(6) There is a government interest in ensuring laws are 
robustly enforced for the betterment and protection of society.
(7) The lack of a dedicated animal crimes enforcement unit 
within the Department of Justice has resulted in unacceptable 
delays in prosecutions, and an overall lack of prosecution, of 
animal crimes.
(8) Dedicated staff and resources at the Department of 
Justice will facilitate successful enforcement of animal 
cruelty laws, which often have unique investigative elements, 
by providing specialized knowledge and focus, and streamlining 
the handling of these offenses.

SEC. 3. ANIMAL CRUELTY CRIMES SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

(a) Establishment.--There is established an Animal Cruelty Crimes 
Section within the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural 
Resources Division to enforce Federal laws prohibiting animal cruelty 
under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Animal Cruelty Crimes Section is 
to enforce Federal laws prohibiting animal cruelty under the 
jurisdiction of the Department of Justice and to vigorously pursue 
investigations and prosecutions under such laws.
(c) Coordination.--The Animal Cruelty Crimes Section shall 
coordinate with the Department of Agriculture, the Office of Inspector 
General of the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection, and other agencies, as appropriate.
(d) Report.--On the date that is one year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Animal Cruelty 
Crimes Section shall submit to Congress a report on, for the previous 
year--
(1) the number of charges that were filed for violations of 
laws described in subsection (b), disaggregated by the law 
alleged to have been violated, the State in which the violation 
was alleged to have occurred, and the number of convictions; 
and
(2) the number of investigations of violations of laws 
described in subsection (b) for which charges were not filed.
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