Bills We Support
Companion Animals
H.R.1788 – Goldie’s Act
This bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to increase enforcement with respect to violations of that Act, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
- Latest Action: 04/25/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
H.R.1624 – Puppy Protection Act of 2023
This bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for the humane treatment of dogs, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
- Latest Action: 04/19/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9], Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1], Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4]
H.R.3894 – Greyhound Protection Act
This bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to phase out greyhound racing and to also ban remote gambling on dogs.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
- Latest Action: 07/28/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
H.R.3957 – Providing for Unhoused People with Pets (PUPP) Act
This bill would create a grant program to provide homeless shelters with funds for supporting clients with pets.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6]
- Latest Action: 07/28/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
H.R.3989 – Pets Belong With Families Act
This bill would prohibit public housing agencies from imposing breed restrictions on household pets owned by residents of public housing dwelling units.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Schiff, Adam[D-CA-30]
- Latest Action: 06/09/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
H.R.2742 – FIGHT Act
The Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act expands protections of animals provided under the Animal Welfare Act, including by prohibiting any (1) broadcasts from international, interstate, or intrastate sources of animal fighting ventures in the United States or U.S. territories; and (2) shipments or transport of certain mature roosters.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
- Latest Action: 05/15/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
General Animal Protection
H.R.5041– Better CARE for Animals Act of 2023
This bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to expand and improve the enforcement capabilities of the Attorney General, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Reschenthaler, Guy [R-PA-14]
- Latest Action: 09/19/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9], Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4], Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7], Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1] 02/13/2024
Animals Used in Research
H.R.208 – Pet Safety and Protection Act
This bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all dogs and cats used by research facilities are obtained legally.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
- Latest Action: 02/13/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
Wildlife Protection
H.R.7018 – Glue Trap Prohibition Act of 2024
This bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all dogs and cats used by research facilities are obtained legally.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
- Latest Action: 01/17/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: None as of 4/17/2024
Farmed Animal Protection
S.271/H.R.797 – Farm System Reform Act
This bill would place a moratorium on large concentrated animal feeding operations, to strengthen the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to require country of origin labeling on beef, pork, and dairy products, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Sen. Booker, Cory A. (D-NJ) and Rep. Khanna, Ro (D-CA-17)
- Latest Action: Senate Bill: 02/02/2023 – Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; House Bill: 03/06/2023 – Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA], Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
H.R.243 – Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for Farm Animals Act
This bill would amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to require producers to establish disaster preparedness plans to be eligible for certain disaster assistance programs, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Cohen, Steve (D-TN-9)
- Latest Action: 01/10/2023 – Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: none as of 4/17/24
S.272 – Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act of 2023
This bill would place the responsibility of beginning to solve various problems in the U.S. food system on the corporations that created the current system and amend the 2023 Farm Bill by addressing some of the cruelest practices in the meat industry. These include mass on-farm killing of animals, dangerously fast slaughter lines, ineffective stunning methods, and animal transport.
- Sponsor(s): Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
- Latest Action: 02/2/2023 – Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
H.R.2939 – PIGS Act of 2023
This bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the confinement of pregnant pigs, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Escobar, Veronica (D-TX-16)
- Latest Action: 06/01/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: none as of 4/17/24
Horse Protection
H.R.4241 – Horse Transportation Safety Act
This bill would amend the Horse Protection Act and prohibit the transportation of horses in interstate transportation in a motor vehicle containing 2 or more levels stacked on top of one another, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
- Latest Action: 06/23/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9]
Bills We Oppose
S. 2019/H.R. 4417 – EATS Act
The “Exposing Agricultural Trade Suppression” (EATS) Act would eliminate state laws that ban the sale of eggs or meat that come from the cruel cage confinement of egg-laying chickens, mother pigs and baby veal calves.
- Sponsor(s): Senator Roger Marshall [R-KS]; Rep. Ashley Hinson [R-IA-2]
- Latest Action: Senate – 06/15/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry;
House – 06/30/2023 Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: none as of 4/17/24
- Thank you to our delegation members who signed letters in opposition to these bills: House version | Senate version
S.1833/H.R. 4323 – Protecting Whales, Human Safety and the Economy Act of 2023
This bill would prohibit the issuance of an interim or final rule that amends, updates, modifies, or replaces the North Atlantic Right Whale vessel strike reduction rule until mitigation protocols are fully developed and deployed. It would undermine conservation laws and prohibit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from issuing requirements that would reduce vessel speed.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [R-GA-1] and Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]
- Latest Action: House bill: 06/26/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation; Senate bill: 06/06/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: none as of 4/17/24
Updated 4/17/2024
