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], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
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/S. 1529 – 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]; Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ]
- Latest Action: House – 05/15/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry; Senate – 05/10/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
General Animal Protection
H.R.5041/S. 2555 – 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]; Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
- Latest Action: House – 09/19/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry; Senate – Senate – 07/27/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 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], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
H.R.8733 – To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include data on animal abuse in the national clearinghouse for information relating to child abuse and neglect
This bill would protect both children and animals by emphasizing the known link between animal and human violence.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2]
- Latest Action: 06/13/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: None as of 10/3/2024
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: 01/09/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
H.R.4757– Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act of 2023
This bill would prohibit National Institutes of Health (NIH) from awarding taxpayer-funded financial support to overseas research that uses live animals, as it is not directly monitored by the NIH and often doesn’t meet the animal welfare standards the NIH requires in the United States.
• Sponsor(s): Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
• Latest Action: 07/21/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
• Massachusetts Cosponsors: None as of 10/3/2024
Wildlife Protection
H.R.7018 – Glue Trap Prohibition Act of 2024
This bill would prohibit the sale and use of glue traps for the trapping of rodents, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
- Latest Action: 08/29/2024 Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: None as of 10/3/2024
H.R.7145 – SWIMS Act of 2024
This bill would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the taking, importation, exportation, and breeding of certain cetaceans for public display, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-30]
- Latest Action:House – 01/30/2024 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Massachusetts Cosponsors: Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] and Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
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 10/3/24
S.272/H.R.805 —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]; Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
- Latest Action: Senate – 2/2/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; House – 03/06/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
- 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 10/3/24
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. Language from the EATS act has also been added to the current Farm Bill legislation (H.R. 8467).
- 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 10/3/2024
- Thank you to our delegation members who signed letters in opposition to these bills: House version | Senate version
- Read about language similar to the EATS Act that is in the Farm Bill.
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 10/3/24
Updated 10/3/2024
