Legislation

Bill No.

Title

Summary

Status

N/A
(Support)

Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act

Prohibits the cruel confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. Pigs during pregnancy are confined in metal cages called gestation crates and are unable even to turn around for months on end. Young calves are also kept purposely confined in veal crates so small they are barely able to move for nearly their entire lives. And egg-laying hens are often kept in tiny battery cages, unable even to spread their wings. Currently, signatures are being collected to get the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty on the ballot. Please visit www.humanecalifornia.org to help.

N/A

AB 821
(Support)

Protect California Condors

Prohibits lead shot ammunition in areas inhabited by the endangered California condor.

Signed into Law

AB 1614
(Support)

Rodeos

Strengthens the current veterinary requirements for rodeos.

Signed into Law

AB 1634
(Support)

California Healthy Pets Act

Requires cats and dogs over the age of four months to be spayed or neutered, unless the person caring for them possesses an intact permit, as specified.

Held Over

HR 137
and S 261
(Support)

Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act

Upgrades current penalties by authorizing felony-level jail time (up to three years) for violations of the federal animal fighting law; prohibits interstate and foreign commerce of cockfighting weapons

Signed into Law

HR 249
(Support)

Wild Horses and Burros

Restores the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros. This provision was stripped by an amendment slipped into the 2005 Omnibus Spending Bill.

Passed House

HR 427 and S Res. 118
(Support)

Canadian Seal Hunt Resolution

Urges the Government of Canada to end the commercial seal hunt.

Passed House

HR 503 and S 311
(Support)

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

Prohibits the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the trade and transport of horseflesh and live horses intended for human consumption.

In Committee

HR 661
and S 364
(Support)

Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

Ends the use of nonambulatory livestock (animals too sick or injured to stand or walk on their own) in human food and requires that downed animals be humanely euthanized when presented at slaughter facilities.

Pending

HR 891
(Support)

Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act

Makes it illegal to import, export, sell or advertise any domestic dog fur in the U.S. Fur from other animals must be identified with a label (but only if the value of the fur exceeds $150).

Pending

HR 924 and S 540
(Oppose)

Domestic Pet Turtle Market Access Act

Requires the Food and Drug Administration to permit the sale of baby turtles as pets.

Passed Senate

HR 962
and S 549
(Support)

Antibiotics Overuse on Factory Farms

Curbs overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture, which supports overcrowded and unsanitary conditions on factory farms, and endangers public health.

In Committee

HR 992
S 536 and 414
(Support)

Cloned Food Labeling

Amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require that food that contains product from a cloned animal be labeled accordingly. S 536 amends the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 to prohibit the labeling of cloned livestock and products derived from cloned livestock as organic.

Pending

HR 1280
and S 714
(Support)

Buck's Bill (Pet Safety and Protection Act)

Amends the Welfare Act to ensure that all dogs and cats used by research facilities are obtained legally.

Passed Senate

HR 1398 and S 807
(Oppose)

Factory Farming Pollution Exemption

Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 to provide that manure shall not be considered to be a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant..

In Committee

HR 1585 and S 1547, H Res 403 and S 1550
(Support)

War Dog Memorial Legislation

Establishes a national War Dog Memorial at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia..

Pending

HR 1691
(Support)

Steel-Jawed Leghold Traps

Ends the use of conventional steel-jawed leghold traps on animals in the United States.

In Committee

HR 1726
(Support)

Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act

Requires producers supplying meat, dairy products, or eggs to the military, federal prisons, school lunches, and other federal programs to comply with basic animal welfare requirements.

Pending

HR 1947
(Support)

Haley's Act (Captive Big Cats)

Haley's Act is named for Haley Hilderbrand, a 17-year-old student who was killed by a Siberian tiger at a USDA-licensed facility while posing with the cat for her senior picture. Haley's Act would amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit direct contact between the public and big cats. The bill does not prevent public display of big cats in accredited zoos, or keeping big cats in sanctuaries, but seeks to increase safety for the public. It also significantly increases fines for violations of the Act to encourage facilities to abide by the law and treat the animals well.

Pending

HR 2108 and S 1274
(Support)

Human and Pet Safety Act

Helps regulate the industry by establishing mandatory processing and ingredient standards (both domestically and internationally) and requiring more inspections of pet food processing plants. Creates an early warning system to help identify possible contaminants earlier and penalize companies that don't report possible contamination. Ensures that any future recalls are conducted quickly by giving the Food and Drug Administration the power to order mandatory recalls of tainted food.

Pending

HR 2193
(Support)

Animal Welfare Accountability Improvement Act

Amends the Animal Welfare Act to increase the penalties for violations of such Act, to calculate fines based on the number of animals directly affected per violation, to prohibit the use of animals for marketing medical devices, and to reinstate the requirement for the USDA to submit an annual report to Congress.

Pending

HR 2327 and S 1406
(Support)

Polar Bear Protection Act

Closes a loophole in the Marine Mammal Protection Act which currently allows American trophy hunters to bring the heads and hides of polar bears into the United States.

Pending

HR 2491
(Support)

Charitable Remainder Pet Trust Act

Revises the Internal Revenue Code so that a companion animal may be the beneficiary of a charitable remainder annuity trust, which allows a trust fund to be established for the continued care of a loved one. When the animal beneficiary of this trust dies, the remainder interest goes to the charity of choice as indicated in the trust, such as a humane society or animal shelter.

Pending

HR 2711 and S 2422
(Support)

The Computer-Assisted Remote Hunting Act

Prevents the operation of web sites that allow for shooting live animals remotely.

Pending

HR 2964 and S 1498
(Support)

The Captive Primate Safety Act

Bans the trade in monkeys, chimpanzees, and other dangerous primates as pets.

In Committee

HR 3029
(Support)

Bear Protection Act

Prohibits the import, export and interstate trade in bear viscera—specifically the gallbladders and bile—and products containing, or labeled or advertised as containing, bear viscera.

Pending

HR 3219/3327 and S 1880
(Support)

Dogfighting

Strengthens the federal penalties against dogfighting, and make it a felony to engage in dogfighting, possess dogs for fighting or be a spectator at a dogfight.

Passed Senate

HR 3295 and S 1916
(Support)

Chimpanzee National Sanctuary System (Amendment to the CHIMP Act)

Amends the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act of 2000 (CHIMP Act) to ensure that chimpanzees retired into the national sanctuary system (Chimp Haven, in Keithville, LA) cannot subsequently be removed for research. This will ensure permanent sanctuary for these chimpanzees and facilitate private fundraising for the system.

Pending

HR 3663
(Support)

Protect America's Wildlife Act

Closes a loophole in federal law which currently permits the shooting of Alaskan wolves and other wildlife from airplanes and helicopters.

Pending

HR 3829
(Support)

Sportsmanship in Hunting Act

Prohibits the interstate commerce of exotic animals who are destined to be killed for trophies at canned hunting facilities.

Pending

HR 4093
(Support)

Migratory Bird Treaty Penalty and Enforcement Act of 2007

Expands authority to prosecute violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Provides for felony penalties of $50,000 and a year in jail for intentional take of migratory birds. Provides for felony penalties of $25,000 and 6 months in jail for other intentional violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Retains existing prosecutorial discretion to prosecute violations of the Act as misdemeanors.

Pending

H Res 749
(Support)

National Animal Rescue Day

Supports the designation of a National Animal Rescue Day to create awareness and increase animal adoption and financial support for animal rescue.

Pending

S 1930
(Support)

Combat Illegal Logging Act

Unregulated logging often takes place in protected parks and forest reserves, destroying wildlife habitat. S. 1930 makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, buy or transport illegally-sourced wood and wood products.

In Committee

S 2439
(Support)

Animal Cruelty Tracking Bill

Requires the National Incident Based Reporting System, the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, and the Law Enforcement National Data Exchange Program to list cruelty to animals as a separate offense category.

Pending

SB 63
(Support)

Cloned Animals

Requires meat and dairy products from cloned animals to be labeled as such.

Vetoed

SB 353
(Support)

Pet Protection Orders

Includes animals in domestic violence orders.

Signed into Law

SB 880
(Oppose)

Kangaroos

Reclassifies the definition of kangaroos to include only those defined in the Endangered Species Act, which would allow for the sale of kangaroo products in California.

Signed into Law