“To amend the Animal Welfare Act to expand and improve the enforcement capabilities of the Attorney General, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section strengthens enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which sets standards for the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of certain animals by dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities, through the following amendments: (1) in the definitions (§2), clarifying the term "Secretary" to mean the Secretary of Agriculture or a representative who is a Department of Agriculture employee, making minor punctuation changes, and reorganizing subsections (a) through (o) alphabetically by newly added headings; (2) revising §4 to prohibit dealers and exhibitors from engaging in specified commerce activities (e.g., exhibiting, selling, or transporting animals) without a valid, unsuspended license from the Secretary; (3) in §16(c), expanding USDA authority to enforce, prevent, and restrain violations of the AWA or any rule, standard, or regulation promulgated thereunder; (4) in §19, applying civil penalties to AWA rules, standards, or regulations and directing penalties or fines received by USDA or the Attorney General to cover reasonable costs of temporary animal care pending violation proceedings; (5) adding §20 to authorize the Attorney General to pursue civil actions (including injunctions, license revocations, and penalties up to $10,000 per violation per day), animal seizure and forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. chapter 46 (with cost recovery from violators), and warrants, without limiting USDA authority; (6) in §29(b), eliminating USDA's prior authority to seek injunctions; (7) adding §30 for severability; and (8) requiring a memorandum of understanding between the Secretary of Agriculture and the Attorney General within 180 days of enactment to coordinate enforcement, including information sharing on serious repeat violators.
This section states the sense of Congress that (1) section 16(c) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2146(c)) establishes federal court jurisdiction over violations of the act and authorizes the Attorney General to bring such cases; and (2) such jurisdiction and authority extend to violations of rules, standards, and regulations promulgated under the act.