H.R. 4638 — Federal Working Animal Protection Act

This section establishes new grounds of inadmissibility under INA §212(a)(2)(J) and deportability under INA §237(a)(2)(G) for aliens convicted of, who admit having committed, or who admit committing acts that constitute the essential elements of an offense under 18 U.S.C. §1368 (harming police animals). As background, 18 U.S.C. §1368 criminalizes the willful and malicious harming of a police animal—defined as a dog or horse employed by a federal agency for aiding in the detection of criminal activity, enforcement of laws, or apprehension of offenders—with penalties of a fine and up to 1 year imprisonment generally or up to 10 years if the offense permanently disables or disfigures the animal or causes serious bodily injury or death to it.