“A bill to amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for greater protection of roosters, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section amends the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.), which regulates the treatment of certain animals used in research, transport, exhibition, and commerce, to strengthen prohibitions on animal fighting ventures (7 U.S.C. 2156) as follows: (1) defines a "rooster" as any male Gallus domesticus older than 6 months (new subsection (p) of 7 U.S.C. 2132); (2) prohibits knowingly sponsoring or exhibiting an animal in an animal fighting venture; attending such a venture; causing an individual under age 16 to attend; or gambling on an animal fighting venture, including in-person or broadcast events (revises subsection (a)); (3) prohibits using the U.S. Postal Service or other interstate carriers to transport roosters or advertise animal fighting ventures (amends subsection (c)); (4) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to investigate violations, with assistance from other federal agencies; establishes civil citizen suits by any person to enjoin violations (with up to $5,000 fine per violation, 60-day notice to the Secretary and local law enforcement required, limitations if the government is acting, U.S. intervention rights, and awards of litigation costs including attorney fees); and subjects violators of the sponsoring or exhibiting prohibition to seizure of real property used or intended for such violations (revises and expands subsection (e)); and (5) clarifies that the Act does not supersede state or local animal fighting laws absent direct conflict and designates violations as nonmailable matter (amends subsections (h) and 39 U.S.C. 3001(a)).