Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025
Officially: “Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025” Read the full text
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1Short title
This section would let the Act be called the "Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement for Animals Act of 2025" or the "Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025."
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement for Animals Act of 2025 or the Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025 .
2Strengthening animal welfare enforcement
This section would make several changes to the Animal Welfare Act. It would update the definition of "Secretary" in the Act's definitions section so that it means the Secretary of Agriculture or a representative of the Secretary of Agriculture who is an employee of the Department of Agriculture, updating outdated wording. It would add the word "or" to the end of a clause in subsection (c)(1) of the definitions section, connecting that clause grammatically to what follows it. It would require every definition in subsections (a) through (o) of the definitions section to get its own heading naming the term it defines, and would reorder and relabel those subsections so the definitions appear in alphabetical order by heading.
This section would rewrite the rule on selling or transporting animals without a license: no dealer or exhibitor could exhibit, purchase, offer to purchase, sell, offer to sell, transport, or offer to transport any animal in commerce unless the dealer or exhibitor holds a valid license from the Secretary that has not been suspended.
This section would expand the investigation and inspection authority described in section 16(c) of the Animal Welfare Act so that it covers enforcing, preventing, and restraining violations not only of the Act itself but also of any rule, standard, or regulation issued under the Act.
This section would expand civil penalty liability under section 19(d) of the Act so that it applies to violations of any rule, standard, or regulation issued under the Act, not just violations of the Act's own text. It would also add a new requirement that any penalty or fine money the Secretary or the Attorney General collects for violations of the Act or its rules, standards, or regulations must be used to pay the reasonable and necessary costs of temporarily caring for an animal while a related civil or criminal proceeding about that animal is pending.
This section would add a new section 20 to the Animal Welfare Act letting the Attorney General bring a civil action in the appropriate U.S. district court against any person who violates the Act or any rule, standard, or regulation issued under it, asking the court for appropriate relief, including a temporary restraining order, a preliminary or permanent injunction (including to remove or relocate animals), revocation of a license, and civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation for each day the violation continues. Any animal subjected to conduct that violates the Act or its rules, standards, or regulations would be subject to seizure and forfeiture to the United States under chapter 46 of title 18 of the United States Code, and a person whose act or omission is the basis for such a seizure could be charged a reasonable fee for the United States' expenses in transferring and caring for the seized animal. District court judges and U.S. magistrate judges, within their jurisdictions, could issue warrants or other legal process needed to enforce the Act and its rules, standards, and regulations, on a showing of probable cause under oath or affirmation. Actions the Attorney General takes under this new section would not affect or limit the Secretary's existing authority to enforce the Act or its rules, standards, or regulations, and actions the Secretary takes would not affect or limit the Attorney General's authority under the Act.
This section would remove the second sentence of section 29(b) of the Animal Welfare Act, which concerns authority to apply for injunctions; that sentence's specific requirement would no longer apply. Its content is not restated in this bill.
This section would add a new severability provision (section 30) to the Animal Welfare Act: if any provision of the Act, or its application, is held invalid, the rest of the Act and the application of that provision to other persons and circumstances would remain in effect.
This section would require the Secretary of Agriculture, not later than 180 days after this Act is enacted, to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Attorney General to carry out the authorities created by this section, including an agreement for the Secretary to give the Attorney General timely information about violators who have multiple citations that seriously or adversely affect an animal's health or well-being.
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2. Strengthening animal welfare enforcement (a) Definitions Section 2 of the Animal Welfare Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2132 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by striking of the United States or his representative who shall be an employee of the United States and inserting or a representative of the Secretary of Agriculture, who shall be an employee of the ; (2) in subsection (c)(1), by adding or at the end after the semicolon; and (3) in each of subsections (a) through (o)— (A) by inserting a subsection heading, the text of which comprises the term defined in the subsection; (B) by reordering the subsections so as to appear in alphabetical order based on the subsection headings (as so added); and (C) by redesignating the subsections (as so reordered) appropriately. (b) Sale or transportation without license Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2134 ) is amended to read as follows: 4. Sale or transportation without license No dealer or exhibitor shall do any of the following in commerce: exhibit, purchase, offer to purchase, sell, offer to sell, transport, or offer for transportation any animal, unless the dealer or exhibitor has a valid license from the Secretary that has not been suspended. . (c) Investigations and inspections Section 16(c) of the Animal Welfare Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2146(c) ) is amended in the fourth sentence by striking enforce, and to prevent and restrain violations of this Act, and inserting enforce, prevent, and restrain violations of this Act, or any rule, standard, or regulation promulgated pursuant to this Act, . (d) Civil penalty Section 19 of the Animal Welfare Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2149 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (d), in the first sentence, by inserting , or any rule, standard, or regulation promulgated thereunder, before shall ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (e) Rewards and certain incidental expenses With respect to the sums received by the Secretary or the Attorney General as penalties or fines for any violation of this Act or any rule, standard, or regulation promulgated thereunder, the Secretary or the Attorney General, as applicable, shall use those sums to pay the reasonable and necessary costs incurred by any person in providing temporary care for any animal pending the disposition of any civil or criminal proceeding alleging a violation of this Act with respect to that animal. . (e) Enforcement by attorney general The Animal Welfare Act is amended by inserting after section 19 ( 7 U.S.C. 2149 ) the following: 20. Enforcement by attorney general (a) In general The Attorney General may bring a civil action in the appropriate district court of the United States for appropriate relief, including a temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction (including for removal or relocation of animals), license revocation, and civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation for each day during which the violation continues, against any person who violates any provision of this Act or any rule, standard, or regulation promulgated thereunder. (b) Seizure and forfeiture of animals (1) In general Any animal that is subjected to conduct that constitutes a violation of this Act, or any rule, standard, or regulation promulgated thereunder, shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture to the United States in accordance with chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code. (2) Costs Any person whose act or omission is the basis for a seizure authorized by subparagraph (1) may be charged a reasonable fee for expenses to the United States relating to the transfer and care of the seized animal. (c) Warrants The judges of the district courts of the United States and United States magistrate judges may, within their respective jurisdictions, on proper oath or affirmation showing probable cause, issue such warrants or other processes as may be required for enforcement of this Act and any rule, standard, or regulation promulgated thereunder. (d) Savings clause (1) Attorney general No action taken by the Attorney General pursuant to this section shall affect or limit the authority of the Secretary to enforce any provision of this Act or any rule, standard, or regulation thereunder. (2) Secretary No action taken by the Secretary shall affect or limit the authority of the Attorney General under this Act. . (f) Authority To apply for injunctions Section 29(b) of the Animal Welfare Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2159(b) ) is amended by striking the second sentence. (g) Severability The Animal Welfare Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 30. Severability If any provision of this Act, or the application thereof, is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this Act and the application of such provision to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected. . (h) Memorandum of understanding Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Attorney General to carry out the authorities granted by the amendments made by this section, including an agreement to provide the Attorney General with timely information about violators who have multiple citations that seriously or adversely affect the health or well-being of an animal.
3Sense of congress
This section states that it is the sense of Congress, not a binding legal requirement, that section 16(c) of the Animal Welfare Act establishes the jurisdiction of federal courts to address violations of, and cases arising from violations of, that Act, and gives the Attorney General authority to bring such cases in federal court. It also states Congress's view that the enforcement jurisdiction of the federal courts, and the corresponding enforcement authority of the Attorney General, include violations of the rules, standards, and regulations issued under the Act.
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3. Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) section 16(c) of the Animal Welfare Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2146(c) ) establishes the jurisdiction of Federal courts to address violations of, and cases arising from violations of, that Act and provides the Attorney General with the authority to bring such cases in Federal court; and (2) the enforcement jurisdiction of the Federal courts, and the corresponding enforcement authority of the Attorney General, include violations of the rules, standards, and regulations promulgated under that Act.
Where it is
In the House.