Sponsors (151)
The bill strengthens enforcement against animal fighting—criminalizing related gambling, restricting transport, enabling injunctive suits, and imposing penalties—but expands federal reach and private litigation tools in ways that can cause property forfeitures, legal burdens, and potential collateral impacts on legitimate commerce.
Law enforcement and communities nationwide face reduced ability to sustain and transport animals for fighting because the bill bars using the U.S. mail and interstate commerce to move roosters for fighting, limiting cross‑jurisdictional trafficking.
Law enforcement and courts gain a stronger tool to disrupt animal-fighting operations because gambling on animal fighting is made a federal crime, reducing a key source of funding and incentives for these illegal activities.
Local and state authorities and private citizens can more effectively stop ongoing animal fighting by suing to enjoin violations when agencies do not act, expanding enforcement avenues at the community level.
Property owners risk forfeiture of real estate used to facilitate animal fighting, which could lead to loss of homes or business property for people connected to such sites.
Allowing private citizen suits (after a 60‑day notice) may invite burdensome litigation, legal costs, and administrative strain on defendants and municipal governments.
Federal criminalization of gambling tied to animal fighting could create additional prosecutorial workload and legal complexity, and may clash with state gambling frameworks where preemption is unclear.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bans gambling on animal fighting involving roosters, adds a rooster definition, and creates citizen suits, fines, and property-seizure remedies under the Animal Welfare Act.
Prohibits gambling on animal fighting ventures involving roosters by adding a definition of “rooster” to the Animal Welfare Act and expanding civil enforcement tools against animal fighting. The bill makes it unlawful to place bets on animal fights, clarifies that transporting roosters via mail or other interstate commerce can violate the law, creates a private right of action with notice and fee-shifting rules, authorizes fines (up to $5,000 per violation), and permits seizure of real property used to facilitate violations. The measure also updates related statutory headings, includes an explicit conflict-with-state-law clause, and makes a technical insertion into postal law text. It mainly strengthens federal civil remedies and property-forfeiture options to deter and punish organized animal fighting and associated gambling activity.
Official title: To amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for greater protection of roosters, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 12, 2025 by Donald J. Bacon · Last progress June 12, 2025