Sponsors (31)
The bill trades a nationwide prohibition on commercial greyhound racing and live-lure events—strengthening animal-welfare protections and federal-state enforcement—for concentrated economic harm to tracks, workers, and related businesses plus criminal penalties and increased enforcement costs.
Greyhounds and racing participants: the bill bans commercial greyhound racing and live-lure events, reducing racing-related injuries, abuse, and the number of animals exposed to dangerous conditions.
State governments: the bill preserves State gambling and animal-welfare authority and lets States cite federal findings to justify enforcing or expanding state bans on live-lure training and commercial greyhound racing.
Federal enforcement capacity: the bill authorizes USDA investigations with federal, state, and local law-enforcement assistance, increasing federal ability to detect and enforce prohibitions against commercial racing and live-lure events.
Track employees, small-business owners, and local communities: the ban and resulting track closures could cause significant revenue and job losses for track workers, simulcast facilities, vendors, and towns that rely on racing-related economic activity.
Individuals who sell, buy, transport, or train greyhounds for racing: the bill creates criminal exposure, with fines and up to seven years' imprisonment per violation for participating in commercial racing activities.
Taxpayers and governments: expanding USDA investigatory authority and potential state regulatory or subsidy costs to manage failing tracks may increase federal and state enforcement and oversight expenses borne by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Makes commercial greyhound racing and related simulcast wagering unlawful under the Animal Welfare Act and creates federal criminal penalties.
Introduced August 22, 2025 by Salud Carbajal · Last progress August 22, 2025
Makes commercial greyhound racing and related simulcast wagering unlawful under the Animal Welfare Act, authorized to be enforced by the Secretary of Agriculture with assistance from federal, state, and local law enforcement. It creates criminal penalties (fines under the AWA and/or imprisonment up to seven years per violation), adds definitions for covered activities, and becomes effective for conduct on or after October 1, 2027. Includes congressional findings about animal welfare harms (injuries, deaths, live-bait training), the economic decline of the industry, and interstate commerce issues; clarifies it does not preempt state gambling or animal-welfare laws and does not change federal horse-racing law relationships.