Greyhound Protection Act of 2025

Summary

Prohibits commercial greyhound racing, live-lure training, open-field coursing, interstate simulcast wagering on greyhound races, and interstate buying/selling/transporting of greyhounds for those purposes, and adds those prohibitions to the Animal Welfare Act. Gives the Secretary of Agriculture authority to investigate alleged violations with help from federal, state, and local law enforcement and creates criminal penalties of fines and/or up to seven years imprisonment per violation. The new rules apply to conduct on or after October 1, 2027, and do not change existing State laws or the Interstate Horseracing Act.

• Creates a federal ban on commercial greyhound racing and related practices (live-lure training, open-field coursing).
• Bans interstate simulcast wagering on greyhound races and interstate trade/transport of greyhounds for those banned purposes.
• Adds the new prohibitions to the Animal Welfare Act and inserts definitions to clarify covered conduct.
• Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to investigate violations with help from federal, state, and local law enforcement.
• Violations carry criminal penalties: fines under the Act and/or up to seven years imprisonment per violation.
• The prohibitions apply to conduct occurring on or after October 1, 2027.
• Affirms it does not preempt state laws and does not change the Interstate Horseracing Act or other federal law relationships.
• No specific new funding or appropriations are provided for enforcement in the text.
• Targets a narrow industry sector rather than creating broad new federal programs.