Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens federal protection and prosecution against animal cruelty—giving victims, pet owners, and prosecutors more tools—while expanding federal criminalization and raising costs and legal risks that may disproportionately affect defendants and certain rural or commercial groups.
Law enforcement, victims, and communities: Stronger federal penalties and clearer statutory crimes increase the ability to deter and prosecute extreme animal cruelty (including crushing and abandonment), making it easier to seek tougher sentences when cases cross state lines or occur on Federal land.
Pet owners and families: Individuals who adopt or own pets receive clearer federal protections against abandonment and violent endangerment, creating a federal route for redress and penalties up to 10 years for first offenses.
Commercial animal operators and small businesses (farms, breeders): Explicit federal protections for animals used commercially can reduce financial losses from interstate trafficking or cruelty by enabling federal enforcement when commerce or Federal land is involved.
Taxpayers and federal budgets: Higher maximum prison terms and expanded federal jurisdiction are likely to increase prosecutions and incarceration costs, raising fiscal burdens on taxpayers.
Defendants and their families (especially low-income and marginalized people): Harsher maximum sentences raise the risk of lengthy punishments and collateral consequences that may fall disproportionately on disadvantaged defendants and strain court and correctional resources.
Hunters, farmers, veterinarians, researchers, and rural communities: Broader federal definitions of 'abandonment' or 'endangerment' and expanded jurisdiction create legal uncertainty and a risk of inadvertent prosecution despite listed exemptions.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Raises federal prison terms for animal-crushing and creates a new federal crime for abandonment or violent endangerment of domesticated animals on Federal land or affecting interstate commerce, with enumerated exceptions.
Introduced April 23, 2026 by Josh S. Gottheimer · Last progress April 23, 2026
Raises federal criminal penalties for the existing "animal crushing" offense and creates a new federal crime that makes it illegal to knowingly abandon or knowingly commit violent acts that endanger a domesticated animal when the conduct affects interstate or foreign commerce or occurs on Federal land. Both the amended and new offenses carry increased maximum prison terms for first and repeat offenses and allow fines as provided in Title 18. The bill defines “domesticated animal” to include living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians kept for pleasure or commercial purposes and lists exceptions for veterinary care, agriculture, slaughter for food, hunting/trapping/fishing, authorized research, protection of human life or property, and euthanasia. It also updates the Title 18 statutory table of sections to add the new offense.