Act Would Empower FBI to Prosecute Animal Abuse Cases that Cross State Lines

A group of senior Republican and Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee reintroduced the nation’s first-ever general federal animal cruelty bill – the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, H.R. 1494. Sponsored by Reps. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the PACT Act would empower the FBI and U.S. Attorneys to prosecute animal abuse cases that cross state lines, affect interstate commerce, or occur on federal property. The bill was introduced with 11 other original cosponsors: Reps. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, Tom Marino, R-Pa., Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, Trent Franks, R-Ariz., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.