Legislation – Federal Bills
The Animal Legal Defense Fund works at the state and local levels to advance important legislation. We advocate for laws that promote or protect the lives and interests of animals, and we oppose legislation that would be detrimental to animals’ well-being.
We also work closely with the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s other programs to identify opportunities to create model legislation that address strategic legal issues in the areas of civil and criminal law, and monitor legislation that impacts animals at the federal, state, and local levels.
Federal Bills
The Farm Bill (119th Congress)
(H.R. 7567/S. 5526)
The Farm Bill is a multiyear law that governs an array of agricultural, food, and conservation programs.
Captive Primate Safety Act (Federal)
(H.R.3199/ S.1594)
The Captive Primate Safety Act prohibits the private possession of nonhuman primates as well as the breeding, sale, or transport of these animals for the “pet” trade.
Canyon’s Law (Federal)
H.R.4180/S.2179
This legislation would ban M-44s — spring-loaded devices filled with sodium cyanide used to kill native carnivores and so-called “pest” species — from public lands.
Pigs and Public Health Act (Federal)
H.R. 4757
This bill aims to reduce the number of nonambulatory or ”downed” pigs — pigs who cannot stand or walk unassisted — in the food system.
Opposing the Cultivation and Trade of Octopus Produced through Unethical Strategies (OCTOPUS) Act (Federal)
S.1947
The Opposing the Cultivation and Trade of Octopus Produced through Unethical Strategies (OCTOPUS) Act would ban commercial octopus farming in the U.S. and prohibit imports of farmed octopus from foreign countries.
Mink VIRUS Act (Federal)
H.R.2185
Congress is considering a ban on mink farming to protect public health and human safety from the risk of disease transmission, including COVID-19 and avian flu, to people and wild mink populations, as well as to address concerns of animal well-being.
Big Cat Public Safety Act (Federal)
Federal Legislation
The Big Cat Public Safety Act prohibits the private ownership of big cats and makes it illegal for exhibitors to allow direct contact with cubs.
How We Work
Related
-
NYC Council Passes Romanch’s Law in Historic Vote to End Horse-Drawn Carriages by 2028
The bill will responsibly phase out the horse drawn cab industry to make NYC safer for allOctober 22, 2026 Press Release -
ALDF Announces Caitlin Hawks as New Executive Director
The Animal Legal Defense Fund today announced Caitlin Hawks as its new executive director.October 21, 2026 Press Release -
Group Seeks Federal Action to Protect the Last Remaining Solitary Pet Chimpanzee in the U.S.
Bow, an endangered chimpanzee, is being held in solitary confinement in violation of federal lawOctober 20, 2026 Press Release
