Legislation
Strengthening Laws that Protect Animals and Striking Down Laws Hurting Animals
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The Animal Legal Defense Fund works at the federal, 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
Breed-Neutral Companion Animal Policy in Military Housing (Federal)
Federal Legislation
A provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2021 would create a breed-neutral companion policy for families living in military housing
Farm System Reform Act (Federal)
Federal Legislation
The Farm System Reform Act would overhaul the United States’ cruel and environmentally destructive animal agricultural industry, in part, by placing a moratorium on the largest factory farms.
State Bills
Featured State Bills
Strengthening the State’s Retail Pet Sale Ban (California)
Bella’s Act (AB 2152)
Bella’s Act, AB 2152, would strengthen California’s retail pet sale ban and help ensure pet stores do not profit off animals bred in mills.
Courtroom Animal Advocate Program (Florida)
Courtroom Animal Advocates (S. 1048)
Courtroom Animal Advocate Program (CAAP) laws allow advocates — supervised law students or volunteer lawyers — to advocate for animal victims in criminal cruelty cases.
Animal Possession Ban (Massachusetts)
An Act relative to the ownership of pets by convicted animal abusers (S.2494)
Bars people convicted of animal cruelty from possessing, adopting, or fostering animals for at least five years after their release from custody.
Protecting Wildlife from Harmful Poisons (California)
California Ecosystems Protection Act (AB 1788)
Would ban the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides, except in limited circumstances.
Recent Victories
Updating Iowa’s Animal Protection Laws (Iowa)
An Act relating to the regulation of persons involved with animals other than livestock and certain wild animals (HF 737)
Overhauls Iowa’s badly outdated animal protection laws
Upgrading Welfare Standards for Egg-Laying Hens (Colorado)
Egg-Laying Hen Confinement Standards (HB20-1343)
Ensures hens are able to engage in vital natural behaviors
Empowering Veterinarians to Report Suspected Abuse (Kentucky)
An act relating to veterinarians (SB 21)
Permits veterinarians to report suspected cruelty.
Strengthening Protections for Carriage Horses Forced to Work in Extreme Heat (NYC)
The Carriage Horse Heat Relief Bill (Intro 1425)
Prohibits carriage horses from working when the heat index is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
Legislative Program Team
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Kim Kelly
Director of Legislative Affairs -
Alicia Prygoski
Legislative Affairs Manager -
Jennifer Hauge
Legislative Affairs Manager -
Kathleen Schatzmann
Senior Legislative Affairs Manager -
Stephanie Harris
Senior Legislative Affairs Manager
Related News
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Industrial Animal Agriculture: Exploiting Workers and Animals
The animal agriculture industry — which is primarily comprised of enormous, multinational corporations — profits from exploiting animals and humans alike.July 28, 2020 Legal Resource -
New Kentucky Law Allows Veterinarians to Report Animal Cruelty
Kentucky has amended its law prohibiting veterinarians from reporting suspected animal cruelty. Advocates worked for years to change this law, which had good intentions regarding personal privacy but unintended consequences for animal victims of abuse.July 9, 2020 Animal Law Update -
New White Paper Identifies Root Causes of Zoonotic Disease: Animal Exploitation
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, the preeminent legal advocate for animals, released the first in a series of white papers providing policy recommendations to reduce our heightened risk from zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 and the next global pandemic, which need only a human-animal interaction to arise.June 30, 2020 Press Release
