Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Malliotakis
Introduced
Summary
Stronger federal enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. This bill would require valid licenses for dealers and exhibitors, expand enforcement tools for federal prosecutors and the Secretary of Agriculture, and allow larger fines and animal seizure to stop ongoing harms.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
License needed to trade or show animals
Dealers and exhibitors would need a valid, unsuspended USDA license to buy, sell, show, or transport animals in commerce. Unlicensed or suspended operators would have to stop these activities. This would take effect upon enactment.
Higher federal penalties for animal violations
The Attorney General would be able to sue in federal court to stop Animal Welfare Act violations. Courts could order animal removal or relocation and revoke licenses. Civil fines could be up to $10,000 for each violation for each day it continues. Animals involved could be seized and forfeited. People whose acts led to a seizure could be charged reasonable transfer and care costs. USDA and the Justice Department would set an information‑sharing agreement within 180 days of enactment.
Payback for temporary animal caregivers
If you temporarily care for an animal while a case is pending, you could be repaid for reasonable costs. Money would come from fines or penalties the government collects. Only reasonable and necessary costs would be paid.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Malliotakis
NY • R
Cosponsors
Quigley
IL • D
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Reschenthaler
PA • R
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Davids (KS)
KS • D
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Fitzpatrick
PA • R
Sponsored 5/5/2025
DelBene
WA • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Deluzio
PA • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Dingell
MI • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
McCollum
MN • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Pettersen
CO • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Frost
FL • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Perez
WA • D
Sponsored 5/6/2025
Peters
CA • D
Sponsored 5/6/2025
Cherfilus-McCormick
FL • D
Sponsored 5/6/2025
Sherman
CA • D
Sponsored 5/6/2025
Sherrill
NJ • D
Sponsored 5/7/2025
Sykes
OH • D
Sponsored 5/7/2025
Lawler
NY • R
Sponsored 5/8/2025
LaLota
NY • R
Sponsored 5/8/2025
Himes
CT • D
Sponsored 5/13/2025
Foushee
NC • D
Sponsored 5/13/2025
Goldman (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 5/13/2025
Lynch
MA • D
Sponsored 5/14/2025
Moulton
MA • D
Sponsored 5/19/2025
Schweikert
AZ • R
Sponsored 5/29/2025
Schneider
IL • D
Sponsored 5/29/2025
Carey
OH • R
Sponsored 6/2/2025
Brownley
CA • D
Sponsored 6/3/2025
Jayapal
WA • D
Sponsored 6/4/2025
Keating
MA • D
Sponsored 6/4/2025
Chu
CA • D
Sponsored 6/10/2025
Foster
IL • D
Sponsored 6/10/2025
Nadler
NY • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Strickland
WA • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Ruiz
CA • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Kennedy (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Mrvan
IN • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Neal
MA • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Tokuda
HI • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Beyer
VA • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Barragan
CA • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Magaziner
RI • D
Sponsored 6/20/2025
Gottheimer
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/20/2025
Levin
CA • D
Sponsored 6/23/2025
Thompson (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 6/23/2025
DeSaulnier
CA • D
Sponsored 6/23/2025
Van Drew
NJ • R
Sponsored 6/23/2025
Huffman
CA • D
Sponsored 6/23/2025
Omar
MN • D
Sponsored 6/23/2025
DeGette
CO • D
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Soto
FL • D
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Buchanan
FL • R
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Pou
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Carter (LA)
LA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Scott, David
GA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Scholten
MI • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Takano
CA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Mullin
CA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Gomez
CA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Escobar
TX • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Friedman
CA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Meng
NY • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
McGarvey
KY • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Vasquez
NM • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Ryan
NY • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Titus
NV • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Stanton
AZ • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Goodlander
NH • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Ross
NC • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Matsui
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2025
Vindman
VA • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Calvert
CA • R
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Ramirez
IL • D
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Suozzi
NY • D
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Crow
CO • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Norcross
NJ • D
Sponsored 8/15/2025
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 8/15/2025
McClain Delaney
MD • D
Sponsored 8/15/2025
Schrier
WA • D
Sponsored 8/26/2025
Evans (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Lee (NV)
NV • D
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Swalwell
CA • D
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Morelle
NY • D
Sponsored 9/8/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 9/11/2025
Meuser
PA • R
Sponsored 9/15/2025
Amo
RI • D
Sponsored 9/16/2025
Tlaib
MI • D
Sponsored 9/16/2025
Ansari
AZ • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Walkinshaw
VA • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Correa
CA • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Mfume
MD • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Wasserman Schultz
FL • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Beatty
OH • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Gillen
NY • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Raskin
MD • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Mace
SC • R
Sponsored 10/10/2025
Carbajal
CA • D
Sponsored 10/10/2025
Gimenez
FL • R
Sponsored 10/10/2025
Harder (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Doggett
TX • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Khanna
CA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Scanlon
PA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Watson Coleman
NJ • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Tonko
NY • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Boyle (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Krishnamoorthi
IL • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Kim
CA • R
Sponsored 10/17/2025
McIver
NJ • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Budzinski
IL • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Dean (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Elfreth
MD • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Thanedar
MI • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Trahan
MA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Bishop
GA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 10/21/2025
Lee (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 10/21/2025
Smith (NJ)
NJ • R
Sponsored 10/21/2025
McBride
DE • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
McGovern
MA • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Bynum
OR • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Espaillat
NY • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Subramanyam
VA • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
McDonald Rivet
MI • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Gonzalez, V.
TX • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Pingree
ME • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Menendez
NJ • D
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Stevens
MI • D
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Fletcher
TX • D
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Lieu
CA • D
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Sorensen
IL • D
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Landsman
OH • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Smith (WA)
WA • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Cleaver
MO • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Kean
NJ • R
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Neguse
CO • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Underwood
IL • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Hoyle (OR)
OR • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Aguilar
CA • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
McBath
GA • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Salazar
FL • R
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Dexter
OR • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Lofgren
CA • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Ivey
MD • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Salinas
OR • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Min
CA • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Casar
TX • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Latimer
NY • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Wilson (FL)
FL • D
Sponsored 11/12/2025
Pocan
WI • D
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Kamlager-Dove
CA • D
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Bera
CA • D
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Johnson (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Courtney
CT • D
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Turner (OH)
OH • R
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Mannion
NY • D
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Frankel, Lois
FL • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Fields
LA • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Randall
WA • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Casten
IL • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Torres (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Kelly (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Vargas
CA • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Garcia (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Bell
MO • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Hoyer
MD • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Moskowitz
FL • D
Sponsored 11/25/2025
Scott (VA)
VA • D
Sponsored 11/25/2025
Pallone
NJ • D
Sponsored 12/1/2025
Tran
CA • D
Sponsored 12/1/2025
Balint
VT • D
Sponsored 12/2/2025
Horsford
NV • D
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Schakowsky
IL • D
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Conaway
NJ • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Kaptur
OH • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Moore (WI)
WI • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Cisneros
CA • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Olszewski
MD • D
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Torres (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 12/15/2025
Castro (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 12/15/2025
Clarke (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Sanchez
CA • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Garbarino
NY • R
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Castor (FL)
FL • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Pappas
NH • D
Sponsored 12/19/2025
Davis (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 12/19/2025
Garcia (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Hayes
CT • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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