FIGHT Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Bacon
Introduced
Summary
The FIGHT Act of 2025 would amend the Animal Welfare Act to ban gambling on animal fighting and broaden enforcement tools against those who sponsor, exhibit, transport, or profit from animal fights. It also sets a legal definition of "rooster" and blocks minors from attending these events.
Show full summary
- Families and children: Stops anyone from causing a person under 16 to attend an animal fighting venture and makes attendance by minors unlawful.
- Rooster owners and shippers: Defines a rooster as any male Gallus domesticus older than 6 months and bars transport of roosters through the mail or other interstate instruments.
- Law enforcement and private enforcers: Prohibits sponsorship, exhibition, and gambling (including broadcasts) on animal fighting ventures and creates a civil citizen-suit path with fines up to $5,000 per violation and a required 60-day notice. Courts can order seizures of property used to facilitate violations and may award costs and fees when appropriate.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
New bans on fights, betting, minors
If enacted, it would be illegal to sponsor or show an animal in a fight. It would also be illegal to attend a fight, or to cause anyone under 16 to attend. Betting on animal fights would be banned, including bets placed by broadcast. If investigators find a violation, real property used to commit or help the offense could be seized.
Stronger enforcement and citizen lawsuits
If enacted, the Secretary and authorized people could investigate violations, with help from other federal agencies. Courts could issue search warrants, and the government could seek forfeiture and recover costs in civil or forfeiture cases. Any person could sue in federal court to stop violations after giving at least 60 days’ notice to the Secretary and local law enforcement. In those suits, courts could fine up to $5,000 per violation and may award attorney and expert fees when appropriate. You could not bring a suit if the Secretary has started a civil case or the United States is already pursuing a criminal case for the same conduct.
State and local rules preserved
The bill would keep state and local animal-fighting laws in place unless they directly conflict with this federal act. Local rules would remain valid unless they cannot be reconciled with the federal standard.
No mailing or transport of roosters
The bill would add animal-fighting matter to the Postal Service’s nonmailable list. It would also ban using the mail or other interstate carriers to move a “rooster,” defined as a male chicken over 6 months old. These changes would mainly affect people who breed, sell, or ship roosters.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bacon
NE • R
Cosponsors
Chu
CA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Lieu
CA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Pingree
ME • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Smith (NJ)
NJ • R
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Harder (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
DeGette
CO • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Soto
FL • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Vasquez
NM • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Bishop
GA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Budzinski
IL • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Franklin, Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 7/17/2025
Friedman
CA • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Peters
CA • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Scott, David
GA • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Goodlander
NH • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Kiggans (VA)
VA • R
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Moran
TX • R
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Vindman
VA • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Raskin
MD • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Meuser
PA • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Joyce (OH)
OH • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Carbajal
CA • D
Sponsored 9/2/2025
LaLota
NY • R
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Mullin
CA • D
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Valadao
CA • R
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Grothman
WI • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Zinke
MT • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Garbarino
NY • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Bergman
MI • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Fitzpatrick
PA • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Bentz
OR • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Van Drew
NJ • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Malliotakis
NY • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Webster (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Amodei (NV)
NV • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Fitzgerald
WI • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Carey
OH • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Burchett
TN • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Wittman
VA • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Haridopolos
FL • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Bean (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Buchanan
FL • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Salinas
OR • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Titus
NV • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Quigley
IL • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Doggett
TX • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Gottheimer
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Carter (LA)
LA • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Lee (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Perez
WA • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
McGarvey
KY • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Pettersen
CO • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Casten
IL • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Goldman (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Hoyle (OR)
OR • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Harshbarger
TN • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Barragan
CA • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Cherfilus-McCormick
FL • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Krishnamoorthi
IL • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Scanlon
PA • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Thanedar
MI • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Sorensen
IL • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Evans (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Mace
SC • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Gooden
TX • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Nehls
TX • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Tenney
NY • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Luna
FL • R
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Schakowsky
IL • D
Sponsored 6/12/2025
Van Orden
WI • R
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Calvert
CA • R
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Bilirakis
FL • R
Sponsored 9/3/2025
Crow
CO • D
Sponsored 9/3/2025
Lee (NV)
NV • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Fletcher
TX • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Stanton
AZ • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Houlahan
PA • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Watson Coleman
NJ • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Evans (CO)
CO • R
Sponsored 9/30/2025
McClain Delaney
MD • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Huffman
CA • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Kean
NJ • R
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Deluzio
PA • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Golden (ME)
ME • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Lynch
MA • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Conaway
NJ • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Morelle
NY • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
McBride
DE • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Gillen
NY • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Langworthy
NY • R
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Davids (KS)
KS • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
McIver
NJ • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Pocan
WI • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Gray
CA • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Stevens
MI • D
Sponsored 11/12/2025
Crawford
AR • R
Sponsored 11/12/2025
Cisneros
CA • D
Sponsored 11/12/2025
Gimenez
FL • R
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Salazar
FL • R
Sponsored 11/18/2025
Dean (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 11/18/2025
Kennedy (UT)
UT • R
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Schweikert
AZ • R
Sponsored 11/25/2025
Kim
CA • R
Sponsored 11/25/2025
Hayes
CT • D
Sponsored 12/1/2025
Rivas
CA • D
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Mackenzie
PA • R
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Mast
FL • R
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Craig
MN • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Perry
PA • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Shreve
IN • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Landsman
OH • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Stefanik
NY • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Boyle (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Lee (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Bynum
OR • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Neguse
CO • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Pappas
NH • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Patronis
FL • R
Sponsored 12/19/2025
Rutherford
FL • R
Sponsored 12/19/2025
McDonald Rivet
MI • D
Sponsored 12/19/2025
Cline
VA • R
Sponsored 1/7/2026
Reschenthaler
PA • R
Sponsored 1/7/2026
Joyce (PA)
PA • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Fine
FL • R
Sponsored 1/22/2026
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Garcia (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Wilson (SC)
SC • R
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Meng
NY • D
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Johnson (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Wasserman Schultz
FL • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Miller (OH)
OH • R
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Dunn (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Bresnahan
PA • R
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Nunn (IA)
IA • R
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Kiley (CA)
CA • R
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Yakym
IN • R
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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