# 119-hres-985: Expressing opposition to the use of onychectomy, also known as declawing, for elective surgery in cats.

119-hres-985, Expressing opposition to the use of onychectomy, also known as declawing, for elective surgery in cats., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] (D-NY); status in_committee (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-985
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hres-985
- Congress: 119
- Title: Expressing opposition to the use of onychectomy, also known as declawing, for elective surgery in cats.
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-01-09
- Sponsor: Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] (D-NY)
- Cosponsors: 20
- Policy area: Animals
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**This resolution would express federal opposition to elective declawing (onychectomy) of cats, arguing the practice is harmful to animal welfare and raises public health concerns.** - For cats and families: it says declawing is painful and linked to lifelong physical and behavioral harms, including chronic pain, litter-box aversion, biting, nerve damage, lameness, and permanent disability. - For veterinarians: it urges veterinary professionals to discourage elective declawing and says the procedure should be reserved only for medical necessity to treat a health condition, not for convenience or property protection. - For policymakers and public health: it urges state legislatures to consider bans, highlights an international and local trend of prohibitions, and cites health organizations that call declawing unnecessary for protecting human health while noting it may increase bite-related infection risk.

## Cosponsors (20)

- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4] (D-PA), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (D-IL), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rivas, Luz M. [D-CA-29] (D-CA), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32] (D-CA), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37] (D-CA), 2026-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47] (D-CA), 2026-09-02T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Urge states to ban cat declawing: mixed, medium. If adopted, the House would urge State legislatures that have not banned onychectomy or tendonectomy to consider bans on animal welfare and public health grounds. The resolution would be advisory only and would not change state law. It would signal federal House opposition to elective declawing and…
- House would oppose cat declawing: mixed, low. If adopted, the House would oppose declawing cats when done for looks or convenience. It would say declawing should only be done when medically necessary to treat an existing or recurring anatomical problem that jeopardizes a cat's health. It would encourage veterinarians to discourage elective dec…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act

## Sources
- [119-hres-985 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/985)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7853)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5390)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-985 (as of 2026-09-21).