Bill Summary
This bill aims to amend the Animal Welfare Act in order to provide better protection for roosters, as well as prevent animal fighting ventures and gambling on these ventures. The bill defines a rooster as a male Gallus Domesticus species over 6 months old and makes it illegal to sponsor, exhibit, attend, or cause a minor to attend an animal fighting venture. It also prohibits the use of postal services or interstate transportation to transport roosters for these ventures. The bill allows for civil citizen suits to be brought against violators and for the seizure of property used in these ventures. It also clarifies that state laws related to animal fighting ventures will not be superseded by this Act.
Possible Impacts
1. The FIGHT Act of 2025 could potentially affect people who participate in or attend animal fighting ventures as it prohibits gambling on these events and imposes fines for violations.
2. The amendment of the Animal Welfare Act to define "rooster" as any male Gallus Domesticus over 6 months old could affect people who own or raise roosters, as they may face stricter regulations and penalties if their roosters are used in animal fighting ventures.
3. The provision for civil citizen suits in the FIGHT Act of 2025 could affect people who are found to be in violation of the Act, as they could face fines and have their property seized if it is determined that they have used it to facilitate animal fighting ventures.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1454 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1454
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for greater protection of
roosters, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 10, 2025
Mr. Kennedy (for himself and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for greater protection of
roosters, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-
risk Trafficking Act of 2025'' or the ``FIGHT Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. ANIMAL FIGHTING.
(a) Definition of Rooster.--Section 2 of the Animal Welfare Act (7
U.S.C. 2132) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(p) The term `rooster' means any male member of Gallus Domesticus
species that is older than 6 months.''.
(b) Gambling on Animal Fighting Ventures Prohibited.--Section 26 of
the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156) is amended--
(1) by striking the section designation and header and all
that follows through ``It shall be unlawful'' in subsection
(a)(2) and inserting the following:
``SEC. 26. SPONSORING OR EXHIBITING AN ANIMAL IN, ATTENDING, CAUSING AN
INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 16 TO ATTEND,
OR GAMBLING ON, AN ANIMAL FIGHTING VENTURE.
``(a) Sponsoring or Exhibiting.--
``(1) In general.--It shall be unlawful for any person to
knowingly sponsor or exhibit an animal in an animal fighting
venture.
``(2) Attending or causing an individual who has not
attained the age of 16 to attend.--It shall be unlawful''; and
(2) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Animal venture gambling.--It shall be unlawful for
any person to gamble on an animal fighting venture, including
an in-person or broadcast event.''.
(c) Use of Postal Service or Other Interstate Instrumentality To
Transport Roosters.--Section 26(c) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C.
2156(c)) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``or to
Transport Roosters'' after ``Venture'';
(2) by striking ``speech for purposes of advertising'' and
inserting the following: ``speech--
``(1) for purposes of advertising'';
(3) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) to transport a rooster.''.
(d) Civil Citizen Suits; Seizure.--Section 26(e) of the Animal
Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156(e)) is amended--
(1) by striking the subsection designation and heading and
all that follows through ``The Secretary or any other person
authorized by him'' in the first sentence and inserting the
following:
``(e) Investigations; Civil Citizen Suits.--
``(1) Investigation of violations by secretary; assistance
by other federal agencies; issuance of search warrant;
forfeiture; cost recoverable in forfeiture or civil action.--
The Secretary, or any other person authorized by the
Secretary,''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Civil citizen suits.--
``(A) In general.--Any person may commence a civil
suit in a district court of the United States on their
own behalf to enjoin any person who is alleged to be in
violation of any provision of this section.
``(B) Amount of fine.--For any person found to have
violated a provision of this section in any suit
brought under subparagraph (A), the district court may
issue a fine in an amount not greater than $5,000 for
each violation.
``(C) Requirement.--A person seeking to commence a
civil suit under subparagraph (A) shall, at least 60
days before commencing the suit, submit to the
Secretary and local law enforcement notice of the
alleged violation of a provision of this section.
``(D) Limitation.--No action may be commenced under
subparagraph (A)--
``(i) if the Secretary has commenced an
action against the same person to impose a
penalty pursuant to paragraph (1) for the same
alleged violation; or
``(ii) if the United States has commenced,
and is diligently prosecuting, a criminal
action against the same person in a State or
Federal court to redress the same alleged
violation.
``(E) Jurisdiction.--A suit under this paragraph
may be brought in the judicial district in which the
alleged violation occurred.
``(F) Intervention.--The Attorney General, at the
request of the Secretary, may intervene on behalf of
the United States as a matter of right in any civil
suit brought under subparagraph (A).
``(G) Attorney's fees.--The court, in issuing any
final order in any suit brought under subparagraph (A),
may award costs of litigation (including reasonable
attorney and expert witness fees) to any party,
whenever the court determines such an award is
appropriate.
``(3) Seizure.--Whoever is found, pursuant to an
investigation under paragraph (1), to have violated subsection
(a)(1) shall, in addition to the penalties applicable under
paragraph (1), be subject to seizure of all real property,
including any right, title, and interest (including any
leasehold interest) in the whole of any lot or tract of land
and any appurtenances or improvements, that is used, or
intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or to
facilitate the commission of, a violation of subsection
(a)(1).''.
(e) Technical Corrections.--
(1) Section 26(h) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C.
2156(h)) is amended to read as follows:
``(h) Conflict With State Law.--The provisions of this Act shall
not supersede or otherwise invalidate any such State, local, or
municipal legislation or ordinance relating to animal fighting ventures
except in case of a direct and irreconcilable conflict between any
requirements thereunder and this Act or any rule, regulation, or
standard hereunder.''.
(2) Section 3001(a) of title 39, United States Code, is
amended by inserting ``(7 U.S.C. 2156),'' before ``is
nonmailable''.
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