HR 2492 IH

To prohibit attendance of an animal fighting venture, and for other purposes.

July 11, 2011

Mr. MARINO (for himself and Ms. SUTTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

To prohibit attendance of an animal fighting venture, 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 ‘Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011’.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON ATTENDING AN ANIMAL FIGHT OR CAUSING A MINOR TO ATTEND AN ANIMAL FIGHT.

Section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a)--

(A) in the heading, by striking ‘Sponsoring or Exhibiting an Animal in’ and inserting ‘Sponsoring or Exhibiting an Animal in, Attending, or Causing a Minor To Attend’;

(B) in paragraph (1)--

(i) in the heading, by striking ‘In General’ and inserting ‘Sponsoring or Exhibiting’; and

(ii) by striking ‘paragraph (2)’ and inserting ‘paragraph (3)’;

(C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and

(D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:

‘(2) ATTENDING OR CAUSING A MINOR TO ATTEND- It shall be unlawful for any person to--

‘(A) knowingly attend an animal fighting venture; or

‘(B) cause a minor to attend an animal fighting venture.’; and

(2) in subsection (g), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

‘(5) the term ‘minor’ means a person under the age of 18 years old.’.

SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT OF ANIMAL FIGHTING PROHIBITIONS.

Section 49 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking ‘Whoever’ and inserting ‘(a) IN GENERAL- Whoever’;

(2) in subsection (a), as designated by paragraph (1) of this section, by striking ‘subsection (a),’ and inserting ‘subsection (a)(1),’; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subsections:

‘(b) Attending an Animal Fighting Venture- Whoever violates subsection (a)(2)(A) of section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both, for each violation.

‘(c) Causing a Minor To Attend an Animal Fighting Venture- Whoever violates subsection (a)(2)(B) of section 26 (7 U.S.C. 2156) of the Animal Welfare Act shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 3 years, or both, for each violation.’.