Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017

Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017

This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit people from knowingly slaughtering a dog or cat for human consumption. In addition, the bill prohibits people from knowingly transporting, possessing, buying, selling, or donating: (1) a dog or cat to be slaughtered for human consumption, or (2) dog or cat parts for human consumption.

The bill subjects a violator to imprisonment for up to a year, a fine, or both.

The bill applies to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1406 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1406

 To amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the slaughter of dogs and 
                      cats for human consumption.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2017

Mr. Hastings (for himself, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Trott, and Mr. Brendan F. 
    Boyle of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was 
                referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the slaughter of dogs and 
                      cats for human consumption.

    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 ``Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON SLAUGHTER OF DOGS AND CATS FOR HUMAN 
              CONSUMPTION.

    The Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 30. PROHIBITION OF SLAUGHTER OF DOGS AND CATS FOR HUMAN 
              CONSUMPTION.

    ``(a) Prohibition.--No person may--
            ``(1) knowingly slaughter a dog or cat for human 
        consumption; or
            ``(2) knowingly ship, transport, move, deliver, receive, 
        possess, purchase, sell, or donate--
                    ``(A) a dog or cat to be slaughtered for human 
                consumption; or
                    ``(B) dog or cat parts for human consumption.
    ``(b) Penalty.--Any person who violates this section shall be 
subject to imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or a fine of not more 
than $2,500, or both.
    ``(c) Scope.--Subsection (a) shall apply only with respect to 
conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the 
special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
    ``(d) Conflict With State Law.--This section shall not be construed 
to limit any State or local law or regulations protecting the welfare 
of animals or to prevent a State or local governing body from adopting 
and enforcing animal welfare laws and regulations that are more 
stringent than this section.''.
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