Krishnamoorthi, Lawler Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Animal Welfare Enforcement

September 29, 2026 Press Release Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act would prevent prior animal-law violators from receiving federal licenses WASHINGTON — On Monday, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) reintroduced the bipartisan Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act (AWEIA) to strengthen enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and prevent animal dealers and exhibitors with records of violating animal protection laws from receiving federal licenses. Under current law, animal dealers and exhibitors can remain eligible for federal licenses despite prior violations of animal protection laws. The Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act would close that gap by prohibiting the U.S. Department of Agriculture from issuing licenses to dealers or exhibitors found to have violated federal, state, or local laws protecting animals. The legislation would also strengthen inspection, veterinary care, licensing, and enforcement requirements under the Animal Welfare Act. “Those who break animal protection laws should not be rewarded with another federal license to keep handling animals,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “Our bipartisan Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act would close that loophole, strengthen enforcement, and ensure that a record of violating animal welfare laws has real consequences. If we are serious about protecting animals from abuse and neglect, the law needs teeth.” “Protecting animals and holding those who mistreat them accountable should not be a partisan issue. We need to make sure our animal welfare laws are actually enforced and that serious violations don’t fall through the cracks. I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to strengthen oversight, increase transparency, and ensure the USDA has the tools it needs to protect animals and enforce the law,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). The Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act would: Require animal dealers and exhibitors to obtain a new USDA license each year and provide an inventory of animals at their facilities; Prohibit USDA from issuing licenses to dealers or exhibitors found to have violated federal, state, or local animal protection laws, or where a license would facilitate circumvention of state or local restrictions on private ownership of certain animals; Require at least one full, unannounced inspection before an existing dealer or exhibitor can receive a new annual license; Strengthen veterinary-care requirements, including annual veterinarian visits and physical examinations, vaccinations, parasite treatment, and preventative care; Require USDA to suspend licenses when violations present a risk to animal welfare and permanently revoke licenses when qualifying violations persist or offenders commit additional animal-welfare violations; Prevent individuals whose licenses have been suspended or revoked from circumventing those penalties through family members, businesses, or other entities; and Require USDA to publish searchable, unredacted inspection, investigation, enforcement, and animal inventory records online. The Animal Welfare Institute has endorsed the legislation. “We have been urging the departments for quite some time to undertake more vigorous enforcement of the law, and we are encouraged by the steps they have taken to crack down on abusive dog breeders and on dog fighting,” said AWI President Susan Millward. “We firmly believe that these steps will benefit from passage of the AWEIA, which would provide more powerful tools for ensuring improved treatment for all animals covered under the AWA and better accountability by all violators of the law.” Krishnamoorthi first introduced the Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act in 2019 and has continued pushing for stronger enforcement of federal animal welfare protections in subsequent Congresses. The text of the legislation is available here .