This afternoon, Congressman Ted Deutch's (FL-22) legislation to make animal cruelty a federal crime was signed into law. The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 724), introduced with Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-16), criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty.

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the PACT Act on October 22. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the legislation on November 5.

Congressman Deutch: "With President Trump signing the PACT Act, animal cruelty is no longer just unacceptable, it is now illegal. We can now finally say that animal abuse is a federal crime in the United States. Americans have long stood in support of animal welfare protections, and now our national laws reflect these values. This bipartisan achievement has been years in the making, and I am proud to have been a part of this great effort alongside Congressman Buchanan and so many advocates and passionate citizens who made this possible."

In 2010, Congress passed the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which made the creation and distribution of animal crushing videos illegal. However, the underlying acts of cruelty against animals were not included. The PACT Act closes this loophole by prohibiting certain cases of animal abuse.

A fact sheet for the PACT Act can be found here.