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Union Calendar No. 314 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5566 

[Report No. 111–549] 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit interstate commerce 

in animal crush videos, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 22, 2010 

Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself, Mr. PETERS, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. 

WHITFIELD, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. DJOU, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. DENT, 

Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. 

POMEROY, Mr. WOLF, Ms. KILROY, Mr. HARPER, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. 

JONES, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. HALL of New 

York, Mr. CRENSHAW, Ms. KOSMAS, Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California, 

Mr. ROYCE, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. 

LOBIONDO, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr. CAMP, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. CARNEY, Ms. JACKSON

LEE of Texas, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. KING of 

New York, Mr. COBLE, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. FORBES, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. LEWIS

of California, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. CARTER, Ms. GRANGER, 

Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. COLE, Mr. WILSON of South 

Carolina, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. MICA, Mr. MARIO DIAZBALART of Florida, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. FRANKS of 

Arizona, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. SPEIER, 

Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. ROONEY, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. 

DUNCAN, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. FILNER, Mr. UPTON, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mrs. SCHMIDT, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. ALEXANDER, 

Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. LATTA, Mr. COHEN, 

Mr. BACHUS, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. 

EHLERS, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. HELLER, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. AKIN, Mr. LINDER, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. LEE of New York, Mr. WELCH, Mr. FARR, Mr. 

QUIGLEY, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mr. TERRY, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. 

KINGSTON, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. LUCAS, Mr. 

COFFMAN of Colorado, Mr. ENGEL, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. 

AUSTRIA, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. POSEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. 


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HOLT, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. LOEBSACK, 

Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. NADLER of New York, Mr. KISSELL, Mr. 

FORTENBERRY, Mr. LANCE, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. FUDGE, Ms. DELAURO, 

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. REICHERT, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, 

Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. 

CARSON of Indiana, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 

OLSON, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. TEAGUE, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. SHULER, 

Mr. MILLER of North Carolina, Mr. WEINER, Mr. WAMP, Mr. BONNER, 

Mr. TIBERI, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. CROWLEY, 

Mr. CLAY, Mr. HARE, Mrs. DAHLKEMPER, Mr. CLEAVER, Mrs. DAVIS of 

California, Mrs. BONO MACK, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. BRADY of 

Texas, Mr. CAO, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Ms. FALLIN, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. 

TIAHRT, Mr. PIERLUISI, Mr. MAFFEI, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 

GUTIERREZ, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. PAULSEN, 

Ms. CHU, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. PERRIELLO, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. 

DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. ROTHMAN of New 

Jersey, Mr. ANDREWS, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. OBERSTAR, Ms. 

SHEA-PORTER, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 

GARAMENDI, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. PATRICK J. 

MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. TITUS, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. VAN

HOLLEN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. RICHARDSON, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, 

Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. WALZ, Mr. GORDON of Tennessee, Mr. GUTHRIE, Ms. 

LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Ms. JENKINS, Mr. GOODLATTE, Ms. 

LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. 

LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. WU, Mr. KIRK, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. POLIS of Colorado, Mr. CANTOR, Mrs. CAPPS, and Mr. INSLEE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

JULY 19, 2010 

Additional sponsors: Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. GINGREY of Georgia, Mr. 

GRAVES of Missouri, Mr. MCCARTHY of California, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. 

DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. PETRI, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. BISHOP of New York, 

Mr. HILL, Mrs. HALVORSON, Mr. BARROW, Mr. DOYLE, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. 

WITTMAN, Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. 

PINGREE of Maine, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. HIMES, Mr. MATHESON, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. TONKO, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, 

Mr. RANGEL, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. 

SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. 

BOEHNER, Mr. ISSA, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. OLVER, Mr. STARK, 

Mr. MURPHY of New York, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. 

WALDEN


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JULY 19, 2010 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit interstate 

commerce in animal crush videos, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prevention of Inter5 state Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act of 2010’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Federal Government and the several 

9 States have a compelling interest in preventing ani10 mal cruelty. 

11 (2) Each of the several States and the District 

12 of Columbia criminalize intentional acts of animal 

13 cruelty. 

14 (3) The clandestine nature of certain acts of 

15 animal cruelty allows the perpetrators of such crimes 

16 to remain anonymous, thus frustrating the ability of 

17 Federal and State authorities to enforce the criminal 

18 statutes prohibiting such behavior. 

19 (4) These criminal acts constitute an integral 

20 part of the production of and market for so-called 

21 crush videos and other depictions of animal cruelty. 

22 (5) The creation and sale of crush videos pro23 vide an economic incentive for, and are intrinsically 

24 related to, the underlying acts of the criminal con25 duct. 


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1 (6) The United States has a long history of 

2 prohibiting the interstate sale of obscene and illegal 

3 materials. 

4 (7) Animal crush videos appeal to the prurient 

5 interest and are obscene. 

6 SEC. 3. ANIMAL CRUSH VIDEOS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 48 of title 18, United 

8 States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘§ 48. Animal crush videos 

10 ‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—Whoever knowingly and for the 

11 purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain 

12 sells or offers to sell, or distributes or offers to distribute, 

13 an animal crush video in interstate or foreign commerce 

14 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 

15 5 years, or both. 

16 ‘‘(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Subsection (a) does 

17 not prohibit the sale, distribution, or offer for sale or dis18 tribution, of any visual depiction of— 

19 ‘‘(1) customary and normal veterinary or agri20 cultural husbandry practices; or 

21 ‘‘(2) hunting, trapping, or fishing. 

22 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section the term ‘animal 

23 crush video’ means any obscene photograph, motion-pic24 ture film, video recording, or electronic image that depicts 

25 actual conduct in which one or more living animals is inVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:18 Jul 20, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5566.RH H5566

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1 tentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, or im2 paled in a manner that would violate a criminal prohibi3 tion on cruelty to animals under Federal law or the law 

4 of the State in which the depiction is created, sold, distrib5 uted, or offered for sale or distribution.’’. 

6 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The item relating to 

7 section 48 in the table of sections at the beginning of 

8 chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to 

9 read as follows: 

‘‘48. Animal crush videos.’’. 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 314 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5566 

[Report No. 111–549] 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit 

for other purposes. interstate commerce in animal crush videos, and 

JULY 19, 2010 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS