I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4264

To amend title 18, United States Code, to strengthen prohibitions against 

animal fighting, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 4, 2004

Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin (for himself, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. COBLE, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. MEEHAN, and Mr. WEXLER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 

Judiciary 

A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to strengthen 

prohibitions against animal fighting, and for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Animal Fighting Pro5 hibition Enforcement Act of 2004’’. 
2

•HR 4264 IH 

1 SEC. 2. ENFORCEMENT OF ANIMAL FIGHTING PROHIBI2 TIONS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 18, United 

4 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘§ 39. Animal fighting prohibition 

7 ‘‘(a) SPONSORING OR EXHIBITING AN ANIMAL IN AN

8 ANIMAL FIGHTING VENTURE.—

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para10 graph (2), it shall be unlawful for any person to 

11 knowingly sponsor or exhibit an animal in an animal 

12 fighting venture, if any animal in the venture was 

13 moved in interstate or foreign commerce. 

14 ‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR CERTAIN STATES.—

15 With respect to fighting ventures involving live birds 

16 in a State where it would not be in violation of the 

17 law, it shall be unlawful under this subsection for a 

18 person to sponsor or exhibit a bird in the fighting 

19 venture only if the person knew that any bird in the 

20 fighting venture was knowingly bought, sold, deliv21 ered, transported, or received in interstate or foreign 

22 commerce for the purpose of participation in the 

23 fighting venture. 

24 ‘‘(b) BUYING, SELLING, DELIVERING, OR TRANS25 PORTING ANIMALS FOR PARTICIPATION IN ANIMAL

26 FIGHTING VENTURE.—It shall be unlawful for any person 
3

•HR 4264 IH 

1 to knowingly sell, buy, transport, or deliver, or receive for 

2 purposes of transportation, in interstate or foreign com3 merce, any dog or other animal for purposes of having 

4 the dog or other animal participate in an animal fighting 

5 venture. 

6 ‘‘(c) USE OF POSTAL SERVICE OR OTHER INTER7 STATE INSTRUMENTALITY FOR PROMOTING ANIMAL

8 FIGHTING VENTURE.—It shall be unlawful for any person 

9 to knowingly use the mail service of the United States 

10 Postal Service or any instrumentality of interstate com11 merce for commercial speech promoting an animal fighting 

12 venture except as performed outside the limits of the 

13 States of the United States. 

14 ‘‘(d) VIOLATION OF STATE LAW.—Notwithstanding 

15 subsection (c), the activities prohibited by such subsection 

16 shall be unlawful with respect to fighting ventures involv17 ing live birds only if the fight is to take place in a State 

18 where it would be in violation of the laws thereof. 

19 ‘‘(e) SHARP INSTRUMENTS.—It shall be unlawful for 

20 any person to knowingly sell, buy, transport, or deliver in 

21 interstate or foreign commerce a knife, a gaff, or any 

22 other sharp instrument attached, or designed or intended 

23 to be attached, to the leg of a bird for use in an animal 

24 fighting venture. 
4

•HR 4264 IH 

1 ‘‘(f) PENALTIES.—Any person who violates sub2 section (a), (b), (c), or (e) shall be fined under this title 

3 or imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both, for each 

4 such violation. 

5 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section—

6 ‘‘(1) the term ‘animal fighting venture’ means 

7 any event which involves a fight between at least two 

8 animals and is conducted for purposes of sport, wa9 gering, or entertainment except that the term ‘ani10 mal fighting venture’ shall not be deemed to include 

11 any activity the primary purpose of which involves 

12 the use of one or more animals in hunting another 

13 animal or animals, such as waterfowl, bird, raccoon, 

14 or fox hunting; 

15 ‘‘(2) the term ‘instrumentality of interstate 

16 commerce’ means any written, wire, radio, television 

17 or other form of communication in, or using a facil18 ity of, interstate commerce; 

19 ‘‘(3) the term ‘State’ means any State of the 

20 United States, the District of Columbia, the Com21 monwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or pos22 session of the United States; and 

23 ‘‘(4) the term ‘animal’ means any live bird, or 

24 any live dog or other mammal, except man. 
5

•HR 4264 IH 

1 ‘‘(h) CONFLICT WITH STATE LAW.—The provisions 

2 of this section do not supersede or otherwise invalidate 

3 any such State, local, or municipal legislation or ordinance 

4 relating to animal fighting ventures except in case of a 

5 direct and irreconcilable conflict between any requirements 

6 thereunder and this section or any rule, regulation, or 

7 standard hereunder.’’. 

8 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

9 for chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 

10 by inserting after the item relating to section 38 the fol11 lowing:

‘‘39. Animal fighting prohibition.’’.

Æ