I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1725 
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants for the prevention 
of cruelty to animals to States that have enacted laws prohibiting the 
devocalization of dogs and cats for purposes of convenience. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 4, 2011 
Mr. RUPPERSBERGER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants 
for the prevention of cruelty to animals to States that 
have enacted laws prohibiting the devocalization of dogs 
and cats for purposes of convenience. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. ANIMAL CRUELTY PREVENTION GRANTS TO 
STATES WITH LAWS PROHIBITING DEVO-
CALIZATION OF DOGS AND CATS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
may make grants on a competitive basis for the prevention 
of cruelty to animals to States that have enacted laws pro-
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hibiting the performance of devocalization procedures on 
dogs and cats for purposes of convenience. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary may only award a 
grant under this section to a State that— 
(1) has enacted a law imposing criminal pen-
alties on any individual who performs a devocaliza-
tion procedure on a dog or cat for purposes of con-
venience; and 
(2) submits an application at such time, in such 
form, and accompanied by such information and as-
surances as the Secretary may require, including a 
copy of the law described in paragraph (1). 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—A State that receives a 
grant under this section shall use the grant funds 
for activities that prevent or promote the prevention 
of cruelty to animals. Such activities may include— 
(A) care for animals that are unwanted or 
have been abused; and 
(B) public education about— 
(i) animal abuse and how individuals 
may prevent such abuse or care for ani-
mals that are unwanted or have been 
abused; and 
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(ii) the effects of performing a devo-
calization procedure on a dog or cat for 
purposes of convenience. 
(2) SUBGRANTS.—A State that receives a grant 
under this section may use grant funds to make 
grants to entities that agree to use such funds to 
carry out the activities described in paragraph (1). 
(d) GRANT AMOUNT.—The Secretary may not award 
more than $1,000,000 under this section to a single State. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DEVOCALIZATION PROCEDURE.—The term 
‘‘devocalization procedure’’ means a surgical proce-
dure that prevents an animal’s larynx from pro-
ducing sound or reduces the ability of the larynx to 
produce sound. 
(2) FOR
PURPOSES
OF
CONVENIENCE.—The 
term ‘‘for purposes of convenience’’ means, with re-
spect to the performance of a devocalization proce-
dure on an animal, that the procedure is not per-
formed primarily for the therapeutic benefit of the 
animal. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$12,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2012 and 2013. 
Æ 
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