I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3484
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to improve the standards for the care 
and treatment of certain animals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 7, 2003
Mr. WHITFIELD (for himself, Mr. FARR, Mr. KILDEE, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, Mr. FILNER, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. 
KIRK, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. OLVER, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, 
Mr. SHAYS, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. 
LEACH, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. STARK, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. HONDA, Mr. HOLT, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. 
LIPINSKI, Mr. UPTON, Mr. COSTELLO, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. PASTOR, Mrs. 
LOWEY, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. 
BERKLEY, and Mr. INSLEE) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to improve the standards 
for the care and treatment of certain animals, and for 
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Puppy Protection Act 
of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. BREEDING REQUIREMENTS. 
Section 13(a)(2) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 
2143(a)(2)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) for addressing the initiation and fre-
quency of breeding of female dogs so that a fe-
male dog is not—
‘‘(i) bred before the female dog has 
reached at least 1 year of age; and 
‘‘(ii) whelped more frequently than 3 
times in any 24-month period.’’. 
SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF LICENSE, CIVIL 
PENALTIES, JUDICIAL REVIEW, AND CRIMI-
NAL PENALTIES. 
Section 19 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 
2149) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘SEC. 19. (a) If the Secretary’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘SEC. 19. SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF LICENSE, CIVIL 
PENALTIES, JUDICIAL REVIEW, AND CRIMI-
NAL PENALTIES. 
‘‘(a) SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF LICENSE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1) (as designated by 
paragraph (1)), by striking ‘‘if such violation’’ 
and all that follows and inserting ‘‘if the Sec-
retary determines that 1 or more violations 
have occurred.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) EFFECT
OF
MULTIPLE
SERIOUS
VIOLA-
TIONS.—If the Secretary finds that any person li-
censed as a dealer, exhibitor, or operator of an auc-
tion sale subject to section 12 has committed a seri-
ous violation (as determined by the Secretary) of 
any rule, regulation, or standard governing the hu-
mane handling, transportation, veterinary care, 
housing, breeding, feeding, watering, or other hu-
mane treatment of dogs under section 12 or 13 on 
3 or more separate inspections within any 8-year pe-
riod, the Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) suspend the license of the person; and 
‘‘(B) after providing notice and a hearing 
not more than 30 days after the third violation 
is noted on an inspection report, revoke the li-
cense of the person unless the Secretary makes 
a written finding that revocation is unwar-
ranted because of extraordinary extenuating cir-
cumstances.’’; 
(3) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘(b) Any deal-
er’’ and inserting ‘‘(b) CIVIL PENALTIES.—Any 
dealer’’; 
(4) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘(c) Any deal-
er’’ and inserting ‘‘(c) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Any 
dealer’’; and 
(5) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘(d) Any deal-
er’’ and inserting ‘‘(d) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.—Any 
dealer’’. 
SEC. 4. REGULATIONS. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate 
such regulations as are necessary to carry out the amend-
ments made by this Act.
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