I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1184 
To amend the Animal Health Protection Act with respect to the importation 
of live dogs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 24, 2023 
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota (for himself, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. CRAWFORD, 
Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. WITTMAN, and Ms. 
MCCOLLUM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Animal Health Protection Act with respect 
to the importation of live dogs, 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 ‘‘Healthy Dog Importa-
tion Act’’. 
SEC. 2. IMPORTATION OF LIVE DOGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Animal Health Protection 
Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 10404 (7 U.S.C. 8303) the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 10404A. IMPORTATION OF LIVE DOGS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) IMPORTER.—The term ‘importer’ means 
any person who transports or causes the transpor-
tation of a dog into the United States from a foreign 
country. 
‘‘(2) TRANSFER.—The term ‘transfer’ means a 
change of ownership or control of an imported dog 
to another person, including by sale, adoption, ex-
change, or donation. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (3), no person shall import a dog into the 
United States unless, as determined by the Sec-
retary, the dog— 
‘‘(A) is in good health; 
‘‘(B) has received all necessary vaccina-
tions, internal and external parasite treatment, 
and demonstrated negative test results, as re-
quired by the Secretary and evidenced by a cer-
tificate that— 
‘‘(i) is issued by a licensed veteri-
narian accredited by a competent veteri-
nary authority recognized by the Secretary; 
and 
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‘‘(ii) is endorsed by that authority in 
a manner representing that the veteri-
narian issuing the certificate was author-
ized to do so; and 
‘‘(C) is officially identified by a permanent 
method approved by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) TRANSFER.—Except as provided in para-
graph (3), no person shall import or cause the trans-
portation of a dog into the United States from a for-
eign country for the purpose of transfer unless, as 
determined by the Secretary, the dog— 
‘‘(A) meets the criteria described in para-
graph (1); 
‘‘(B) is at least 6 months old; and 
‘‘(C) is accompanied by an import permit 
issued by the Secretary under this Act. 
‘‘(3) EXCEPTIONS.—The Secretary, by regula-
tion, shall provide an exception to any requirement 
under this Act in any case in which a dog is im-
ported for purposes of transfer for— 
‘‘(A) research purposes; 
‘‘(B) veterinary treatment, paid for by the 
importer, subject to the condition that the 
dog— 
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‘‘(i) is taken directly to a veterinary 
facility for treatment with appropriate 
quarantine until the dog meets the criteria 
described in paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(ii) is then exported to its country of 
origin; or 
‘‘(C) in the case of a dog that is less than 
6 months old, lawful importation into the State 
of Hawaii in compliance with the regulations of 
the State of Hawaii and the other requirements 
of this section, if the dog is not transported out 
of the State of Hawaii for transfer at less than 
6 months of age. 
‘‘(c) IMPLEMENTATION
AND REGULATIONS.—The 
Secretary, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Home-
land Security, shall— 
‘‘(1) promulgate such regulations as the Secre-
taries determine to be necessary to implement and 
enforce this section; 
‘‘(2)(A) facilitate electronic submission of all re-
quired documentation; and 
‘‘(B) make the information in the documenta-
tion submitted under subparagraph (A) available to 
the Secretary, the Secretary of Health and Human 
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Services, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security prior to arrival, as ap-
plicable, for verification that all applicable importa-
tion requirements are met; and 
‘‘(3) determine and establish such fees for the 
issuance of permits with respect to dog importation 
as are necessary to fund the implementation and en-
forcement of this section. 
‘‘(d) RULE
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in sub-
section (c)(3) limits the availability of funding made avail-
able under section 10417 to carry out this section. 
‘‘(e) ENFORCEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary shall have 
the authority granted under section 10414 to en-
force this section. 
‘‘(2) PENALTIES.—An importer that fails to 
comply with this section shall— 
‘‘(A) be subject to penalties under section 
10414; and 
‘‘(B) if the importer is a dealer, provide, as 
the Secretary may determine, at the expense of 
the importer, for— 
‘‘(i) the care (including appropriate 
veterinary care), forfeiture, quarantine, 
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and removal from the United States of 
each applicable dog; and 
‘‘(ii) the return of each applicable dog 
to its place of export, with due care for the 
welfare of each applicable dog.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 18 of the 
Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2148) is repealed. 
SEC. 3. TRANSPORTATION. 
(a) DEFINITION OF TRANSPORTER.—Section 2 of the 
Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2132) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘para-
graph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’; 
and 
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 
(2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, 
and indenting appropriately; 
(2) in each of subsections (a) through (o), by 
inserting a subsection heading, the text of which is 
comprised of the term defined in the subsection; 
(3) by redesignating subsections (a) through (o) 
as paragraphs (12), (15), (3), (17), (14), (6), (1), 
(7), (11), (2), (8), (9), (13), (4), (10), respectively, 
and indenting appropriately; 
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(4) by inserting after paragraph (4) (as so des-
ignated) the following: 
‘‘(5) COMPENSATION.—The term ‘compensa-
tion’ means any act, consideration, or thing of value 
received by a person directly, including cash or 
noncash benefits, cost-avoidance, obtaining positive 
or avoiding negative publicity, an exchange of serv-
ices, or maintaining a license issued under any local, 
State, or Federal government authority.’’; 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (15) (as so 
designated) the following: 
‘‘(16) SELL; RESELL.—The term ‘sell’ or ‘re-
sell’ means to transfer ownership or control of an 
animal, including by sale, adoption, exchange, or do-
nation.’’; and 
(6) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(18) TRANSPORTER.—The term ‘transporter’ 
means any person, department, agency, or instru-
mentality of the United States or of any State or 
local government, other than a carrier or inter-
mediate handler, who— 
‘‘(A) receives an animal from any im-
porter, dealer, research facility, exhibitor, oper-
ator of an auction sale, or department, agency, 
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or instrumentality of the United States or of 
any State or local government; and 
‘‘(B) receives compensation for moving 
that animal in commerce.’’. 
(b) HUMANE STANDARDS.—Section 13 of the Animal 
Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2143) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(4)— 
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘air 
carriers,’’ and inserting ‘‘transporters, air car-
riers,’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘The Secretary shall provide, by regulation, 
that each transporter, intermediate handler, or 
carrier receiving a certificate of veterinary in-
spection required under this section shall sub-
mit a copy of the certificate to the Secretary, 
who shall record the information in a central-
ized, publicly available database and share the 
information with the appropriate State veteri-
narians.’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as 
subsections (h) and (i), respectively; 
(3) in the second subsection (f) (relating to cer-
tificates of inspection required for delivery of an ani-
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mal), by striking ‘‘(f) No dogs or cats’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(g) No dogs or cats—’’; and 
(4) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) in the first sentence— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘importer,’’ before 
‘‘dealer,’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘, transporter,’’ after 
‘‘intermediate handler’’; and 
(B) in the second sentence— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, the transporters,’’ 
after ‘‘the intermediate handlers’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘section 10 of this 
Act’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(4)’’. 
SEC. 4. REGULATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri-
culture shall promulgate final regulations to implement 
the amendments made by this Act, including with respect 
to— 
(1) the verification on arrival in the United 
States of each dog being imported for transfer into 
the United States from a foreign country that the 
dog meets all applicable importation requirements; 
and 
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(2) the denial of entry into the United States 
of any dog that fails to meet those requirements. 
(b) TRANSITION PERIOD.—Until the date on which 
final regulations are issued under subsection (a), the im-
portation of live dogs shall be regulated in accordance with 
the regulations promulgated under section 18 of the Ani-
mal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2148) (as in effect on the day 
before the date of enactment of this Act), but only to the 
extent that those regulations are not in conflict with sec-
tion 10404A of the Animal Health Protection Act. 
Æ 
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