Source: http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title7/chapter54&edition=prelim
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 02:34:51+00:00

Document:
Prohibition on slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption.
(a) The term "person" includes any individual, partnership, firm, joint stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or other legal entity.
(b) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States or his representative who shall be an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture.
(d) The term "State" means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or any other territory or possession of the United States.
(e) The term "research facility" means any school (except an elementary or secondary school), institution, organization, or person that uses or intends to use live animals in research, tests, or experiments, and that (1) purchases or transports live animals in commerce, or (2) receives funds under a grant, award, loan, or contract from a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States for the purpose of carrying out research, tests, or experiments: Provided, That the Secretary may exempt, by regulation, any such school, institution, organization, or person that does not use or intend to use live dogs or cats, except those schools, institutions, organizations, or persons, which use substantial numbers (as determined by the Secretary) of live animals the principal function of which schools, institutions, organizations, or persons, is biomedical research or testing, when in the judgment of the Secretary, any such exemption does not vitiate the purpose of this chapter.
(f) The term "dealer" means any person who, in commerce, for compensation or profit, delivers for transportation, or transports, except as a carrier, buys, or sells, or negotiates the purchase or sale of, (1) any dog or other animal whether alive or dead for research, teaching, exhibition, or use as a pet, or (2) any dog for hunting, security, or breeding purposes. Such term does not include a retail pet store (other than a retail pet store which sells any animals to a research facility, an exhibitor, or another dealer).
(g) The term "animal" means any live or dead dog, cat, monkey (nonhuman primate mammal), guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or such other warm-blooded animal, as the Secretary may determine is being used, or is intended for use, for research, testing, experimentation, or exhibition purposes, or as a pet; but such term excludes (1) birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research, (2) horses not used for research purposes, and (3) other farm animals, such as, but not limited to livestock or poultry, used or intended for use as food or fiber, or livestock or poultry used or intended for use for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or fiber. With respect to a dog, the term means all dogs including those used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes.
(h) The term "exhibitor" means any person (public or private) exhibiting any animals, which were purchased in commerce or the intended distribution of which affects commerce, or will affect commerce, to the public for compensation, as determined by the Secretary, and such term includes carnivals, circuses, and zoos exhibiting such animals whether operated for profit or not; but such term excludes retail pet stores, an owner of a common, domesticated household pet who derives less than a substantial portion of income from a nonprimary source (as determined by the Secretary) for exhibiting an animal that exclusively resides at the residence of the pet owner, organizations sponsoring and all persons participating in State and country fairs, livestock shows, rodeos, purebred dog and cat shows, and any other fairs or exhibitions intended to advance agricultural arts and sciences, as may be determined by the Secretary.
(i) The term "intermediate handler" means any person including a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or of any State or local government (other than a dealer, research facility, exhibitor, any person excluded from the definition of a dealer, research facility, or exhibitor, an operator of an auction sale, or a carrier) who is engaged in any business in which he receives custody of animals in connection with their transportation in commerce.
(j) The term "carrier" means the operator of any airline, railroad, motor carrier, shipping line, or other enterprise, which is engaged in the business of transporting any animals for hire.
(k) The term "Federal agency" means an Executive agency as such term is defined in section 105 of title 5, and with respect to any research facility means the agency from which the research facility receives a Federal award for the conduct of research, experimentation, or testing, involving the use of animals.
(l) The term "Federal award for the conduct of research, experimentation, or testing, involving the use of animals" means any mechanism (including a grant, award, loan, contract, or cooperative agreement) under which Federal funds are provided to support the conduct of such research.
(m) The term "quorum" means a majority of the Committee members.
(n) The term "Committee" means the Institutional Animal Committee established under section 2143(b) of this title.
2014—Pub. L. 113–79, §12308(a)(1)(A), substituted "In this chapter:" for "When used in this chapter—" in introductory provisions.
Subsecs. (a), (b), (d), (e). Pub. L. 113–79, §12308(a)(1)(C), substituted period for semicolon at end.
"(ii) any person who does not sell, or negotiate the purchase or sale of any wild animal, dog, or cat, and who derives no more than $500 gross income from the sale of other animals during any calendar year;".
Subsecs. (g), (h) to (k), (m). Pub. L. 113–79, §12308(a)(1)(C), substituted period for semicolon at end.
Subsec. (n). Pub. L. 113–79, §12308(a)(1)(D), substituted period at end for "; and".
The Secretary shall issue licenses to dealers and exhibitors upon application therefor in such form and manner as he may prescribe and upon payment of such fee established pursuant to 2153 of this title: Provided, That no such license shall be issued until the dealer or exhibitor shall have demonstrated that his facilities comply with the standards promulgated by the Secretary pursuant to section 2143 of this title: Provided, however, That a dealer or exhibitor shall not be required to obtain a license as a dealer or exhibitor under this chapter if the size of the business is determined by the Secretary to be de minimis. The Secretary is further authorized to license, as dealers or exhibitors, persons who do not qualify as dealers or exhibitors within the meaning of this chapter upon such persons&apos; complying with the requirements specified above and agreeing, in writing, to comply with all the requirements of this chapter and the regulations promulgated by the Secretary hereunder.
2014—Pub. L. 113–79 substituted ": Provided, however, That a dealer or exhibitor shall not be required to obtain a license as a dealer or exhibitor under this chapter if the size of the business is determined by the Secretary to be de minimis." for ": Provided, however, That any retail pet store or other person who derives less than a substantial portion of his income (as determined by the Secretary) from the breeding and raising of dogs or cats on his own premises and sells any such dog or cat to a dealer or research facility shall not be required to obtain a license as a dealer or exhibitor under this chapter."
Except as provided in paragraph (3), it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly sponsor or exhibit an animal in an animal fighting venture.
(B) knowingly cause an individual who has not attained the age of 16 to attend an animal fighting venture.
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c), the activities prohibited by such subsection shall be unlawful with respect to fighting ventures involving live birds only if the fight is to take place in a State where it would be in violation of the laws thereof.
(4) in subsection (i), as so redesignated, by striking "(e)" and inserting "(d)".
2018—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 115–334, §12616(a)(1)(A), substituted "It" for "Except as provided in paragraph (3), it".
Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 115–334, §12616(a)(1)(B), struck out par. (3). Text read as follows: "With respect to fighting ventures involving live birds in a State where it would not be in violation of the law, it shall be unlawful under this subsection for a person to sponsor or exhibit a bird in the fighting venture only if the person knew that any bird in the fighting venture was knowingly bought, sold, delivered, transported, or received in interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of participation in the fighting venture."
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–334, §12616(b), substituted "(d)" for "(e)".
Subsecs. (d) to (h). Pub. L. 115–334, §12616(a)(2), (3), redesignated subsecs. (e) to (i) as (d) to (h), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (d). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (d) read as follows: "Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c), the activities prohibited by such subsection shall be unlawful with respect to fighting ventures involving live birds only if the fight is to take place in a State where it would be in violation of the laws thereof."
Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 115–334, §12616(c), substituted "(d)" for "(e)".
Pub. L. 115–334, §12616(a)(3), redesignated subsec. (j) as (i). Former subsec. (i) redesignated (h).
Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 115–334, §12616(a)(3), redesignated subsec. (j) as (i).
2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–79, §12308(b)(1)(A), substituted "Sponsoring or exhibiting an animal in, attending, or causing an individual who has not attained the age of 16 to attend," for "Sponsoring or exhibiting an animal in" in heading.
Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–79, §12308(b)(1)(B)(i), (ii), substituted "Sponsoring or exhibiting" for "In general" in heading and "paragraph (3)" for "paragraph (2)" in text.
Subsec. (a)(2), (3). Pub. L. 113–79, §12308(b)(1)(B)(iii), (iv), added par. (2) and redesignated former par. (2) as (3).
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107–171, §10302(a)(3), substituted "subsection (c)" for "subsections (a), (b), or (c) of this section".
Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, §12616(e), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 5016, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section, section 49 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and section 3001 of Title 39, Postal Service] shall take effect on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 2018]."
any information which is entitled to protection as confidential information under subsection (a).
Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any other rights of a person injured in its business or property by reason of a violation of this section. Subsection (d) shall not be construed to limit the exercise of any such rights arising out of or relating to a violation of subsections (a) and (b).
A dealer may not sell, provide, or make available to any individual or entity a random source dog or cat unless such dealer provides the recipient with a valid certification that meets the requirements of paragraph (2) and indicates compliance with subsection (a).
Dealers who fail to act according to the requirements of this section or who include false information in the certification required under subsection (b), shall be subject to the penalties provided for under section 2149 of this title.
The court shall, upon a proper showing, issue a temporary restraining order or injunction under subsection (a) without bond. Such injunction or order shall remain in effect until a complaint pursuant to section 2149 of this title is issued and dismissed by the Secretary or until an order to cease and desist made thereon by the Secretary has become final and effective or is set aside on appellate review. Attorneys of the Department of Agriculture may, with the approval of the Attorney General, appear in the United States district court representing the Secretary in any action brought under this section.
(B) a dog or cat part for human consumption.
(2) within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to an Indian (as defined in section 5304 of title 25) carrying out any activity described in subsection (a) for the purpose of a religious ceremony.
Any person who violates subsection (a) shall be subject to a fine in an amount not greater than $5,000 for each violation.
(2) prevents a State or unit of local government from adopting and enforcing an animal welfare law or regulation that is more stringent than this section.
Section was enacted as part of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, and not as part of the Animal Welfare Act which comprises this chapter.

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