[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5422 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5422

   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 27, 2010

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ANIMAL CRUELTY PREVENTION GRANTS TO STATES WITH LAWS 
              PROHIBITING DEVOCALIZATION 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 prohibiting 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 penalties on any 
        individual who performs a devocalization procedure on a dog or 
        cat for purposes of convenience; and
            (2) submits an application at such time, in such form, and 
        accompanied by such information and assurances 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 animals that are 
                        unwanted or have been abused; and
                            (ii) the effects of performing a 
                        devocalization 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 procedure that prevents an 
        animal's larynx from producing sound or reduces the ability of 
        the larynx to produce sound.
            (2) For purposes of convenience.--The term ``for purposes 
        of convenience'' means, with respect to the performance of a 
        devocalization procedure on an animal, that the procedure is 
        not performed 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 2011 and 2012.
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