[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3894 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3894

   To amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit commercial greyhound 
  racing, live lure training, and open field coursing, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 7, 2023

 Mr. Carbajal (for himself, Mr. Nunn of Iowa, Mr. Cardenas, Ms. Mace, 
 Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer, and Mr. Davis of North Carolina) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit commercial greyhound 
  racing, live lure training, and open field coursing, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Greyhound Protection Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND POLICY.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Greyhounds have existed for thousands of years and are 
        the only canines mentioned by name in the Bible.
            (2) Commercial greyhound racing was first legalized in 
        Florida in 1931.
            (3) Modern racetracks require internet-based wire 
        communications to process bets and wagers, calculate odds, 
        broadcast races, announce results, and pay winnings to 
        gamblers. The majority of gambling on dog racing now occurs via 
        simulcast and online.
            (4) Public records reveal that some greyhounds used for 
        live commercial racing suffer serious injuries including broken 
        backs, broken necks, head trauma, paralysis, seizures, and 
        electrocution.
            (5) Regulatory records show that some racing greyhounds 
        test positive for drugs including cocaine, amphetamines, 
        barbituates, opiods, and steroids.
            (6) State investigatory files document that racing 
        greyhounds are kept confined for 20 to 23 hours a day in 
        stacked, metal cages, typically with little opportunity to 
        socialize with other dogs.
            (7) Many small animals, including jack rabbits and hares, 
        are bought, sold, delivered, transported, and received in 
        interstate and foreign commerce for use as live bait in the 
        training of racing greyhounds and in open field coursing.
            (8) Typically, animals used in live lure training of 
        greyhounds may be dragged on ropes, hung from a horizontal pole 
        which rotates around a training track, or simply set loose to 
        be chased and mauled. Alive or dead, helpless bait animals may 
        be used repeatedly until they are torn apart.
            (9) Live lure training is prohibited in more than a dozen 
        States, but there is no Federal statute prohibiting such 
        practice. In the late 1970s, the National Greyhound 
        Association, a membership organization representing breeders, 
        trainers, and other industry participants, announced a policy 
        against live lure training in order to convince the late 
        Senators Birch Bayh and Robert Dole to withdraw their proposed 
        legislation.
            (10) Open field coursing preceded commercial dog racing and 
        is an activity in which greyhounds or other sighthounds are 
        released to pursue and kill bait animals, including jack 
        rabbits and hares, often in a fenced area. Greyhounds may 
        collide and suffer injuries in the chase.
            (11) Dog owners travel from multiple States and countries 
        to compete and win prizes and sometimes gamble on open field 
        coursing events.
            (12) As with commercial greyhound racing, internet sites 
        are used to promote coursing tournaments and post results to a 
        worldwide audience.
            (13) The National Field Coursing Association is the 
        umbrella group for coursing clubs nationwide and maintained 12 
        clubs in California as of 2006.
            (14) Open field coursing is illegal in as many as 12 
        States.
            (15) Open field coursing was prohibited as a blood sport in 
        Scotland in 2002, and in the United Kingdom in 2004.
            (16) 25 years ago, there were 60 greyhound tracks in the 
        United States. With the voter-mandated closure of 12 dog tracks 
        in Florida and the voluntary shut down of Southland Park in 
        Arkansas and Iowa Greyhound Park in 2022, only 2 tracks, both 
        in West Virginia, will remain nationwide.
            (17) According to the State of Florida, track owners had 
        been collectively losing more than $30,000,000 annually because 
        of sagging attendance and decreased wagering. According to a 
        State-commissioned report, the State spent more money 
        regulating the industry in its national hub than it generated 
        in tax revenue. Similarly, nearly $20,000,000 is diverted 
        annually to subsidize the 2 West Virginia tracks.
            (18) According to State records, more than 10,000 greyhound 
        injuries have been reported at West Virginia racetracks since 
        2008. More than 3,500 dogs suffered broken bones during this 
        period, and at least 437 dogs died after suffering serious 
        injuries.
            (19) Live commercial dog racing is illegal in 42 States. As 
        of December 2022, this dying industry will remain legal and 
        operational in no more than 1 State.

SEC. 3. PROTECTION OF GREYHOUNDS.

    (a) In General.--The Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 30. PROTECTION OF GREYHOUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--It shall be unlawful--
            ``(1) for any person to knowingly engage in commercial 
        greyhound racing, live lure training, or open field coursing 
        events in which any animal is moved in interstate or foreign 
        commerce;
            ``(2) to conduct commercial greyhound racing or racing 
        meeting where any form of betting or wagering on the speed or 
        ability of greyhounds occurs;
            ``(3) to conduct open field coursing or live lure training 
        with the use of any bait that is not an inanimate object;
            ``(4) to engage in or facilitate simulcast betting or 
        wagering on greyhound races in interstate or foreign commerce; 
        and
            ``(5) for any person to knowingly sell, buy, possess, 
        train, transport, deliver, or receive any animal for purposes 
        of having the animal participate in commercial greyhound 
        racing, live lure training, or open field coursing events.
    ``(b) Investigations.--The Secretary or any other person authorized 
by the Department shall make such investigations as the Secretary deems 
necessary to determine whether any person has violated or is violating 
any provision of this section, and the Secretary may obtain the 
assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of 
the Treasury, or other law enforcement agencies of the United States, 
and State and local governmental agencies, in the conduct of such 
investigations, under cooperative agreements with such agencies. 
    ``(c) Penalties.--Any person who violates any of paragraphs (1) 
through (5) of subsection (a) shall be fined under this title, 
imprisoned for not more than 7 years, or both, for each such violation. 
Each instance of a violation of any such paragraph shall be considered 
a single violation.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Commercial greyhound racing.--The term `commercial 
        greyhound racing' means any event in which betting or wagering 
        on the speed or ability of greyhounds occurs.
            ``(2) Simulcast.--The term `simulcast' means remote 
        gambling on foreign or domestic greyhound races taking place 
        elsewhere.''.
    (b) Definition of Animal.--Section 2(g) of the Animal Welfare Act 
(7 U.S.C. 2132(g)) is amended by inserting ``hare,'' after ``rabbit,''.

SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be 
construed--
            (1) to preempt any State law prohibiting gambling or 
        protecting the welfare of animals including but not limited to 
        greyhounds, jackrabbits, and hares; or
            (2) to alter, limit, or extend the relationship between the 
        Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) as 
        it relates to horse racing and other Federal laws in effect on 
        the date of enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>