[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5650 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5650

    To amend the Animal Welfare Act to repeal the extension of the 
           prohibition on animal fighting to the territories.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 21, 2023

  Mr. Moylan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Animal Welfare Act to repeal the extension of the 
           prohibition on animal fighting to the territories.

    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 Senator Jose `Pedo' Terlaje Honoring 
Indigenous Traditions and Attributes Act'' or ``The Senator Jose `Pedo' 
Terlaje HITA Act''.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF EXTENSION OF THE PROHIBITION ON ANIMAL FIGHTING TO 
              THE TERRITORIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 
2156) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``It'' and 
                inserting ``Except as provided in paragraph (3), it''; 
                and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Special rule for certain states.--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.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), 
        and (i) as subsection (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j), 
        respectively; and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Violation of State Law.--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.''.
    (b) Use of Postal Service or Other Interstate Instrumentalities.--
Section 26(c) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156(c)) is amended 
by striking ``(d)'' and inserting ``(e)''.
    (c) Criminal Penalties.--Subsection (j) of section 26 of the Animal 
Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156), as redesignated, is amended by striking 
``(d)'' and inserting ``(e)''.
    (d) Enforcement of Animal Fighting Prohibitions.--Section 49(a) of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking ``(d)'' and 
inserting ``(e)''.
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