[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 45 (Monday, March 9, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1624-S1625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was 
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-187. A joint resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico urging the United States Congress 
     to enact legislation providing for a five year transition 
     period to enforce the provisions of the Farm Bill through 
     which the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. section 2156) is 
     applied to Puerto Rico, banning any type of animal fighting 
     venture; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
     Forestry.

                        Joint Resolution No. 126

       The United States Congress passed the H.R. 2 Conference 
     Report, known as the Farm Bill, which included an amendment 
     to the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156) extending the 
     application thereof to Puerto Rico. The aforementioned 
     statute bans all animal fighting ventures including 
     cockfights.
       Cockfighting is considered a traditional sport in Puerto 
     Rico which has been deeply rooted in our culture and history 
     for over five hundred years. Cockfights in Puerto Rico are 
     regulated by Act No. 98-2007, as amended, known as the 
     ``Puerto Rico Gamecocks of the New Millennium Act,'' and by 
     Regulation No. 7424. Both the Act and the regulations in 
     effect, which stem from our extensive experience holding 
     cockfights officially overseen by the State, regulate, 
     control, oversee, and promote all the activities related to 
     this sport.
       In Puerto Rico there are over seventy (70) cockpits 
     distributed among forty-five ( 45) municipalities throughout 
     the Island. This industry creates a total of eleven thousand 
     one hundred and thirty-four (11,134) direct, indirect, and 
     induced jobs. The cockfighting industry injects $65 million 
     annually into Puerto Rico's economy mainly from the 
     consumption of agricultural products, gamecock farms, 
     medications, vitamins, services, tourism, establishment 
     operations, attendee consumption, permits, and licenses. Just 
     in one year, a total of eighty-eight thousand three hundred 
     (88,300) cockfights were held for a total three hundred and 
     forty-four thousand (344,000) attendees.
       The one (1)-year transition period provided by this Act is 
     not enough to mitigate the economic impact it shall have on 
     the Island, nor does it provide enough time for the federal 
     law enforcement agencies to implement it. Therefore, it would 
     promote the proliferation of underground cockfights.
       Thus, it is essential to allow for a five (5)-year 
     transition process. It is very important

[[Page S1625]]

     to provide the people employed by this industry with a 
     reasonable amount of time to transition to other industries 
     so that our economic recovery is not affected by the sudden 
     blow of the cockfighting ban.
       The adoption of this federal statute shall affect the 
     resources of the United States and Puerto Rico governments on 
     several fronts on account of: (i) the need for resources and 
     personnel to seize 176,000 gamecocks without having any place 
     for them or management protocols; (ii) the federal Government 
     has not determined whether having gamecocks shall be illegal 
     or whether the owners shall have to maintain them; (iii) 
     having to train personnel to handle gamecocks: (iv) the 
     closing of seventy (70) establishments that pay license fees, 
     water and electric power bills, municipal license fees, and 
     other utilities; and (v) job retraining assistance for 11,134 
     employees; (vi) the loss of $65 million for the Island's 
     economy which includes taxes, excise taxes, product 
     consumption, tourism, and bird feed, among others.
       In addition, the direct revenues from the gamecock 
     industry, not counting licenses, taxes, and others, go to 
     sports programs for Puerto Rican children through the Sports 
     and Recreation Department.
       For all of the foregoing, this Legislative Assembly deems 
     it pertinent to request the Governor of Puerto Rico, the Hon. 
     Wanda Vazquez-Garced, and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto 
     Rico in Washington, the Hon. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, to 
     take the necessary steps to urge the Congress of the United 
     States of America to enact legislation providing for a five 
     (5)-year transition period to enforce the provisions of the 
     Farm Bill through which the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 
     Sec. 2156) is applied to Puerto Rico banning any type of 
     animal fighting venture, including cockfights; and direct the 
     development of five (5)-year transition program. Likewise, 
     the transition period should allow for the development of 
     economic studies as are necessary; the establishment of 
     protocols for the transition, and management and disposal of 
     gamecocks; as well as the retraining and reemployment 
     programs for persons who were part of the Puerto Rico 
     cockfighting sport and industry.
       Be it resolved by the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico:
       Section 1.--To request the Governor of Puerto Rico, the 
     Hon. Wanda Vazquez-Garced, and the Resident Commissioner of 
     Puerto Rico in Washington, the Hon. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, 
     to take the necessary steps to urge the Congress of the 
     United States of America to enact legislation providing for a 
     five (5)-year transition period to enforce the provisions of 
     the Farm Bill through which the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 
     Sec. 2156) is applied to Puerto Rico banning any type of 
     animal fighting venture, including cockfights.
       Section 2.--To request the Governor of Puerto Rico, the 
     Hon. Wanda Vazquez-Garced, and the Resident Commissioner of 
     Puerto Rico in Washington, the Hon. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon 
     to jointly develop a work plan for a five (5)-year transition 
     period that allows for the development of economic studies as 
     are necessary; the establishment of protocols for the 
     transition, and management and disposal of gamecocks; as well 
     as the retraining and reemployment programs for persons who 
     were part of the Puerto Rico cockfighting sport and industry. 
     Said plan shall be included in the presentations given to the 
     United States Congress and the Legislative Assembly of Puerto 
     Rico. This work plan shall be drafted within one hundred and 
     eighty (180) days as of the approval of this Joint 
     Resolution.
       Section 3.--A copy of this Joint Resolution translated into 
     English shall be delivered to the Speaker of the United 
     States House of Representatives; the President Pro Tempore of 
     the Senate; and to the party leaders of the United States 
     House of Representatives and Senate.
       Section 4.--This Joint Resolution shall take effect 
     immediately after its approval.

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