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