FBI Animal Cruelty Taskforce Act of 2025

The FBI Animal Cruelty Taskforce Act of 2025 would create a specialized Animal Cruelty Crimes Taskforce within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Its mandate is to investigate and enforce federal animal cruelty laws under the Department of Justice, focusing on offenses such as dogfighting, cockfighting, crush videos, and related conduct. The bill also requires the Taskforce to develop training materials for local law enforcement on how to investigate and detect these offenses, and to coordinate with several federal agencies (including the Department of Agriculture and its Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, among others). In addition, the Taskforce would have a mandatory reporting role. Starting one year after enactment and annually thereafter, it must deliver to Congress a year-by-year report detailing: (1) the number of charges filed for violations of the relevant animal cruelty laws (broken down by statute, state, and number of convictions), and (2) the number of investigations of violations where charges were not filed. The bill does not specify funding, but it establishes the structure and reporting obligations for federal enforcement of animal cruelty crimes. Sponsors and status: Introduced in the House on June 3, 2025 by Rep. Gottheimer (for himself and Rep. Malliotakis) and referred to the Judiciary Committee.