,i  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfac  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #be1 #bjaf 
,mr4 ,katko 7for himself and ,ms4 ,judy 
,chu of ,california7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to amend title #ah1 ,united    
,states ,code1 with respect to civil    
forfeitures relating to certain seized  
animals4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,help ,extract      
,animals from ,red ,tape ,act of #bjaf  
or the ,,heart ,act of #bjaf4  #b4      
,reduced notice period ,section         
#ihc7;a77#a77;,a7 of title #ah1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new clause3  7vi7 
,with respect to an animal seized under 
section #bf of the ,animal ,welfare ,act
 or under section #aiee of this title1  
clauses 7i71 7ii71 7iii71 and 7v71 shall
 be applied by substituting #cj-;days   
for #fj-;days4  4  #c4 ,bond hearing    
procedures ,section #ihc7;a7 of title   

#ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following3     
7#e7 7,a7 ,if an animal is seized under 
section #bf of the ,animal ,welfare ,act
 or under section #aiee of this title1  
the ,government may1 not later than #ba 
days after a claim is filed under       
paragraph 7#b7 or 7#d71 petition in     
,united ,states district court for a    
bond hearing relating to that claim4    
,upon filing the petition1 the          
,government shall give the person       
claiming an interest in the animal      
actual notice of the hearing4 ,the court
 shall1 except upon good cause shown1   
commence that hearing not later than #ae
 days after the date that the person    
receives the notice required under this 
subparagraph4  7,b7 ,not later than #e  
days prior to the hearing date1 the     
,government shall provide an accounting 
of the costs already incurred1 and the  
estimated reasonable and anticipated    
costs of future care for the animal per 
day1 to both the court and the person   

claiming an interest in the animal4     
7,c7  7i7 ,unless the person claiming an
 interest in the animal shows good cause
 not to require a bond1 the court shall 
order that person to post a bond4  7ii7 
,the amount of the bond shall be that   
amount the court determines sufficient  
to reimburse all reasonable and         
anticipated costs of caring for the     
animal from the date of seizure to a    
date the court deems appropriate1 unless
 the court determines the person        
claiming an interest in the animal is   
financially unable to post a bond in    
that amount4 ,in that case1 the court   
may set the amount of the bond to cover 
partial payment of those costs4  7iii7  
,in determining whether the person      
claiming an interest in the animal has  
an inability to pay a bond1 the court   
shall consider--  7,i7 the income1      
earning capacity1 and financial         
resources of the person claiming an     
interest in the animal2  7,,ii7 the     
actual cost of care for the animal prior

 to seizure of the animal by the person 
claiming an interest in the animal1     
including but not limited to food1      
vaccinations1 veterinary expenses1 and  
licenses2 and  7,,iii7 such other       
factors as the court deems appropriate4 
7iv7 ,if the court does not order the   
posting of a bond1 or orders a bond in  
an amount that would only cover partial 
payment of these costs1 the court shall 
state on the record the reason for that 
action4  7,d7 ,if the person claiming an
 interest in the animal fails to post   
the bond as ordered by the end of the   
#aeth day beginning after the date of   
the issuance of the order1 the court may
 order the immediate forfeiture to the  
,government of the seized animal to     
which the order applies4  7,e7 ,if a    
bond is posted under this subparagraph1 
the seizing agency or the ,united       
,states ,marshals ,service may draw from
 the bond the actual reasonable costs   
incurred in caring for the seized       
animal4  7,f7 ,any unspent portion of   

the bond shall be returned to the person
 claiming an interest in the animal upon
 resolution of the forfeiture           
proceedings4  7,g7 ,if the person       
claiming an interest in the animal posts
 a bond and prevails in the forfeiture  
proceedings--  7i7 that person shall be 
entitled to receive the full amount that
 person posted as a bond under this     
subparagraph2 and  7ii7 the ,government 
shall reimburse any amount drawn under  
subparagraph 7,e7 necessary to provide  
that full amount4  7,h7 ,in this        
subparagraph1 the term reasonable and   
anticipated costs includes food1        
boarding1 veterinary care 7including    
humane euthanasia where appropriate71   
transport1 and any other costs the court
 deems necessary to provide care to the 
seized animal4  7,i7 ,nothing in this   
subparagraph prevents1 in lieu of       
posting security or proceeding to a     
forfeiture hearing1 the voluntary       
permanent relinquishment of an animal by
 its owner to--  7i7 an animal control  

or animal shelter2  7ii7 an animal      
protection organization2 or  7iii7 the  
,government4  7,j7 ,the testimony of a  
person at a hearing held under this     
subsection is not admissible against    
that person in any criminal proceeding1 
except in a prosecution for perjury1 and
 does not waive that person's right     
against self-incrimination4  4