,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dbaa  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #bg1         
#bjai,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,agriculture  ,a      
,,bill  ,to amend the ,animal ,welfare  
,act to increase protections for        
animals1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,animal ,welfare ,enforcement       
,improvement ,act4  #b4 ,clarification  
with respect to issuance of licenses    
,section #c of the ,animal ,welfare ,act
 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bacc7 is amended to read
 as follows3  #c4 ,licenses  7a7 ,in    
general ,subject to subsections 7c71    
7d71 and 7e71 the ,secretary shall issue
 licenses to dealers and exhibitors     
upon--  7#a7 the submission of an       
application for such license that-- 7,a7
 contains an inventory of all animals   
present in all of the applicant's       
facilities2 and  7,b7 is submitted in   
such form and manner as the ,secretary  

may prescribe2 and  7#b7 payment of such
 fee established pursuant to section    
#bc4  7b7 ,validity of license ,a       
license issued under subsection 7a7     
shall be valid for a period not to      
exceed #a calendar year4 ,an applicant  
shall submit an application under such  
subsection to renew such license each   
calendar year before the expiration of  
the previously issued license4  7c7     
,prohibited dealers and exhibitors      
,notwithstanding subsection 7a71 the    
,secretary may not issue a license      
7including a renewal of such a license7 
under such subsection to a dealer or    
exhibitor if--  7#a7 such dealer or     
exhibitor has been found to have        
violated 7including by entering a nolo  
contendere or no contest plea with      
respect to the violation7 ,federal1     
,state1 or local laws relating to       
animals1 including this ,act and any    
other anti-animal cruelty or wildlife   
protection law2 or  7#b7 the issuance of
 a license to such dealer or exhibitor  

would facilitate the circumvention of   
,state or local law prohibiting the     
private ownership of certain animals4   
7d7 ,unannounced facility inspections   
7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding       
subsection 7a7 and subject to paragraph 
7#b71 the ,secretary may not issue a    
license 7including a renewal of such a  
license7 under such subsection to a     
dealer or exhibitor until the dealer or 
exhibitor shall have demonstrated1      
through full1 unannounced inspections1  
that the facilities of such dealer or   
exhibitor at the time of inspection--   
7,a7 comply with the standards          
promulgated by the ,secretary pursuant  
to section #ac2 and  7,b7 have not been 
documented as having not complied with  
any such standard during more than one  
inspection in the previous two calendar 
years4  7#b7 ,new applicants ,in the    
case of an applicant seeking to be      
licensed as a dealer or exhibitor under 
subsection 7a7 who has not previously   
been so licensed1 the applicant shall   

not be subject to more than #b          
inspections conducted pursuant to       
paragraph 7#a74 ,if1 upon the second    
inspection1 the applicant is found to   
have failed to meet any standard        
promulgated by the ,secretary pursuant  
to section #ac1 the ,secretary shall    
deny the application for such license   
and such applicant may not submit an    
application for such a license for a    
one-year period beginning on the date on
 which the application is so denied4    
7e7 ,exception ,notwithstanding         
subsection 7a71 a dealer or exhibitor   
shall not be required to obtain a       
license as a dealer or exhibitor under  
this ,act if the size of the business is
 determined by the ,secretary to be de  
minimis4  4  #c4 ,license suspensions   
and revocations ,section #ai of the     
,animal ,welfare ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4     
#badi7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7a7--  7,a7 by striking hereunder1 he   
may suspend and inserting the following3
 hereunder-- 7#a7 in the case of any    

such violation that is not described in 
paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary may      
suspend  2  7,b7 by striking the period 
at the end and inserting 2 and2 and     
7,c7 by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph3  7#b7 in the case of such
 a violation that the ,secretary        
determines presents a risk to animal    
welfare1 the ,secretary shall--  7,a7   
suspend such person's license           
temporarily1 but for a period not to    
exceed #ba days2 and  7,b7 after notice 
and opportunity for an informal hearing1
 permanently revoke such license if the 
,secretary determines that--  7i7 the   
violation occurred2  7ii7 the violation 
presents or has presented a risk to     
animal welfare2 and  7iii7 the violation
 has persisted past the initial period  
of license suspension under subparagraph
 7,a7 or the person has been found to   
have committed one or more other such   
violations 7including by entering a nolo
 contendere or no contest plea with     
respect to any such violation7 affecting

 animal welfare4  2 and  7#b7 by adding 
at the end the following3  7e7 7#a7 ,any
 person whose license has been suspended
 for any reason shall not be licensed1  
or registered1 in his or her own name or
 in any other manner1 within the period 
during which the order of suspension is 
in effect4 ,no family member1 household 
member1 partnership1 firm1 corporation1 
or other legal entity in which any such 
person has a substantial interest1      
financial or otherwise1 will be licensed
 or registered during that period4  7#b7
 ,any person whose license has been     
revoked shall not be licensed or        
registered1 in his or her own name or in
 any other manner1 at any time1 and no  
family member1 household member1        
partnership1 firm1 corporation1 or other
 legal entity in which any such person  
has a substantial interest1 financial or
 otherwise1 will be licensed or         
registered4  7#c7 ,any person whose     
license has been suspended or revoked   
shall not buy1 sell1 transport1 exhibit1

 deliver for transportation1 or be      
employed in any capacity with respect to
 any animal during the period of        
suspension or revocation1 under any     
circumstances1 whether on his or her    
behalf or on the behalf of another      
licensee or registrant4  4  #d4 ,citizen
 suits ,section #ai of the ,animal      
,welfare ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #badi71 as  
amended by section #c1 is further       
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subsection3  7f7  7#a7    
,except as provided in paragraph 7#b71  
any person may commence a civil suit on 
his own behalf to enjoin any person1    
including the ,united ,states and any   
other governmental instrumentality or   
agency 7to the extent permitted by the  
eleventh amendment to the               
,constitution71 who is alleged to be in 
violation of any provision of this ,act 
or regulation issued under the authority
 thereof4 ,the district courts shall    
have jurisdiction1 without regard to the
 amount in controversy or the           

citizenship of the parties1 to enforce  
any such provision or regulation or to  
order the ,secretary to perform such act
 or duty1 as the case may be4  7#b7 ,no 
action may be commenced under paragraph 
7#a7-- 7,a7 prior to sixty days after   
written notice of the violation has been
 given to the ,secretary1 and to any    
alleged violator of any such provision  
or regulation2 and  7,b7 if the ,united 
,states has commenced and is diligently 
prosecuting a criminal action in a court
 of the ,united ,states to redress a    
violation of any such provision or      
regulation4  7#c7  7,a7 ,any suit under 
this subsection may be brought in the   
judicial district in which the violation
 occurs4  7,b7 ,in any such suit under  
this subsection in which the ,united    
,states is not a party1 the ,attorney   
,general1 at the request of the         
,secretary1 may intervene on behalf of  
the ,united ,states as a matter of      
right4  7#d7 ,the court1 in issuing any 
final order in any suit brought pursuant

 to paragraph 7#a71 may award costs of  
litigation 7including reasonable        
attorney and expert witness fees7 to any
 party1 whenever the court determines   
such award is appropriate4  7#e7 ,the   
injunctive relief provided by this      
subsection shall not restrict any right 
which any person 7or class of persons7  
may have under any statute or common law
 to seek enforcement of any standard or 
limitation or to seek any other relief  
7including relief against the ,secretary
 or a ,state agency74  4  #e4           
,publication of information on          
violations ,the ,animal ,welfare ,act is
 amended by inserting before section #bf
 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #baef7 the following new 
section3  #be;,a4 ,publication of       
information on enforcement ,the         
,secretary shall publish1 in a          
searchable format on a public website of
 the ,department of ,agriculture1       
information and reports 7in their       
entirety and without redaction7 on the  
nature and place of all investigations  

and inspections conducted by the        
,secretary under section #af 7including 
all reports documenting all instances of
 noncompliance with this ,act observed  
during any such inspection71 enforcement
 records1 and animal inventories4  4