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Two lawmakers from the US House of Representatives—Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla.—proposed a bill that makes animal cruelty a federal felony.
According to CNN, the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act gives authorities the ability to go after wrongdoers if they cross state lines because they have federal jurisdiction. Authorities can also prosecute criminals if the cruelty occurs on federal property.
The PACT Act also makes crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating and impaling animals, and sexually exploiting them a federal offense.
"This is commonsense, bipartisan legislation to bring some compassion to our animal laws," Congressman Deutch says. "We've acted in the past to stop the horrific trend of animal abuse videos; now it's time to make the underlying acts of cruelty a crime as well."
Those who are convicted under the PACT Act would face federal felony charges, fines and up to seven years in prison.
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