S. 479: PACT Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-02-13 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-02-13 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

PACT Act

Plain summary

Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act or the PACT Act This bill revises and expands criminal provisions with respect to animal crushing. It retains existing criminal offenses that prohibit knowingly creating or distributing an animal crush video using interstate commerce. The bill also adds a new provision to criminalize an intentional act of animal crushing. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both. It provides additional exceptions for conduct, or a video of conduct, including conduct that is (1) medical or scientific research, (2) necessary to protect the life or property of a person, (3) performed as part of euthanizing an animal, or (4) unintentional.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

PACT Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA] · 48 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Rick Scott (R-FL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s479.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s479 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116