Farm Bill Advancing Animal Welfare Protections Signed into Law

Release Date:

December 20, 2018

News Terms:

Program Terms:

Washington, DC

With the president’s signature today, a new Farm Bill that includes major wins for animals has become law.

This legislation, officially known as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, includes a number of key provisions that will improve animal welfare. Conferees also jettisoned riders that would have weakened endangered species protections and interfered with state efforts to address animal welfare issues on behalf of their citizens.

“We are grateful to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), and their Senate counterparts, Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), for their hard work in crafting a bipartisan bill that makes important gains for animals,” said AWI President Cathy Liss.

“AWI would also like to thank the leaders of the various individual animal protection bills that were included in the Farm Bill, including Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Dean Heller (R-NV) and Representatives Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL); Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Representatives Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL); and Representatives Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR),” Liss continued.

This is a press release or statement

Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institute
margie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128

The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.