From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
The House of Representatives unanimously approved an expansion of an existing 2010 law signed by President Barack Obama that would make animal cruelty a federal offense with a penalty of up to seven years in prison.
The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act moved through the House on Tuesday and passed with a voice vote.
The original 2010 law banned so-called crush videos, which show animals being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled or subjected to other forms of torture.
The expansion, introduced by Ted Deutch and Vern Buchanan, both of Florida and from opposite sides of the aisle, aims to target those committing the acts within the crush videos. The original law prohibited the distribution and production of the videos, but failed to address the actual animal abuse within them.
The bill has been endorsed by the National Sheriffs Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.
The bill is now with the Senate, which has yet to schedule a vote.
