H.R. 3112: Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025

H.R. 3112 does not create a whole new set of animal-care standards. Instead, it strengthens how existing Animal Welfare Act rules get enforced when dealers or exhibitors keep violating them.

The biggest change is that the Justice Department could go straight to federal court to ask for restraining orders, injunctions, animal removal or relocation, license revocation, and civil penalties. The bill sets those penalties at up to $10,000 per violation, per day, so a problem that drags on for a week could expose an operator to as much as $70,000 for a single continuing violation.

The bill also says animals tied to violations could be seized and forfeited to the United States. On top of that, the person responsible could be billed for reasonable government costs tied to transferring and caring for those animals.

H.R. 3112 also targets a recurring problem after seizures: who pays to house and treat the animals while the case plays out. It requires penalty and fine money collected under the law to be used for the reasonable and necessary costs of temporary care, which could help shelters, sanctuaries, rescues, and veterinarians that take animals in during a case.

Another practical change is licensing. Dealers and exhibitors could not exhibit, buy, sell, or transport animals in commerce without a valid license that has not been suspended.

Finally, the bill pushes USDA and DOJ to coordinate faster. Within 180 days after enactment, USDA would have to sign an information-sharing agreement with the Justice Department that includes timely reports on violators with multiple citations that seriously affect an animal’s health or well-being.