FIGHT Act of 2025
Introduced June 12, 2025 · Last action June 12, 2025
Plain English Summary
This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to make it illegal to gamble on animal fighting ventures (including roosters), to use the postal service or other interstate transportation to move roosters for fighting, and to define 'rooster' as any male Gallus Domesticus over 6 months old. It also creates a private right of action allowing any person to sue violators in federal court for up to $5,000 per violation, and authorizes seizure of real property used to commit animal fighting offenses.
Who benefits
Animal welfare advocacy groups (who gain enforcement tools through private right of action), federal prosecutors and state law enforcement (who receive 60-day notice of violations and can intervene), and rural communities where cockfighting is being prosecuted. Citizens who bring civil suits may recover attorney's fees if courts deem it appropriate.
Who pays / loses
Individuals and organizations engaged in cockfighting operations (face $5,000 civil penalties per violation and seizure of property); persons who gamble on cockfighting events; persons who transport roosters across state lines for fighting purposes; property owners whose land is seized if used to facilitate animal fighting.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
Animal welfare organizations including national and state humane societies, animal protection nonprofits, and veterinary associations have historically advocated for strengthened cockfighting prohibitions. The bill's bipartisan sponsorship (including members from both rural and urban districts) suggests support from mainstream animal protection constituencies rather than agricultural commodity interests. No specific donor data provided in bill text.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Individuals engaged in cockfighting (concentrated in rural areas and certain regional communities where the practice persists despite federal prohibition since 2007); property owners in jurisdictions where cockfighting occurs; interstate animal transportation networks used for fighting operations; gambling syndicates organized around cockfighting events.
Political Subtext
Proponents frame this as closing enforcement loopholes in existing cockfighting law by criminalizing gambling, interstate transport, and enabling private citizens to enforce animal welfare law. Critics may argue the private right of action creates litigation risk for property owners and expands federal overreach into property seizure without criminal conviction. Non-partisan evidence on cockfighting enforcement shows that cockfighting remains active in rural areas despite the 2007 federal ban; this bill targets the financial incentive structure (gambling) and interstate logistics that sustain the practice. The bipartisan sponsorship indicates broad consensus that cockfighting constitutes animal cruelty warranting enhanced penalties.
Real-World Stakes
If passed, the bill will expand federal enforcement against cockfighting by enabling citizen lawsuits and adding gambling and transport prohibitions to existing criminal penalties. The 2007 federal Animal Fighting Act criminalized cockfighting and dogfighting and authorized felony prosecution; this bill strengthens civil remedies and asset seizure. Animal welfare organizations have documented persistent underground cockfighting rings in rural states despite the 2007 law. The private right of action model mirrors successful provisions in the Clean Water Act and Fair Housing Act that empower citizens to enforce federal law when government resources are limited. Property seizure provisions follow civil asset forfeiture models used in drug trafficking cases but apply to real property rather than just vehicles or currency. Early evidence from states that banned cockfighting before 2007 (e.g., California 2000, Florida 2008) shows reduced but persistent enforcement challenges and continued underground operations; federal private suits may increase detection rates but will require coordination with local law enforcement to avoid duplicative actions.
Sponsor
Sponsor information not available.
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
No campaign finance data available yet.
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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