Greyhound Protection Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Greyhound Protection Act creates a federal Animal Welfare Act prohibition on commercial greyhound racing and related activities. It bars knowingly engaging in commercial greyhound racing, live lure training, or open field coursing when a greyhound moves in interstate or foreign commerce; conducting greyhound racing or racing meetings with betting or wagering; conducting open field coursing or live lure training with live bait rather than inanimate objects; facilitating simulcast betting on greyhound races in interstate or foreign commerce; and knowingly selling, buying, possessing, training, transporting, delivering, or receiving greyhounds for those activities. The Agriculture Secretary can investigate violations and use FBI, Treasury, other federal law enforcement, and state or local agencies through cooperative agreements. Each violation can be punished by fines, imprisonment up to seven years, or both. The amendments apply to conduct on or after October 1, 2027 and do not preempt state animal welfare or gambling laws.
Who Benefits and How
Animal welfare organizations benefit because federal law would prohibit commercial greyhound racing, live lure training, and open field coursing. Racing greyhound adoption organizations benefit if fewer dogs are bred, transported, or trained for commercial racing or coursing. State animal protection agencies benefit because the bill preserves stronger state animal welfare laws while adding federal enforcement. Federal animal welfare staff benefit from explicit authority to investigate greyhound racing and live lure violations.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Greyhound racing operators must stop covered racing, wagering, simulcast betting, and trafficking conduct by October 1, 2027. Open field coursing clubs must stop covered coursing and live lure training using live bait. Simulcast wagering platforms must stop facilitating interstate or foreign commerce betting on greyhound races. USDA enforcement staff must investigate violations and coordinate with FBI, Treasury, and other law enforcement agencies.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits commercial greyhound racing involving interstate or foreign commerce.
- Bars live lure training and open field coursing with live bait.
- Prohibits simulcast betting or wagering on greyhound races in interstate or foreign commerce.
- Authorizes investigations with federal, state, and local law enforcement assistance.
- Provides fines or imprisonment up to seven years for each violation beginning October 1, 2027.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit commercial greyhound racing, live lure training, open field coursing, simulcast wagering, and trafficking in greyhounds for those activities, with penalties up to seven years.
Key Policy Areas
Animal Welfare, Gambling, Law Enforcement
Primary Purpose
Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit commercial greyhound racing, live lure training, open field coursing, simulcast wagering, and trafficking in greyhounds for those activities, with penalties up to seven years.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Animal welfare organizations
- Racing greyhound adoption organizations
- State animal protection agencies
- Federal animal welfare staff
Identified Costs
- Greyhound racing operators
- Open field coursing organizations
- Simulcast wagering platforms
- USDA enforcement staff
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
Mr. Carbajal (for himself, Mr. Fine, Mr. Davis of North …
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Greyhound racing operators, Open field coursing clubs
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology