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Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992

Public Law 102-346 · S. 544 · 102nd Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Aug 26, 1992 · Animals

Sponsor: Sen. Howell Heflin (D-AL)

Cosponsors (33): Sen. Larry Craig,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992 - Amends Federal criminal law to provide a fine or up to one year in prison, or both, for anyone who: (1) travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses the mail or any facility in such commerce; and (2) intentionally physically disrupts the functioning of an animal enterprise by intentionally stealing, damaging, or causing the loss of enterprise property, including animals and records (or conspiring to do so), and thereby causes it more than $10,000 of economic damage.

Increases the imprisonment penalty to: (1) not more than ten years if such offense causes serious bodily injury to an individual; and (2) life if such offense results in the death of an individual.

Provides that a related order of restitution may include restitution for: (1) lost projects from food production or farm income; and (2) repeat experimentation costs.

Defines "animal enterprise" as: (1) a commercial or academic enterprise that uses animals for food or fiber production, agriculture, research, or testing; (2) a zoo, aquarium, circus, rodeo, or lawful competitive animal event; or (3) a fair or similar event intended to advance agricultural arts and sciences.

Excludes from the meaning of "physical disruption" any disruption that results from lawful public, governmental, or animal facility employee reaction to the disclosure of facility information.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Attorney General to jointly: (1) study the extent and effect of domestic and international terrorism on facilities using animals for food or fiber production, agriculture, research, or testing; and (2) report to the Congress within one year after enactment of this Act.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Agriculture Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee; Department Operations, Research, and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee
  • Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee · Senate · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Agricultural Research, Conservation, Forestry and General Legislation Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Aug 26, 1992Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-346.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Aug 14, 1992PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Aug 7, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments by Voice Vote.
  5. Aug 4, 1992FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended to that of similar measure H.R. 2407. Agreed to without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · A similar measure H.R. 2407 was laid on the table without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · The House struck all after the enacting clause and inserted in lieu thereof the provisions of a similar measure H.R. 2407. Agreed to without objection.
  10. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  11. FloorFloor · Mr. de la Garza asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Agriculture Committee
  13. Oct 21, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Department Operations, Research, and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  15. Oct 17, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
  16. Oct 16, 1991FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  17. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  19. Apr 5, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Agricultural Research, Conservation, Forestry and General Legislation Subcommittee of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  20. Mar 5, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.