Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010
Public Law 111-294 · H.R. 5566 · 111th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 9, 2010 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA-24)
Cosponsors (262): Rep. Gary Peters, Rep. Jim Moran,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010 - Amends the federal criminal code to revise the prohibition against depictions of animal cruelty to prohibit anyone from knowingly creating an animal crush video if: (1) such person intends or has reason to know that such video will be distributed in, or using a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce; or (2) such video is distributed in, or using a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce. Prohibits the sale, marketing, exchange, or distribution of such videos in interstate or foreign commerce.
Defines "animal crush video" as any photograph, motion picture, film, video or digital recording, or electronic image that: (1) depicts actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians is intentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury; and (2) is obscene.
Extends the applicability of this Act to a person selling, marketing, advertising, exchanging, distributing, or creating animal crush videos outside the United States if: (1) such person intends or has reason to know that the animal crush video will be transported into the United States or its territories or possessions; or (2) the video is so transported. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to seven years for violations of this Act.
Exempts from the application of this Act: (1) any visual depiction of customary and normal veterinary or agricultural husbandry practices, the slaughter of animals for food, or hunting, trapping, or fishing; and (2) good faith distribution of an animal crush video to a law enforcement agency or a third party for the sole purpose of determining if referral to a law enforcement agency is appropriate.
Provides for compliance of the budgetary effects of this Act with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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.
Related bills
4 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 5092Related bill
To amend section 48 (relating to depiction of animal cruelty) of title 18, United States Code, and for other purposes.
H.R. 5337Related bill
Animal Torture Prevention Act of 2010
H.Res. 1712Procedurally-relatedRelated bill
Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010
S. 3841Related bill
Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 29 actions.
- Dec 9, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-294.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 30, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 22, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 19, 2010Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to Senate amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to Senate amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 17, 2010FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate amendment.
- Nov 15, 2010FloorFloor · House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment pursuant to H. Res. 1712.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment pursuant to H. Res. 1712.
- Sep 28, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 5, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Jul 22, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate.
- Jul 21, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 416 - 3 (Roll no. 459).House roll call 459
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- Jul 20, 2010FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5566.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Scott (VA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 19, 2010CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 314.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-549.
- Jun 23, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 0.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jun 22, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4668SenateSen. Jon KylR-AZ· offered Sep 28, 2010Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Sep 28, 2010: Amendment SA 4668 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.