PACT Act
Public Law 116-72 · H.R. 724 · 116th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Nov 25, 2019 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL-22)
Cosponsors (301): Rep. Vern Buchanan, Rep. Jerrold Nadler,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
This bill revises and expands criminal provisions with respect to animal crushing.
It retains existing criminal offenses that prohibit knowingly creating or distributing an animal crush video using interstate commerce. The bill also adds a new provision to criminalize an intentional act of animal crushing. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both.
It provides additional exceptions for conduct, or a video of conduct, including conduct that is (1) medical or scientific research, (2) necessary to protect the life or property of a person, (3) performed as part of euthanizing an animal, or (4) unintentional.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance 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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 479Identical bill
PACT Act
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. 16 actions.
- Nov 25, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-72.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 18, 2019FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 6, 2019FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 5, 2019FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 23, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Oct 22, 2019FloorFloor · 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 voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 724.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Deutch moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Oct 16, 2019CalendarCalendar · Motion to place bill on Consensus Calendar filed by Mr. Deutch.
- Mar 5, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
- Jan 23, 2019CommitteeCommittee · 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
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.