119-hr3349

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3349 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3349

 To amend the Animal Health Protection Act with respect to the 
 importation of live dogs, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 13, 2025

Mr. Johnson of South Dakota (for himself, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, 
 Mr. Crawford, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Wittman, and Ms. McCollum) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Animal Health Protection Act with respect to the 
 importation of live dogs, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Healthy Dog Importation Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPORTATION OF LIVE DOGS.

    (a) In General.--The Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after 

section 10404 (7 U.S.C. 8303) the 
following:

``

SEC. 10404A. IMPORTATION OF LIVE DOGS.

 ``

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Compensation.--The term `compensation' means any act, 
 consideration, or thing of value received by a person directly, 
 including cash or noncash benefits, cost-avoidance, obtaining 
 positive or avoiding negative publicity, an exchange of 
 services, or maintaining a license issued under any local, 
 State, or Federal Government authority.
 ``

    (2) Importer.--The term `importer' means any person who 
 transports or causes the transportation of a dog into the 
 United States from a foreign country.
 ``

    (3) Import transporter.--The term `import transporter' 
 means any person or entity that--
 ``
        (A) receives an imported dog from any importer, 
 dealer, research facility, exhibitor, operator of an 
 auction sale, or department, agency, or instrumentality 
 of the United States or of any State or local 
 government; and
 ``
        (B) receives compensation for moving such dog in 
 commerce.
 ``

    (4) Transfer.--The term `transfer' means a change of 
 ownership or control of an imported dog to another person, 
 including by sale, adoption, exchange, or donation.
 ``

    (b) Requirements.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph

    (2) , no 
 person shall import a dog into the United States unless prior 
 to transport to the United States, the Secretary receives 
 electronic documentation necessary, as determined by the 
 Secretary, to demonstrate that the dog--
 ``
        (A) is in good health;
 ``
        (B) has received all necessary vaccinations and 
 internal and external parasite treatment, and 
 demonstrated negative test results, as required by the 
 Secretary and evidenced by a certificate that--
 ``
            (i) is issued by a licensed veterinarian 
 accredited by a competent veterinary authority 
 recognized by the Secretary; and
 ``
            (ii) is endorsed by that authority in a 
 manner representing that the veterinarian 
 issuing the certificate was authorized to do 
 so;
 ``
            (C) is officially identified by a permanent 
 method approved by the Secretary; and
 ``
            (D) in the case that the dog is intended for 
 transfer--
 ``
            (i) is at least 6 months old; and
 ``
            (ii) is accompanied by an import permit 
 issued by the Secretary under this Act.
 ``

    (2) Exceptions.--The Secretary, by regulation, shall 
 provide an exception to any requirement under this Act in any 
 case in which a dog is imported for purposes of transfer--
 ``
        (A) as a personal pet of United States origin 
 returning to the United States;
 ``
        (B) as a United States military working dog or 
 contracted working dog supporting a military mission or 
 tasking;
 ``
            (C) for research purposes;
 ``
            (D) for veterinary treatment which is paid for by 
 the importer, subject to the condition that the dog--
 ``
            (i) is taken directly to a veterinary 
 facility for treatment with appropriate 
 quarantine until the dog meets the criteria 
 described in paragraph

    (1) ; and
 ``
            (ii) is then exported to its country of 
 origin; or
 ``
        (E) in the case of a dog that is less than 6 
 months old, for lawful importation into the State of 
 Hawaii from the British Isles, Australia, Guam, or New 
 Zealand in compliance with the regulations of the State 
 of Hawaii and the other requirements of this section, 
 if the dog is not transported out of the State of 
 Hawaii for transfer at less than 6 months of age.
 ``
            (c) Implementation and Regulations.--Not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of the Healthy Dog Importation Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, and the Secretary of Transportation, shall 
promulgate such regulations as the Secretary of Agriculture determines 
necessary to implement and enforce this section, including 
regulations--
 ``

    (1) to facilitate electronic submission and interagency 
 sharing of all documentation required prior to the importation 
 of a dog into the United States under subsection

    (b)

    (1) ;
 ``

    (2) to establish any necessary post-arrival verification 
 processes for imported dogs;
 ``

    (3) to ensure the denial of entry into the United States 
 of any dog attempted to be imported into the United States in 
 violation of subsection

    (b)

    (1) ;
 ``

    (4) to provide that each importer, import transporter, 
 intermediate handler, or carrier receiving a certificate of 
 veterinary inspection required under this section shall submit 
 a copy of the certificate to the Secretary, who shall, upon 
 receipt, record and maintain the information in a centralized 
 database and, upon request by a State veterinarian, share the 
 information with such State veterinarian within 3 days;
 ``

    (5) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to annually 
 report aggregated data submitted under paragraph

    (4) , including 
 information on country of origin and purpose of import; and
 ``

    (6) to determine and establish such fees for the 
 verification of documentation and issuance of permits required 
 under subsection

    (b)

    (1) as may be necessary to fund the 
 implementation and enforcement of this section.
 ``
            (d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in subsection
            (c) (6) shall be 
construed as limiting the availability of funding made available under 

section 10417 to carry out this section.
 ``

    (e) Enforcement.--
 ``

    (1) Authority.--The Secretary shall have the authority 
 granted under 

section 10414 to enforce this section.
 ``

    (2) Penalties.--An importer or import transporter that 
 fails to comply with this section shall--
 ``
        (A) be subject to penalties under 

section 10414; 
 and
 ``
        (B) provide, as the Secretary may determine, at 
 the expense of the importer or import transporter, 
 for--
 ``
            (i) the care (including appropriate 
 veterinary care), forfeiture, quarantine, and 
 removal from the United States of each 
 applicable dog; and
 ``
            (ii) the return of each applicable dog to 
 its place of export, with due care for the 
 welfare of each applicable dog.''.

    (b) Transition Period.--

    (1) In general.--During the transition period, regulations 
 promulgated under 

section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 
 U.S.C. 2148) (as in effect on the day before the date of 
 enactment of this Act) relating to the importation of live dogs 
 shall continue to apply to the extent that such regulations do 
 not conflict with 

section 10404A of the Animal Health 
 Protection Act (as inserted by subsection

    (a) ).

    (2) Transition period defined.--In this subsection, the 
 term ``transition period'' means the period beginning on the 
 date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date on which 
 final regulations are promulgated under such 

section 10404A.
            (c) Conforming Amendment.--

Section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 
U.S.C. 2148) is repealed.
 <all>