AWI Quarterly Articles | Government/Legal

In July, Caroline Griffin, vice chair of AWI’s board of directors, and Robin Jacobsohn, AWI’s general counsel, participated in the inaugural International Animal Law Commission Seminar, hosted by the International Association of Lawyers. This two-day...

Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green signed HB 1527 in July, finally closing a loophole in the state’s cruelty statute that allowed any person (or unlicensed veterinarian) to perform surgery on a companion animal, including ear cropping...

In June, the US Supreme Court declined to take up a case involving a challenge to the oversight authority of the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) by the states of Oklahoma, West Virginia...

Spending bills for the 2025 fiscal year are shaping up in Congress, and AWI is working to ensure animal welfare measures are included. The Senate Agriculture Appropriations report includes first-of-its-kind language directing the US Department...

In June, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act (HR 8699) to improve conditions for livestock transported across the United States. The bill would prohibit interstate transport of livestock who...

In May, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed SB 547/HB 379 into law, prohibiting the use of elephants, big cats, bears, and nonhuman primates in traveling shows and circuses in the state. In August, Massachusetts Gov...

In June, AWI staff members attended Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in Washington, DC. CHOW—which brings together scientists, policymakers, scholars, businesses, and conservation leaders—is the nation’s premier ocean...

The Biden administration released its final phase II rule updating regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), our country’s basic charter for the protection of the environment. This completes a multi-phased process to...

The House of Representatives continues to churn out anti-wildlife measures, passing bills at the end of April to increase wolf slaughter and to prevent efforts to remove toxic lead from public lands. One of these...

The Captive Primate Safety Act (HR 8164/S 4206) was reintroduced in May by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), with AWI’s strong endorsement. This bill would ban the...