The U.S. Senate has passed a bill making certain types of animal cruelty a federal felony.
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Add Animals as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Animals news, video, and analysis from ABC News.The Senate unanimously passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty.
The bipartisan bill, which was passed Tuesday afternoon, will now be sent to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature.
"Passing this legislation is a major victory in the effort to stop animal cruelty and make our communities safer," said Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who sponsored the bill in the Senate along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "Evidence shows that the deranged individuals who harm animals often move on to committing acts of violence against people. It is appropriate that the federal government have strong animal cruelty laws and penalties."
If the president signs it, it will become a federal law.
"There is no place in a civilized society for maiming and torturing animals - period," Blumenthal added. "Senator Toomey and I have spent years working to hold the barbaric individuals who commit these crimes accountable, and I'm glad that Congress is now finally sending our bill to the president's desk to be signed into law."
The bill is an expansion on the 2010 Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which made the creation and distribution of "animal crushing" videos illegal. The underlying acts, which were not included in the 2010 bill, are part of the PACT Act.
It would make it a federal crime for "any person to intentionally engage in animal crushing if the animals or animal crushing is in, substantially affects, or uses a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce," according to a fact sheet of the bill.
The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., unanimously passed the House on Oct. 22 and was then sent to the Senate.
"This bill sends a clear message that our society does not accept cruelty against animals. We’ve received support from so many Americans from across the country and across the political spectrum," Deutch said in a statement when the House passed the bill. "I’m deeply thankful for all of the advocates who helped us pass this bill, and I look forward to the Senate’s swift passage and the president’s signature.”