A federal animal cruelty bills co-sonsored by Congressman Anthony Brindisi has passed the House of Representatives.

The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, or PACT, would create a federal statute for some of the serisous forms of animal abuse, Brindisi said, specifically crushing burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling and sexual exploitation of animals.

The PACT Act would extend federal jurisdiction to these specific and unspeakable animal abuse, thereby closing a loophole, Brindisi said in a release from his NY-22 office. He added that while animal fighting and the distribution of so-called 'crush videos' are illegal under federal law, the vast majority of animal cruelty laws are at the state level.

The PACT Act now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Earlier this year the House also approved another animal abuse bill supported by the NY-22 Congressman, the PAST Act, which deals with horse soring.

The Utica Democrat is also co=sponsoring a third piece of legislation dealing with animals - the Puppy Protection Act, which would involve new, more humane regulations for federally licensed commercial dog breeders.

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