A Democratic bill with 8 Republican cosponsors · See all 16 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The BARK Act of 2025 aims to provide legal protections for people who make good faith donations of pet food and supplies. It establishes that donors, nonprofit organizations, and state or local governments cannot be held civilly or criminally liable for the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently fit pet products. These protections apply when items are donated for distribution to qualified animals. The act also outlines a process for partial compliance regarding quality and labeling standards. However, these protections do not cover instances of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Liability Protection for Donors: Individuals donating pet food or supplies in good faith are not subject to civil or criminal liability regarding the product's age, packaging, or condition (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Liability Protection for Nonprofits: Nonprofit organizations are protected from liability when receiving good faith donations for distribution to qualified animals (Section 2(a)(2)).
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Liability Protection for Governments: State and local governments are protected from liability for receiving good faith donations intended for qualified animals (Section 2(a)(3)).
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Facilitation of Donations via Reconditioning: Donors can provide supplies that do not meet all quality and labeling standards without being subject to liability, provided the receiving organization is informed of the condition and agrees to recondition the items to meet standards (Section 2(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Exceptions for Misconduct: The liability protections do not apply if an injury or death of a recipient results from an act or omission that constitutes gross negligence or intentional misconduct by the person, organization, or government (Section 2(a)(4)).
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Regulatory Limitations: The Act does not supersede existing State or local health regulations (Section 2(c)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
No significant interests or groups are affected by this bill.
- 2/11/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 11/7/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 7/16/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/14/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 7/10/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 6/5/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 6/4/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mark DeSaulnierDemocrat · California
Debbie DingellDemocrat · Michigan
Sarah ElfrethDemocrat · Maryland
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Chrissy HoulahanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Young KimRepublican · California
Anna Paulina LunaRepublican · Florida
Nicole MalliotakisRepublican · New York
Lucy McBathDemocrat · Georgia
Mark PocanDemocrat · Wisconsin
Hillary ScholtenDemocrat · Michigan
Derek SchmidtRepublican · Kansas
Jefferson ShreveRepublican · Indiana
Dina TitusDemocrat · Nevada
Claudia TenneyRepublican · New York
Jefferson Van DrewRepublican · New Jersey