A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 2 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
This bill, known as the "AVERT Future Violence Act of 2026," directs the Attorney General to conduct a specific study. The study focuses on the underlying factors of animal cruelty and how such acts might predict future violence against humans. The Director of the National Institute of Justice is tasked with examining risk factors and developing best practices for early interventions. Following the study, a report with policy recommendations must be submitted to Congress. Additionally, the bill authorizes a grant program to help various entities detect, prevent, and respond to animal cruelty.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +3
Would women be better off under this?
The bill provides support for domestic violence and sexual assault victim service providers.
- Scored +3
Does this change how police departments operate?
The bill funds training and data systems to help law enforcement more effectively identify and respond to animal cruelty.
- Scored +3
Does this make mental health care easier to get?
The bill provides funding for mental and behavioral health treatment and training for mental health professionals to assist with animal cruelty offenders.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Predicting and Preventing Human Violence: The study aims to analyze if animal cruelty can act as a predictor for future violence against humans, which could help prevent acts like domestic violence and assault (Section 3).
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Development of Intervention Strategies: The bill directs the creation of best practices for early interventions to prevent animal cruelty and interventions for those who have already committed such acts to prevent future violence (Section 3).
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Enhanced Law Enforcement and Mental Health Response: Through a grant program, funds can be used to train law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, and mental health professionals to better identify and respond to animal cruelty (Section 4).
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Improved Data and Tracking: The grant program allows for the development of communication and data collection systems to track arrests, protection orders, and convictions related to animal cruelty (Section 4).
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Support for Specialized Services: The bill identifies various "eligible entities" that can receive assistance, including domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse victim service providers (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly detailed in the provided text.
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The bill provides support for domestic violence and sexual assault victim service providers. Would children be better off under this? — The bill includes support for child abuse victim service providers as an eligible entity. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill includes support for elder abuse victim service providers as an eligible entity. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides support for community-based and culturally specific organizations.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this change how police departments operate? — The bill funds training and data systems to help law enforcement more effectively identify and respond to animal cruelty. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill supports organizations that provide services to families under court supervision. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill supports community-based and culturally specific organizations as eligible entities for grant funding.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill provides funding for mental and behavioral health treatment and training for mental health professionals to assist with animal cruelty offenders.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill authorizes funding for a specific study conducted by the National Institute of Justice to examine risk factors in animal cruelty.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill funds the development of data collection and communication systems to track arrests and convictions.
- 5/19/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
5 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Vern BuchananRepublican · Florida
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania