A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the 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 is known as the AVERT Future Violence Act of 2026. It directs the Attorney General, through the Director of the National Institute of Justice, to conduct a study on animal cruelty and its connection to future violence against humans. The study must examine underlying factors of animal cruelty and develop best practices for early interventions and offender rehabilitation. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Attorney General to establish a grant program to help eligible entities detect, intervene in, and stop acts of animal cruelty. The legislation authorizes $2,000,000 for the study and another $2,000,000 for the grant program.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +3
Does this make mental health care easier to get?
The bill authorizes grant funds to provide mental and behavioral health treatment for persons committing acts of animal cruelty.
- Scored +2
Would children be better off under this?
The bill supports child abuse victim service providers as eligible entities for the grant program.
- Scored +2
Would women be better off under this?
The bill includes support for domestic violence and sexual assault victim service providers through its grant program.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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States, local governments, Indian Tribes, and various organizations with a history of responding to animal cruelty can receive assistance through a new grant program to help stop animal cruelty and rehabilitate offenders, as outlined in Section 4(a).
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Law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, and mental health professionals can receive training and specialized units to more effectively identify, respond to, and address acts of animal cruelty, as described in Section 4(b)(1) and Section 4(b)(2).
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Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse may benefit because the grant program includes victim service providers and coalitions as eligible entities to help address animal cruelty as it relates to interpersonal violence, as detailed in Section 2(2)(E).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- The provided text does not contain any specific provisions outlining negative consequences or burdens for individuals or groups of people in the United States.
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 children be better off under this? — The bill supports child abuse victim service providers as eligible entities for the grant program. Would women be better off under this? — The bill includes support for domestic violence and sexual assault victim service providers through its grant program.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this change how police departments operate? — The bill provides funding for training law enforcement and developing better protocols to identify and respond to animal cruelty. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill includes provisions for supporting domestic violence and child abuse victim service providers through the grant program. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill allows for community-based and culturally specific organizations to be eligible for the grant program.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill authorizes grant funds to provide mental and behavioral health treatment for persons committing acts of animal cruelty.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill funds the development and expansion of data collection and communication systems for tracking animal cruelty convictions.
- 9/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/19/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
Thomas TillisRepublican · North Carolina