Full Title Name:  2005-2006 Legislative Review

REVIEW EDITOR’S NOTE

I am very pleased to present the eighth annual edition of Animal Law ’s Legislative Review. This year’s review surveys developments in both federal and state animal-related legislation from 2005 through early 2006. The legislation this year reflects a trend of mounting interest among legislators regarding animal issues, but also demonstrates the difficulties inherent in pushing legislation through to enactment. However, even when not all bills succeed in becoming law, it is important to recognize the value of having more legislators who are willing to sponsor and support animal-friendly legislation.

At the federal level, Ms. Marjorie Berger reports on significant advances and setbacks in federal legislation this year. She examines the saga of the Horse Slaughter Amendment to the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill; the failure of key measures such as the Downed Animal Amendment, the Pet Protection Amendment, and animal fighting prohibition enforcement provisions; the successful blocking of another attempt to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; the benefits to wildlife from the new transportation bill; and, finally, the fate of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which is aimed at preventing some of the chaos and tragedy endured by pet owners following a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Rahul Kukreti reports on this year’s developments in state legislation, including state efforts to prohibit internet hunting; passage of constitutional amendments codifying a “right to hunt”; attempts to target acts of animal and ecological terrorism; increased state awareness regarding the dangers associated with antibiotic use in factory farms; the regulation and inspection of factory farms; confinement of animals in factory farms; further state attention to the issue of foie gras; and state approaches to breed-specific legislation and breed discrimination.

This year, at both the state and federal level, legislators who sponsored or supported important and sometimes controversial bills benefiting animals provided a valuable service by helping to educate fellow legislators and the public about key animal issues and by making future passage of increasingly innovative and effective pro-animal legislation more feasible. It is our hope that this Legislative Review section also serves to educate by providing analysis of the progress of animal related legislation at the state and federal levels, and by monitoring significant developments in animal law.

Sunrise Cox
Legislative Review Editor