AVERT Future Violence Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8911
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-19: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-16T16:53:47Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation directs the Attorney General to study links between animal cruelty and future human violence. It also authorizes a grant program to support detection, intervention, and rehabilitation efforts aimed at preventing animal cruelty and related violence.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: Establishes terms for "animal cruelty" (intentional harm, neglect, or abuse, excluding standard veterinary, agricultural, hunting, research, or euthanasia practices) and "eligible entities" (states, local governments, courts, Indian Tribes, and specified nonprofit organizations focused on animal welfare, mental health, domestic violence, and related services).
- Study Requirement: Requires the National Institute of Justice to complete a study within three years examining risk factors for animal cruelty, its correlation with future human violence (such as domestic violence or assault), and best practices for early intervention and offender rehabilitation. The study must include policy recommendations for federal, state, and local levels.
- Grant Program: Creates the STOP Future Violence Grant Program to fund eligible entities for training law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and mental health professionals; developing specialized units and policies; and improving data collection systems to track animal cruelty cases.
- Funding: Authorizes $2,000,000 for the study in fiscal year 2027 and $2,000,000 for the grant program, both available until expended.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill introduces new federal directives for research and grants without amending prior statutes. It creates a dedicated study mandate and grant authority focused on animal cruelty as a potential violence predictor.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Department of Justice and National Institute of Justice through the required study and grant administration; supports expanded training and data systems for law enforcement and courts.
- Citizens: May lead to earlier interventions for at-risk individuals and improved responses to animal cruelty cases, potentially affecting victims, offenders, and animal owners.
- International Relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies (Attorney General, National Institute of Justice).
- State, local, and tribal governments, courts, and law enforcement.
- Nonprofit organizations including animal shelters, domestic violence service providers, mental health groups, and community-based entities.
- Professionals such as prosecutors, judges, veterinarians, and mental health practitioners.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill raises no explicit constitutional issues in its text. It emphasizes evidence-based approaches linking animal cruelty to human violence, potentially influencing future policy on offender diversion and multi-agency coordination without altering existing legal definitions of crimes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-19: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-05-19: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-19: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Animal Violence Exposes Real Threat of Future Violence Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-19 — PDF (9 pages)