Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

Maddy summaryHR 208, the Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2023, restricts where research facilities can obtain dogs and cats for laboratory use. It requires facilities to source animals only from licensed breeders, registered shelters meeting specific criteria, owners who've had the pet over a year, or other research facilities - banning purchases from pet stores or random sources. The bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to define permissible sources and imposes $1,000 fines per violation for non-compliance. It affects research facilities, shelters, and breeders by changing their legal sourcing options for animals used in research. The changes take effect 90 days after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large district attorney offices (serving jurisdictions of 380,000+ people) that receive federal Byrne grant funds to submit annual reports to the Attorney General. The reports must detail prosecution decisions for 10 specific violent crimes and gun offenses (including murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and firearm violations), such as cases declined, plea agreements, and defendant histories. The Attorney General must establish uniform reporting standards and share all collected data publicly with Congress and on a government website. This policy change directly affects major prosecutors' offices receiving federal crime-fighting funds, aiming to increase transparency in how they handle serious offenses.