action alerts  |  federal animals  |  federal children  |  state issues

Office of
Public Policy 

At both the state and federal levels, American Humane's Office of Public Policy actively monitors and advocates for legislation that protects children and animals from abuse and neglect. Our director of public policy, a former prosecuting attorney and nationally recognized trainer in child and animal protection, and our office’s expert staff advocate for improved legislation, engage in grassroots outreach efforts to mobilize communities to become a voice for better laws, and educate child and animal welfare professionals on The Link® between violence to people and animals, as well as other humane education topics.

To further American Humane’s mission, the Office of Public Policy participates in the following coalitions:

• National Child Abuse Coalition
• National Child Welfare and Mental Health Coalition
• National Foster Care Coalition
• National Emergency Animal Response Coalition
• National Juvenile Justice Delinquency & Prevention Coalition 
• Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics
• Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Animal Services Committee

American Humane signs on to support these legislative initiatives. Download them for details: All Healthy Children Act of 2007 CAPTA Funding Legislation Children's Budget Act College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 Deinstitutionalization of Juvenile Status Offenders Funding for children's education and health care Funding for VAWA and VOCA Health Equity and Accountability Act Health CARES Appropriations HUD McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Juvenile Justice Funding Letter Kinship Caregiver Support Act McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program Medicaid Regulations Medicaid/SCHIP Funding Letter Medicaid/SCHIP Funding Letter Moratorium on SCHIP Directive Pregnant and Parenting Women increased funding SCHIP SCHIP Parity Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens

FEDERAL ALERTS

2008 Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Access Act: Support the rights of Native American tribes to access foster care resources! Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007 S 2439: Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has introduced the Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007, which would require the FBI to add animal cruelty as a separate category in its crime data reporting system. Ask your senators for their co-sponsorship and support! Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Act of 2007: Support Congress’ bill to establish a national public health campaign to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome! Human and Pet Food Safety Act of 2007: Reform safety measures to protect the nation’s food supply for humans and pets. Kinship Caregiver Support Act of 2007: Call on your senator to support grandparents and other relative caregivers. Legislative Outcomes Check for updates on the status of legislation addressed in American Humane’s recent federal animal related Action Alerts and federal child related Action Alerts.

STATE ALERTS

Illinois (IL residents only) Help put an end to the use of gas chambers for animals in Illinois Help protect Illinois' children and animals from abuse  Massachusetts (MA residents only) Help support fair dangerous dog laws in Massachusetts UPDATED: Urge the Committee to schedule a vote to penalize creating and distributing images of illegal acts of animal cruelty  Michigan (MI residents only) Help increase penalties for intentional animal cruelty Help protect companion animals from being used for research Help us ban cruel methods used to produce foie gras!  New Jersey (NJ residents only) Help establish animal hoarding as an animal cruelty offense Help support the cross-reporting of child and animal abuse in New Jersey Help protect New Jersey's children from exposure to animal cruelty Help stop insurers from discriminating based on dog breed  Pennsylvania (PA residents only) Support the Pennsylvania House Bill to protect dogs from excessive tethering Legislative Outcomes Check for updates on the status of legislation addressed in American Humane’s recent state Action Alerts.

PETS IN PROTECTIVE ORDERS Each year, defenseless pets face the grim reality that they will be victims of domestic abuse. American Humane knows that individuals who abuse animals rarely stop there. Human victims -- adults and children alike -- often feel they have no choice but to remain in violent households in order to avoid harm to their pets. For more information about protective orders, including the steps for obtaining one, click here. (PDF;180KB) 23 pages By allowing judges to include pets in protective orders, the following bills address this issue head-on.  Massachusetts (MA residents only)  Michigan (MI residents only)  New Jersey (NJ residents only)  Ohio (OH residents only) Pets in Protective Orders bills enacted into law: Maine, New York and Vermont (2006); California, Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada and Tennessee (2007), Louisiana (2008)