Legislation

 

 

In the American political structure, there are essentially two levels of government, the federal and the state.  The Constitution of the United States delegates specific powers to the federal government (e.g., the President’s power as Commander-in-Chief, the Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce, the Courts’ power to decide cases), and the Tenth Amendment provides that all other powers remain in the states (which includes counties, cities, towns, villages, etc.).  (To ascertain the names and contact information for federal and state legislators, click HERE.)

 

As a result, there are scores of federal statutes pertaining to animals, beginning, alphabetically, with “Adoption of Military Working Dogs” and ending with “Yukon River Salmon Act.”

 

On the state level, there are countless statutes and ordinances, from New York’s anti-cruelty laws to the Village of Bedford’s leash law.

 

ISAR has long been active on the legislative front, providing summaries and critiques of all federal laws affecting animals, drafting and disseminating model statutes on a variety of animal issues, offering strategic and tactical advice to animal rights activists about how to introduce and enact animal protection statutes and ordinances, and critically evaluating legislation drafted and introduced by federal and state legislators throughout the United States.  ISAR’s chairman and general counsel, Professsor Henry Mark Holzer, has testified before legislative bodies in behalf of animal rights. 

 

Federal Statutes/Summaries

Federal Statutes/Critique

 

ISAR Model Statutes