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Judiciary Committee advances 'Bow Wow Act' to make harming law‑enforcement animals grounds for inadmissibility
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee favorably reported H.R. 4638 after debate over due‑process implications. Supporters said the bill prevents foreign nationals who harm service animals from reentering the U.S.; opponents warned it removes the conviction requirement and risks administrative deportations without trial.
The House Judiciary Committee on Monday voted to report H.R. 4638, the measure widely discussed in the markup as the "Bow Wow Act," sending the bill to the House after an 18‑12 roll call in favor of reporting the measure. Supporters framed the bill as a narrowly targeted protection for law‑enforcement animals; critics called it a troubling erosion of longstanding due‑process protections.
Rep. McClintock, the bill's sponsor in committee, opened the debate by describing CBP detector dog "Freddie," who allegedly was kicked at Dulles Airport by a traveler. McClintock recounted that Freddie "suffered contusions" and that the traveler later pled guilty and was removed, arguing the bill would bar foreign nationals who willfully harm law‑enforcement animals from returning: "If you kick a 5‑year‑old beagle, you're not gonna be allowed back in this country," he said.
Democrats, led by Ranking Member Rep. Raskin, urged opposition, saying the events in the Freddie case were already prosecuted and that the bill would eliminate the requirement of a criminal conviction before deportation in many circumstances. "This bill eliminates the conviction requirement," Raskin said, calling that outcome a dangerous precedent that "short‑circuits the entire process."
Committee members debated multiple amendments, including one offered by Rep. Goldman to change the bill's short title. A recorded roll call on the amendment to the amendment returned 13 ayes and 17 noes and the amendment failed. The committee then adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute and voted to report the bill favorably to the House (Clerk: 18 ayes, 12 noes). Members were given two days to submit views for the record.
The measure as marked up would treat willful harm to a law‑enforcement animal as a ground of inadmissibility or removability for certain foreign nationals; the transcript shows committee members sparred over whether the bill merely restates existing immigration grounds (for example, crimes involving moral turpitude) or instead replaces a conviction requirement with administrative findings.
The committee included opening statements and entered several statements into the record. The clerk's roll call and text of adopted amendments will be part of the official markup file that accompanies the committee's report to the House.
