On 30 September 2006, the Senate passed by unanimous consent S. 3880, the “Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act.” The Act will “provide the Department of Justice the necessary authority to apprehend, prosecute, and convict individuals committing animal enterprise terror1.” This bill will next be addressed in the House of Representatives.

If enacted, the Act will amend Section 43 of title 18 of the United States Code to cover violence and threats involving animal enterprises perpetrated by

whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce, or uses or causes to be used the mail or any facility of interstate or foreign commerce...for the purpose of damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise; and

(A) intentionally damages or causes the loss of any real or personal property (including animals or records) used by an animal enterprise, or any real or personal property of a person or entity having a connection to, relationship with, or transactions with an animal enterprise;

(B) intentionally places a person in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to that person, a member of the immediate family...of that person, or a spouse or intimate partner of that person by a course of conduct involving threats, acts of vandalism, property damage, criminal trespass, harassment, or intimidation; or

(C) conspires or attempts to do so1.

Violators of this act will be punished based on an escalating scale. Minor offenses—those that do not instill in another person reasonable fear of serious bodily harm or death—may result in a fine and/or imprisonment of not more than one year. More serious offenses, such as those that cause serious bodily injury to another individual or economic damage exceeding $1 million, may be punished by a jail term of up to 20 years, a fine, or both. Life imprisonment is the maximum penalty and may be considered in cases in which the offense results in the death of another individual.