Calls to Action
You can help big cats in captivity through your actions and advocacy.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act
The Big Cat Public Safety Act would prohibit the private ownership of big cats. It would also restrict direct contact between the public and big cats, ending cruel cub petting attractions. Few states have an outright ban on the private possession of big cats (see graphic), and some states have no state regulations at all, making a federal solution necessary. The Big Cat Public Safety Act would better protect captive big cats and help safeguard the public, who are put at risk by the unregulated ownership of these animals.
Take action now on IFAW’s website by telling your members of Congress to protect captive big cats.
Most Recent Updates
On June 15, 2022, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was passed by the House Committee on Natural Resources (introduced in the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife) by a vote of 25 Yeas and 17 Nays. The next step in the House is to schedule a review and vote by the full U.S. House of Representatives. There are currently 258 co-sponsors in the House. Please contact your Representative to voice your support for H.R. 263 – The Big Cat Public Safety Act – by thanking those who are already co-sponsors and asking for the support of those who are not. You can find your Representative using the links below. Please be sure to reference the H.R. number in your correspondences. To keep up-to-date on the bill in the House, please visit https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/
Back in April 2021, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate as S. 1210 and referred to the Committee on the Environment and Public Works (EPW). To see if your Senator(s) sit on this important committee that can advance the bill to a vote on the Senate floor, please visit https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/members. There are currently 45 co-sponsors of S.1210 in the Senate. Please encourage your Senators to co-sponsor the bill and thank them if they already are. It is vitally important that the members of the EPW Commitee support the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
BCPSA in the U.S. House of Representatives
The Big Cat Public Safety Act has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 263. Please contact your Representative to voice your support for its passage in the House again this year. With its recent introduction into the Senate, now is the time to build support in both branches of Congress. For a list of current co-sponsors of the bill in the House, please visit: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/cosponsors.
BCPSA in the U.S. Senate
Bill S. 1210 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, who will need to introduce the bill for a vote in the full Senate. To see if your Senator is a committee member, please visit www.epw.senate.gov/public/. We encourage you to identify your Senators now by clicking on the button below and contact them to encourage them to vote yes for the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
Previous Updates
2021 Updates
On April 19, 2021, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate as S. 1210. The bill was then referred to the Committee on the Environment and Public Works. Current Senate sponsors include: Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT), Senator Susan Collins (ME), Senator Thomas Carper (DE), and Senator Richard Burr (NC). To identify your Senators, please see the link below. You can find a list of Senators on the Environment and Public Works Committee at https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/
The Big Cat Public Safety Act has been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, January 11, 2021, by Representatives Mike Quigley (IL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA). Please contact your Representative to voice your support for H.R. 263 – The Big Cat Public Safety Act. You can find your Representative using the links below. Please be sure to reference the H.R. number in your correspondences. To keep up-to-date on the bill in the House, please visit https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/
2020 Updates