H.R. 712, the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include data on animal abuse in the national clearinghouse that tracks information about child abuse and neglect. The bill recognizes a connection between animal abuse and child abuse by defining animal abuse broadly as any act or failure to act that causes unnecessary pain, suffering, or death to an animal, regardless of whether it violates state or local laws. This change affects child welfare agencies, researchers, and law enforcement who rely on the national clearinghouse to identify patterns and risk factors in child abuse cases. The bill does not specify new funding or implementation timelines, instead modifying the existing Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to expand what data the clearinghouse collects. The legislation was introduced in January 2025 and reflects growing research showing that animal abuse is sometimes linked to child abuse and other forms of domestic violence.
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