AVERT Future Violence Act of 2026
HB8911, the “AVERT Future Violence Act of 2026,” directs the Attorney General, through the National Institute of Justice, to conduct a study on animal cruelty and its relationship to future violence against humans. The study must examine the underlying factors associated with animal cruelty, review scientific literature and expert input, identify evidence-informed risk factors, assess whether certain forms of animal cruelty correlate with later violence against people, and determine what types of human violence are most commonly associated with animal cruelty. It must also identify areas for future research and develop best practices for early intervention and offender intervention.
In addition to the study, the bill authorizes the Attorney General to establish a grant program called the “Stop Future Violence Grant Program.” That program would support states, local governments, courts, tribes, and qualifying nonprofit or service organizations in building detection, intervention, diversion, treatment, and data-tracking capacity related to animal cruelty. The bill authorizes $2 million for the study and $2 million for the grant program, with the study funding available through fiscal year 2027 and the grant funding available until expended.
The bill would not directly create new federal criminal offenses or change existing animal cruelty penalties, but it would expand federal research and grant-making authority in this area. It would require the Department of Justice to produce a report with policy recommendations for federal, state, and local legislative and regulatory action, potentially influencing future animal cruelty, domestic violence, juvenile justice, and behavioral health policies. It would also support training, data systems, and intervention programs for law enforcement, courts, prosecutors, and mental health professionals, affecting a broad set of public and nonprofit entities that respond to animal cruelty and related violence.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears broadly supportive and preventive in tone, with bipartisan sponsorship from Representatives Titus, Buchanan, and Fitzpatrick. The bill’s framing emphasizes public safety, early intervention, rehabilitation, and research rather than punishment alone. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal opposition or support beyond the sponsors can be identified from the record here.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the bill’s premise that animal cruelty can serve as a predictor of future human violence, and the scope of the federal response it authorizes. Some stakeholders may question the strength of the research basis for that linkage, while others may support the bill as a tool for identifying domestic violence, child abuse, and other forms of interpersonal violence earlier. Another possible area of debate is the breadth of the grant eligibility and the use of federal funds for training, data systems, and offender rehabilitation, though no specific objections are documented in the provided context.