Tenure: 119th Congress
Years of Service: 2025–Present
Although Rep. Luz Rivas is one of the newest members of Congress, she has already established a record that places her among the stronger animal protection advocates in California’s delegation. Rather than simply casting favorable votes when animal-related issues reach the House floor, Rivas has quickly aligned herself with several of the movement’s leading legislative priorities and has demonstrated support across a broad range of issues, including horse protection, anti-cruelty enforcement, wildlife conservation, farm-animal welfare, and environmental health.
One of the most notable aspects of Rivas’s early record is her willingness to engage affirmatively on animal protection legislation. She is a cosponsor of the SAFE Act (Safeguard American Food Exports Act), legislation that would permanently prohibit the slaughter of American horses for human consumption and ban the export of horses for slaughter abroad. The SAFE Act remains one of the most significant federal horse protection measures before Congress and has long been a top priority for advocates working to end the horse slaughter pipeline.
Rivas has also demonstrated a strong commitment to combating animal cruelty. She is a cosponsor of the FIGHT Act, legislation designed to strengthen federal enforcement against animal fighting operations and associated criminal activity. Animal fighting remains one of the most severe forms of organized animal cruelty in the United States, and her support for the legislation reflects a willingness to strengthen legal tools used to combat these abuses.
Rivas is a cosponsor of the Greyhound Protection Act, legislation intended to permanently phase out commercial greyhound racing in the United States. The bill addresses an industry that has long been criticized for injuries, neglect, and the treatment of racing dogs. In addition, she is a cosponsor of the LEAD Act, legislation aimed at reducing wildlife exposure to toxic lead from ammunition and fishing tackle. Lead poisoning continues to pose a serious threat to condors, eagles, loons, swans, and other wildlife species, making the issue one of the most significant conservation challenges facing many bird populations.
Rivas has also emerged as a defender of farm-animal welfare standards. During her first term, she opposed efforts to weaken California’s Proposition 12 and other state animal welfare laws. Her actions have aligned with broader efforts to preserve states’ authority to establish humane standards governing the treatment of farm animals and resist federal attempts to override those protections.
Her voting record on major animal protection issues has been consistently favorable. Rivas voted against H.R. 845, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, which would remove federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves. She also voted against H.R. 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, preserving federal authority to regulate lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle on federal lands and waters. These votes reflected support for wildlife conservation and efforts to address preventable sources of wildlife mortality.
She also voted against the Moore Amendment, which sought to create an exemption from the federal prohibition on commercial greyhound racing. That vote complemented her support for the Greyhound Protection Act and reflected a consistent position in favor of ending commercial greyhound racing.
On food-system issues, Rivas voted against the Greene Amendment, which sought to prohibit federal support for cultivated meat and related technologies. By opposing the amendment, she supported continued research and innovation in alternatives that could reduce reliance on conventional animal agriculture and decrease the number of animals raised and slaughtered for food.
Rivas likewise voted against the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, which included provisions that would have preempted state farm-animal welfare laws such as California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3. Her vote helped preserve some of the strongest farm-animal welfare protections enacted anywhere in the United States.
What makes Rivas noteworthy is how quickly she has developed a meaningful animal protection record. Many freshman lawmakers spend years building a portfolio of legislative engagement, yet Rivas has already aligned herself with major efforts involving horses, wildlife, anti-cruelty enforcement, greyhound racing, and farm-animal welfare. Her record suggests a legislator who views animal protection as an important component of public policy rather than a peripheral issue.
Taken as a whole, Rivas’s record places her in the Strong Leader category. Her support for the SAFE Act, FIGHT Act, Greyhound Protection Act, and LEAD Act, combined with a consistently favorable voting record on major animal protection issues, demonstrates a clear commitment to animal welfare. While her congressional tenure is still in its early stages, she has already established herself as a dependable ally and appears well positioned to develop into a leading voice on animal protection issues in future Congresses.
Notable Actions
119th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, H.R. 3946, to strengthen federal enforcement against animal fighting and related criminal activity.
✅ Cosponsor of the Greyhound Protection Act, H.R. 5017, to phase out U.S. greyhound racing, a practice long in decline and operational at just two tracks.
✅ Cosponsor of the Lead Endangers Animals Daily (LEAD) Act, H.R. 6268, requires the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director, to issue final regulations within one year to ban the use of lead ammunition on National Wildlife Refuge lands and waters to protect and conserve wildlife.
✅ Signed congressional letter opposing the SOB Act that would erode states’ rights, undermine family farmers, and expand foreign influence over U.S. food production.
✅ Supported House passage of the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, H.R. 2821, which passed by voice vote under suspension of the rules on July 20, 2026. The bipartisan legislation directs the FDA to update its regulations to fully implement the 2022 law allowing scientifically valid non-animal methods to be used instead of animal testing in drug development.
✅ Voted “Nay” on H.R. 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (House Roll Call Vote 93), to prohibit federal land management agencies from restricting the use of toxic lead ammunition and fishing tackle on public lands and waters to protect wildlife from poisoning. The bill passed the House 215–202. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal vote.
✅ Voted “Nay” on H.R. 845, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act (House Roll Call Vote 360), to remove federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves across much of the United States and restricted judicial review of future wolf management decisions. The bill passed the House 211–204. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Nay” on the Riley Moore Amendment to H.R. 7567 (House Roll Call Vote 149), to weaken the Farm Bill’s Greyhound Protection Act provisions by creating a special exemption allowing commercial greyhound racing to continue in West Virginia indefinitely. The House rejected the amendment 187–237. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Nay” on H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act (House Roll Call Vote 154), to pass the Farm Bill, which included a provision to overturn state laws in California and Massachusetts restricting in-state sales of fresh pork sourced from farms that do not provide minimum space requirements for the housing of pregnant pigs. The bill passed the House 224–200. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Nay” on the Biggs Amendment to H.R. 3838 (House Roll Call Vote 259), to exempt defense-related activities from the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, eliminating protections for endangered and threatened species and their critical habitat on military lands and during defense operations. The House rejected the amendment 200–228. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Nay” on the Greene Amendment to H.R. 3838 (House Roll Call Vote 254), to prohibit the Department of Defense from using FY2026 funds for the research, development, procurement, or promotion of cell-cultured meat, an emerging alternative to conventional slaughter-based meat production. The House rejected the amendment 194–236, with 1 voting present. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.