American Bar Association Likely to Consider Recommending Amendment to Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) was enacted in 2006 when the scientific research community was under siege by animal rights extremists committing acts of violence, which included firebombing, death threats, property destruction, and harassment. The statute provides much needed legal authority for law enforcement to prosecute individuals involved in campaigns targeting animal research enterprises, including researchers and biomedical research facilities. A resolution recommending an amendment to the AETA is likely to come before the American Bar Association at their 2014 annual meeting in Boston August 7-12. A broader resolution asking Congress to repeal the AETA was withdrawn at the last moment during the 2013 annual meeting due to rising opposition from the animal research community.