Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7438

Emergency Preparedness: Support for Pets and Companion Animals

To amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to support emergency preparedness and response efforts for companion animals.

Also known as: PETSAFE Act of 2026

about 1 month ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill, introduced by Representative Mast, would help state and local governments buy the equipment they need to protect pets during natural disasters like hurricanes or wildfires.
It changes the rules so the federal government pays for 90% of the cost for pet-related emergency prep, up from the current 50%. This makes it much cheaper for local towns to build up their animal rescue resources.
Local governments could use this money to buy mobile animal trailers, collapsible crates, pet food, and veterinary medicine. It also covers the cost of training rescue teams and buying software to track animals during an emergency.
The goal is to make sure pet owners don't have to choose between their own safety and their animals. By having better shelters and rescue gear ready, more people are likely to evacuate safely when told to do so.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 9, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Feb 9, 2026

Introduced in House

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Bill NumberHR 7438

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(10)

D: 7R: 3

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.