Congress targets cockfighting via rooster ban—but exempts big farms

What it does

This bill prohibits air carriers from transporting adult roosters (male chickens over 6 months old) on commercial flights within the U.S. or internationally, citing aviation safety, biosecurity, and operational efficiency concerns. The bill exempts large commercial farms (those with $350,000+ annual gross income) that transport roosters for legitimate agricultural purposes, provided they submit certification to the airline before transport.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is a straightforward prohibition on rooster air transport, but the operative effect is narrowed by an exemption for large commercial farms, making it functionally a restriction on small-scale and illegal rooster shipments while preserving industrial agricultural logistics.

What the text implies

• The $350,000 annual gross income threshold for 'commercial farm' exemption is not indexed to inflation and may become increasingly permissive over time, potentially allowing larger operations to claim exemptions while the stated safety rationale remains constant.
• The bill requires air carriers to verify farm certification and financial records, imposing compliance and administrative costs on airlines without explicit appropriation for FAA oversight or enforcement infrastructure.
• The exemption for 'legitimate agricultural purposes' is undefined and may create litigation risk and inconsistent enforcement across carriers, as no regulatory guidance is provided for what qualifies as legitimate.
• By targeting adult roosters specifically (not hens or other poultry), the bill may inadvertently create incentives to transport younger roosters or other bird species that pose similar biosecurity risks but fall outside the prohibition.
• The bill preserves state authority to impose stricter restrictions, potentially creating a patchwork of state-level rooster transport rules that complicate interstate commerce and airline compliance.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill addresses a genuine public-safety and biosecurity concern by restricting a practice linked to illegal cockfighting and disease transmission. However, the exemption for large commercial farms creates a loophole that may undermine the stated safety rationale, and the $350,000 income threshold is arbitrary and may exclude smaller legitimate agricultural operations while protecting industrial-scale producers.

Who stands to gain

• large-scale commercial poultry producers (exempted from restriction)
• airlines (reduced operational disruption from large-farm exemption)
• industrial egg and meat producers (explicitly protected in findings)

Named in the bill

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service, air carriers, commercial farms

Where it stands

33 cosponsors: 17 Republicans, 16 Democrats.

• Feb 4, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 4, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $0 in lobbying spend. A filing names 34 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Troy Nehls, the sponsor, reported $202,300 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council — $0 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 7, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.