(CNN) — Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Michael Vick is scheduled to pledge his support Tuesday for new legislation to crack down on supporters of dog fighting.
Vick will be joined at a news conference on Capitol Hill by Wayne Pacelle, the head of the Humane Society of the United States, Vick announced on his official website.
The bill, H.R. 2492, seeks to penalize people who finance and bring children to dog fights and cock fights.
Vick was released from prison in 2009 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dog fighting operation in Virginia.
He served 20 months in federal prison. Since his release, Vick has appeared at several public events condemning dog fighting.
The bill would help strengthen penalties against those who are knowing spectators at such animal fights, Pacelle said.
“Spectators are participants and accomplices who enable the crime of animal fighting, provide a large share of the funding for the criminal enterprise through their admission fees and gambling wagers, and help conceal handlers and organizers who try to blend into the crowd when a bust occurs,” Pacelle said in a statement.
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