Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL) is a left-of-center animal advocacy group that advocates for state and federal legislation to protect animals and promotes environmental causes. Since it was founded in 2007, the group has supported 73 bills and 28 of these have passed into law. ¹ It partners with other environmentalist and animal-liberation activist groups to promote legislation including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Friends of the Earth, the Center for Biological Diversity, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). ^{2  3  4  5}

Background

Social Compassion in Legislation is an animal advocacy group founded in 2007 by Judie Mancuso. It works at both the state and federal levels to pass laws that protect animals and promote environmentalism. It supports political candidates who back its left-of-center causes, and partners with other animal advocacy organizations to increase its impact. ¹ SCIL organizes events to raise funds and to increase animal advocacy awareness. ⁶

Campaigns

Social Compassion in Legislation sponsors legislation to benefit animals and opposes legislation that harms them. It has supported 73 bills and 28 of these have passed into law. ¹

In 2025, the group supported the California Ethics Over Aesthetics Act which bans the sale of pets that have been genetically modified for cosmetic purposes, and the Glue Trap Prohibition Act. ⁷

Other 2025 campaigns included California SB 221 to expand stalking laws to include threats to a victim’s pet and AB 478, which requires local governments to implement procedures to protect companion animals during evacuations. ⁸

In 2024, SCIL partnered with the Animal Legal Defense Fund to support California AB 3162, which bans octopus farming. ² It also sponsored the AB 1893 P.E.T.S. Act to fund spay and neuter surgeries. ⁸

In 2023, SCIL sponsored California AB 829, which requires mental health counseling for individuals convicted of animal abuse. ⁸ In 2022, SCIL sponsored California AB 1648: Animal Evacuations, which requires an animal owner to create and submit an animal wildfire evacuation plan. ⁹

In 2021, SCIL co-sponsored California AB 558: Plant-Based School Lunches, which offered incentives to California public schools to provide “healthy, climate-friendly meals” by including a plant-based entrée or milk-substitute option. ¹⁰ It sponsored the Smart Climate Agriculture Program which gives grants to farmers to stop animal agriculture and transition to plant-based farming. ¹¹

Partnerships

Social Compassion in Legislation partners with other advocacy organizations and politicians to advance legislation related to animal welfare and environmental protection. In 2024, SCIL and the Animal Legal Defense Fund co-sponsored AB 3162 to ban octopus farming in California. ¹² SCIL co-sponsored AB2640, which allows students to opt out of animal dissections in the classrooms along with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). ¹³

In 2021, SCIL co-sponsored California AB 416 Deforestation-Free Procurement Act with Friends of the Earth and Peace 4 Animals which was introduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), ³ and it co-sponsored California AB558: Plant-Based School Lunches along with the PCRM and Friends of the Earth. ¹⁰

In 2019, SCIL joined with former California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) and the Center for Biological Diversity to support AB 273, a ban on fur trapping. ⁴ It co-sponsored three additional animal welfare bills along with PETA that were all signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom (D). ¹⁴

Politics

In the 2024 election cycle, people reporting Social Compassion in Legislation as their employer to the Federal Election Commission donated to Vice President Kamala Harris (D), the Democratic Party of California, the Democratic Party of Orange County, U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), former California State Senator Anthony Portantino, Jr. (D), and U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA). ¹⁵

SCIL typically endorses and supports candidates through its sister organization, Compassion PAC, which works to elect candidates who are strong supporters of animal welfare and the environment. SCIL researches and endorses these candidates and Compassion PAC makes donations to their campaigns. ¹⁶

Affiliated Organizations

Social Compassion is SCIL’s 501(c)(3) sister organization, also founded in 2007, which drives all “non-lobbying activities.” It organizes education programs, supports spay and neuter programs, and conducts public policy research and development for SCIL to support and sponsor through the legislature. ¹⁷

Compassion PAC is SCIL’s Political Action Committee. It was founded by SCIL founder Judie Mancuso to collect contributions and donate to political candidates who support the protection of animals and the environment. ¹⁶

Leadership

Judie Mancuso is the founder, CEO, and president of Social Compassion in Legislation. Mancuso earned an associate of applied science degree and worked in information technology for 20 years before founding Social Compassion in Legislation in 2007. In 2010, she was appointed to the California Veterinary Medical Board and served as a public member for eight years. She lives in Laguna Beach, California, and has been on the Laguna Beach City Council Environmental Sustainability Committee since 2019. She is a lifelong Democrat. ¹⁸

Actress, director, and animal activist Diane Keaton has been a board member of SCIL since 2019. ¹⁹ She became very involved in pushing The Big Cat Public Safety Act which would prohibit the ownership of big cats in 2020.  ²⁰

Actress Maggie Q joined the SCIL board in 2019. ¹⁹ She is an avid animal activist who has been involved with PETA for over a decade. ²¹ She also supports the Best Friends Animal Society, the African Wildlife Foundation, WildAid, and Save the Elephants. ²²

1. “SCIL in Action.” Social Compassion in Legislation. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/about/
2. “AB 3162 Oppose Cruelty to Octopuses (OCTO) Act.” Assemblymember Steve Bennett. 38th Assembly District. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AB-3162-Fact-Sheet-Bennett.pdf
3. “Assemblymember Kalra and Bill Sponsors Celebrate Passage of AB 416, a Landmark Bill to Make California a Leader in Fighting Tropical Deforestation.” Friends of the Earth. September 10, 2021. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://foe.org/news/bill-california-tropical-deforestation/
4. “Lorena Gonzalez Bill Bans All Fur Trapping in California.” SCIL Social Compassion in Legislation – Press Release. January 24, 2019. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/AB-273-Ban-All-Fur-Trapping-in-California-Press-Release.html?soid=1101925750350&aid=QANwwdPEjHg
5. “History Victory! 3 PETA-Backed Animal Friendly California Bills Signed Into Law.” PETA. October 12, 2019. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://www.peta.org/news/new-california-laws-victories-animals/ [1] “Social Compassion In Legislation.” Open Secrets
6. “Events.” Social Compassion in Legislation. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/attend-an-event/
7. “Active Campaigns.” Social Compassion in Legislation. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/active-campaigns/
8. “All Past Campaigns.” Social Compassion in Legislation. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/all-past-campaigns/
9. “Assembly Bill 1648. Animal Evacuations.” California State Assembly Fact Sheet. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AB-1648-Fact-Sheet.pdf
10. “AB558: Plant-Based School Lunches.” Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian. 46th Assembly District. March 12, 2021. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AB-558-Fact-Sheet-1.pdf
11. Judie Mancuso. “Saving Animals, One Law at a Time.” Sentient Policy. March 18, 2021. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://sentientmedia.org/saving-animals-one-law-at-a-time/
12. “California Governor Signs Octopus Farming Ban into Law.” Animal Legal Defense Fund. September 30, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://aldf.org/article/california-governor-signs-octopus-farming-ban-into-law/
13. “Assembly Bill Seeks to Bolster Students’ Right to Opt Out of Animal Dissection.” PETA. March 12, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/assembly-bill-seeks-to-bolster-students-right-to-opt-out-of-animal-dissection/
14. “History Victory! 3 PETA-Backed Animal Friendly California Bills Signed Into Law.” PETA. October 12, 2019. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://www.peta.org/news/new-california-laws-victories-animals/
15. “Social Compassion In Legislation.” Open Secrets. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/social-compassion-in-legislation/summary?topnumcycle=2024&contribcycle=2024&lobcycle=2024&outspendcycle=2024&id=D000074749&toprecipcycle=2024
16. “Compassion PAC Political Action Committee.” Social Compassion in Legislation. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/political-action-committee/
17. “Social Compassion 501(c)(3).” Social Compassion in Legislation. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/social-compassion/
18. Miranda Ceja. “Meet Judie Mancuso: Candidate For Laguna Beach City Council.” Patch. September 13, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://patch.com/california/lagunabeach/meet-judie-mancuso-candidate-laguna-beach-city-council
19. “Longtime animal activists Diane Keaton and Maggie Q Join board of animal advocacy group Social Compassion in Legislation.” Social Compassion in Legislation. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/news%20updates/longtime-animal-activists-diane-keaton-and-maggie-q-join-board-of-animal-advocacy-group-social-compassion-in-legislation/
20. Anna Starostinetskaya. “The actress steps up her activism as board member of animal-rights group Social Compassion in Legislation to push for the passing of The Big Cat Public Safety Act, a law that would prohibit the ownership of big cats.” VegNews. April 10, 2020. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://vegnews.com/diane-keaton-joins-fight-to-stop-animal-cruelty-exposed-by-tiger-king
21. “Meet Maggie Q – and Find Out Why We Love Her.” PETA Asia. February 16, 2017. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://www.petaasia.com/news/meet-maggie-q/
22. “Maggie Q.” Look to the Stars. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/maggie-q