On November 27, 2006, President Bush officially signed into law the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). The legislation, which received tremendous bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, amends the Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992 (Title 18, Sec. 43 of the US Criminal Code) and expands criminal prohibitions against the use of force, violence and threats involving animal enterprises and increased penalties for violations of these prohibitions. The AETA will provide greater protections against intimidation and harassment of researchers and their families and will, for the first time, address campaigns of secondary and tertiary targeting that cause economic damage to research enterprises.

It is important to note that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) opposed the AETA, claiming it was overly broad and would hamper free speech, despite the fact that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) did not oppose the bill. Although the bill contains a section dedicated to the protection of free-speech activities, a handful of groups have continued to object to the law, claiming that it violates the First Amendment.