I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8699 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop an enforcement mechanism with respect to certain 

provisions relating to the transport of animals, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2024 

Ms. TITUS (for herself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. COHEN, and 

Mr. SCHIFF) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined 

by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 

within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop an enforcement 

mechanism with respect to certain provisions relating 

to the transport of animals, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Humane Transport 

5 of Farmed Animals Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TRANSPORT OF ANIMALS. 

2 Section 80502 of title 49, United States Code, is 

3 amended— 

4 (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub5 section (f); and 

6 (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol7 lowing: 

8 ‘‘(d) ENFORCEMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

9 the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of 

10 Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Agri11 culture, shall develop a mechanism for conducting inves12 tigations or inspections, including the inspection of any 

13 vehicle or vessel transporting animals or any written or 

14 electronic records associated with such transport of ani15 mals, to determine whether any rail carrier, express car16 rier, or common carrier, a receiver, trustee, or lessee of 

17 one of such carriers, or an owner or master of a vessel 

18 transporting animals has violated or is violating this sec19 tion. 

20 ‘‘(e) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.—To carry out sub21 section (d), the Secretary of Transportation and the Sec22 retary of Agriculture may promulgate such rules and regu23 lations, and issue such orders or guidance, as are nec24 essary.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON INTERSTATE MOVEMENT OF CER2 TAIN ANIMALS. 

3 Section 10406 of the Animal Health Protection Act 

4 (7 U.S.C. 8305) is amended— 

5 (1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary may prohibit’’ 

6 and inserting the following: 

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may prohibit’’; 

8 and 

9 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No person shall move in 

12 interstate commerce livestock that are unfit to trav13 el. 

14 ‘‘(2) UNFIT DEFINED.— 

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of para16 graph (1), the term ‘unfit to travel’ means, with 

17 respect to the movement of livestock, that such 

18 livestock are deemed unfit to travel pursuant to 

19 Article 7.3.7(3), Chapter 7.3 of the World 

20 Organisation for Animal Health’s Terrestrial 

21 Animal Health Code, including successive 

22 changes. 

23 ‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—Such term includes 

24 livestock that— 

25 ‘‘(i) are sick, injured, weak, disabled, 

26 or fatigued; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) are unable to stand unaided or 

2 bear weight on each leg; 

3 ‘‘(iii) are blind in both eyes; 

4 ‘‘(iv) cannot be moved without causing 

5 additional suffering; 

6 ‘‘(v) are newborn with a navel that 

7 has not been fully healed; 

8 ‘‘(vi) are pregnant and that would be 

9 in the final 10 percent of their gestation 

10 period at the planned time of unloading; 

11 ‘‘(vii) have given birth within the pre12 vious 48 hours and are traveling without 

13 their offspring; or 

14 ‘‘(viii) have a body condition that 

15 would result in poor welfare because of the 

16 expected climatic conditions. 

17 ‘‘(3) EXCEPTION.—Nothing in this subsection 

18 shall be construed to limit the movement in inter19 state commerce of any livestock for purposes of pro20 viding veterinary care to such livestock.’’. 

Æ 


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