I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 503 

To amend the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, 

moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation 

of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 17, 2007 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. SPRATT, 

Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. NADLER, Mr. VAN

HOLLEN, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. SCHWARTZ, 

Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. DOYLE, Ms. LEE, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. 

BERKLEY, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr. MCCOTTER, 

Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. BEAN, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. KING of New York, 

Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. DICKS, Mr. 

BERMAN, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. CHANDLER, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. TIERNEY, 

Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. 

KIRK, Mr. CAMPBELL of California, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. 

JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. LARSON

of Connecticut, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, 

Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. MCNULTY, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, 

Mr. INSLEE, Mr. WOLF, Ms. CARSON, Mr. WEINER, Mr. 

RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and Mr. LINDER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, 


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transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, 

purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other 

equines to be slaughtered for human consumption, 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. PROHIBITION ON SHIPPING, TRANSPORTING, 

4 MOVING, DELIVERING, RECEIVING, POS5 SESSING, PURCHASING, SELLING, OR DONA6 TION OF HORSES AND OTHER EQUINES FOR 

7 SLAUGHTER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2 of the Horse Protection 

9 Act (15 U.S.C. 1821) is amended— 

10 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), 

11 and (4) as paragraphs (2), (3), (5), and (6), respec12 tively; 

13 (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so re14 designated, the following new paragraph: 

15 ‘‘(1) The term ‘human consumption’ means in16 gestion by people as a source of food.’’; and 

17 (3) by inserting after paragraph (3), as so re18 designated, the following new paragraph: 

19 ‘‘(4) The term ‘slaughter’ means the killing of 

20 one or more horses or other equines with the intent 

21 to sell or trade the flesh for human consumption.’’. 


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1 (b) FINDINGS.—Section 3 of the Horse Protection 

2 Act (15 U.S.C. 1822) is amended— 

3 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 

4 (5) as paragraphs (6) through (10), respectively; 

5 (2) by adding before paragraph (6), as so redes6 ignated, the following new paragraphs: 

7 ‘‘(1) horses and other equines play a vital role 

8 in the collective experience of the United States and 

9 deserve protection and compassion; 

10 ‘‘(2) horses and other equines are domestic ani11 mals that are used primarily for recreation, pleasure, 

12 and sport; 

13 ‘‘(3) unlike cows, pigs, and many other animals, 

14 horses and other equines are not raised for the pur15 pose of being slaughtered for human consumption; 

16 ‘‘(4) individuals selling horses or other equines 

17 at auctions are seldom aware that the animals may 

18 be bought for the purpose of being slaughtered for 

19 human consumption; 

20 ‘‘(5) the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

21 Service of the Department of Agriculture has found 

22 that horses and other equines cannot be safely and 

23 humanely transported in double deck trailers;’’; and 

24 (3) by striking paragraph (8), as so redesig25 nated, and inserting the following new paragraph: 


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1 ‘‘(8) the movement, showing, exhibition, or sale 

2 of sore horses in intrastate commerce, and the ship3 ping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, 

4 possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation in intra5 state commerce of horses and other equines to be 

6 slaughtered for human consumption, adversely affect 

7 and burden interstate and foreign commerce;’’. 

8 (c) PROHIBITION.—Section 5 of the Horse Protection 

9 Act (15 U.S.C. 1824) is amended— 

10 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through 

11 (11) as paragraphs (9) through (12), respectively; 

12 and 

13 (2) by inserting after paragraph 7 the following 

14 new paragraph: 

15 ‘‘(8) The shipping, transporting, moving, deliv16 ering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or 

17 donation of any horse or other equine to be slaugh18 tered for human consumption.’’. 

19 (d) AUTHORITY TO DETAIN.—Section 6(e) of the 

20 Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1825(e)) is amended— 

21 (1) by striking the first sentence of paragraph 

22 (1); 

23 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) 

24 and as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and 


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1 (3) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so re2 designated, the following new paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(1) The Secretary may detain for examination, test4 ing, or the taking of evidence— 

5 ‘‘(A) any horse at any horse show, horse exhi6 bition, or horse sale or auction which is sore or 

7 which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is 

8 sore; and 

9 ‘‘(B) any horse or other equine which the Sec10 retary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, 

11 transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, 

12 purchased, sold, or donated in violation of section 

13 5(8).’’. 

14 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

15 12 of the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1831) is 

16 amended by striking ‘‘$500,000’’ and inserting 

17 ‘‘$5,000,000’’. 

Æ 


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