I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 503 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain conduct relating 

to the use of horses for human consumption. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 14, 2009 

Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. ACKERMAN, Ms. 

BERKLEY, Mr. BILBRAY, Mrs. BONO MACK, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BROWN

of South Carolina, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 

CUMMINGS, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. 

GALLEGLY, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HALL of 

New York, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. INGLIS, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. 

JONES, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. KIRK, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, Mr. 

KUCINICH, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. LOBIONDO, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN

of California, Mrs. MALONEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. 

MCCOTTER, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. 

MITCHELL, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. NADLER of New York, Mr. 

PAYNE, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ROTHMAN of New 

Jersey, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, 

Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Ms. SUTTON, 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WATSON, Mr. 

WEXLER, Mr. WHITFIELD, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. WU, and Mr. YOUNG of 

Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain 

conduct relating to the use of horses for human consumption. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prevention of Equine 

3 Cruelty Act of 2009’’. 

4 SEC. 2. SLAUGHTER OF HORSES FOR HUMAN CONSUMP5 TION. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 18, United 

7 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘§ 50. Slaughter of horses for human consumption 

10 ‘‘(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever 

11 knowingly— 

12 ‘‘(1) possesses, ships, transports, purchases, 

13 sells, delivers, or receives, in or affecting interstate 

14 commerce or foreign commerce, any horse with the 

15 intent that it is to be slaughtered for human con16 sumption; or 

17 ‘‘(2) possesses, ships, transports, purchases, 

18 sells, delivers, or receives, in or affecting interstate 

19 commerce or foreign commerce, any horse flesh or 

20 carcass or part of a carcass, with the intent that it 

21 is to be used for human consumption; 

22 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 

23 three years or both. 

24 ‘‘(b) If— 


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1 ‘‘(1) the defendant engages in conduct that 

2 would otherwise constitute an offense under sub3 section (a); 

4 ‘‘(2) the defendant has no prior conviction 

5 under this section; and 

6 ‘‘(3) the conduct involves less than five horses 

7 or less than 2000 pounds of horse flesh or carcass 

8 or part of a carcass; 

9 the defendant shall, instead of being punished under that 

10 subsection, be fined under this title or imprisoned not 

11 more than one year, or both. 

12 ‘‘(c) As used in this section, the term ‘horse’ means 

13 any member of the family Equidae.’’. 

14 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

15 for chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 

16 by adding at the end the following new item: 

‘‘50. Slaughter of horses for human consumption.’’. 

Æ 


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