I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6635 

To amend the Act commonly known as the Wild Free-roaming Horses and 

Burros Act to prohibit certain uses of aircraft with respect to the 

management of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 

Ms. TITUS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Act commonly known as the Wild Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act to prohibit certain uses of 

aircraft with respect to the management of wild freeroaming horses and burros, 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 ‘‘Wild Horse and Burro 

5 Protection Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) As part of efforts to control equine popu2 lations under law, the Bureau of Land Management 

3 is directed to humanely capture wild free-roaming 

4 horses and burros for adoption. 

5 (2) The Bureau of Land Management contracts 

6 directly with private enterprises, including helicopter 

7 companies, to round up equines at rates between 

8 $500–$800 per animal. 

9 (3) The use of helicopters to chase equines over 

10 prolonged distances, usually on rough terrain, is par11 ticularly dangerous, and can frighten the animals 

12 and lead to deadly situations. 

13 (4) In January 2022, during the horse gath14 ering at the Pancake Complex in central Nevada, a 

15 young colt was chased for miles by helicopter, ulti16 mately gravely injuring itself, and necessitating the 

17 need for the animal to be shot and killed. 

18 (5) Since 2011, the Bureau of Land Manage19 ment’s top three helicopter contractors have col20 lected over $36.8 million in taxpayer funding for 

21 their services, including over $5.3 million since 2021 

22 alone. 

23 (6) Scientific research shows that more humane 

24 and cost-effective alternatives exist to control equine 

25 populations, including fertility controls. 


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1 (7) Currently, the Bureau of Land Manage2 ment’s Wild Horse and Burro Program spends less 

3 than one percent of its budget on implementing fer4 tility controls. 

5 (8) The elimination of helicopters from the Bu6 reau of Land Management’s gatherings would pro7 vide a more humane method of capturing equines, 

8 and provide significant savings to taxpayers. 

9 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE WILD FREE-ROAMING 

10 HORSES AND BURROS ACT. 

11 Section 9 of the Act commonly known as the Wild 

12 Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 92– 

13 195; 16 U.S.C. 1338a) is amended— 

14 (1) by striking ‘‘In administering this Act’’ and 

15 inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In administering this 

16 Act’’; 

17 (2) by striking ‘‘helicopters or, for the purpose 

18 of transporting captured animals, motor vehicles’’ 

19 and inserting ‘‘motor vehicles for the purpose of 

20 transporting captured animals’’; 

21 (3) by striking ‘‘fixed-wing aircraft, or heli22 copters, or to’’ and inserting ‘‘or’’; and 

23 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN USES OF AIR25 CRAFT.—In administering this Act, the Secretary may not 


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1 use or contract for the use of helicopters or fixed-wing air2 craft for the purposes of rounding up or gathering wild 

3 free-roaming horses and burros.’’. 

4 SEC. 4. GAO REPORT. 

5 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

6 of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit, to the 

7 Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep8 resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 

9 Resources of the Senate, a report that describes— 

10 (1) humane alternatives to the use of heli11 copters and fixed-wing aircraft in managing wild 

12 free-roaming horse and burro populations; 

13 (2) job creation opportunities presented by the 

14 use of such humane alternatives; and 

15 (3) the effects of aircraft, including unmanned 

16 aircraft systems, on wild free-roaming horse and 

17 burro populations. 

Æ 


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