I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2966 

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 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011 

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

BILBRAY, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. RAHALL, 

Mr. PIERLUISI, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. BARTLETT, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. PETERS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. NADLER, Mr. YOUNG of 

Florida, Mr. LANCE, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. SHERMAN, 

Mr. OLVER, Mr. REICHERT, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. ACKERMAN, Ms. LEE

of California, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. JOHNSON

of Georgia, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. 

WHITFIELD, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. WATT, Mrs. MCCARTHY

of New York, Mr. FILNER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. MORAN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. JONES, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. KUCINICH, 

Mr. STARK, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 

CLEAVER, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) 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, 

transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, 

purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other 


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•HR 2966 IH

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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Horse 

5 Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON SHIPPING, TRANSPORTING, MOV7 ING, DELIVERING, RECEIVING, POSSESSING, 

8 PURCHASING, SELLING, OR DONATION OF 

9 HORSES AND OTHER EQUINES FOR SLAUGH10 TER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. 

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

12 Act (15 U.S.C. 1821) is amended— 

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

14 and (4) as paragraphs (2), (3), (5), and (6), respec15 tively; 

16 (2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as redes17 ignated by paragraph (1)) the following: 

18 ‘‘(1) The term ‘human consumption’ means in19 gestion by people as a source of food.’’; and 

20 (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as redesig21 nated by paragraph (1)) the following: 

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

23 1 or more horses or other equines with the intent to 

24 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 redesig6 nated by paragraph (1)) the following: 

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 redesignated 

25 by paragraph (1)) and inserting the following: 


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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 fol14 lowing: 

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 redes2 ignated by paragraph (2)) the following: 

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 that is sore or that 

7 the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(B) any horse or other equine that 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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