This act shall be known as and may be cited as the Prohibition of Horse Slaughter and Sale of Horsemeat for Human Consumption Act of 1998.
Horses contribute significantly to the enjoyment of generations of recreation enthusiasts.
That practice has contributed to crime and consumer fraud. To recognize the horse as an important part of California's heritage that deserves protection from those who would slaughter them for food for human consumption. Notwithstanding any provision of law, it shall be unlawful for any person to possess, import into, or export from, the state, or sell, buy, give away, hold, or accept any horse with the intent of killing, or killing, or having another person kill that horse, where that person knows or should have known that any art of that horse will be used for human consumption. It is not the intent of this section to impact any commonly accepted horse commercial, non-commercial, recreational or sporting activity. It is not the intent of this section to impact any existing laws which relate to horse tax or zoning.