I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8699 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transpor-
tation to develop an enforcement mechanism with respect to certain 
provisions relating to the transport of animals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2024 
Ms. TITUS (for herself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. COHEN, and 
Mr. SCHIFF) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure, 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 title 49, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Transportation to develop an enforcement 
mechanism with respect to certain provisions relating 
to the transport of animals, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Humane Transport 
of Farmed Animals Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. TRANSPORT OF ANIMALS. 
Section 80502 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (f); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) ENFORCEMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of 
Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Agri-
culture, shall develop a mechanism for conducting inves-
tigations or inspections, including the inspection of any 
vehicle or vessel transporting animals or any written or 
electronic records associated with such transport of ani-
mals, to determine whether any rail carrier, express car-
rier, or common carrier, a receiver, trustee, or lessee of 
one of such carriers, or an owner or master of a vessel 
transporting animals has violated or is violating this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(e) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.—To carry out sub-
section (d), the Secretary of Transportation and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture may promulgate such rules and regu-
lations, and issue such orders or guidance, as are nec-
essary.’’. 
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SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON INTERSTATE MOVEMENT OF CER-
TAIN ANIMALS. 
Section 10406 of the Animal Health Protection Act 
(7 U.S.C. 8305) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary may prohibit’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may prohibit’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) PROHIBITION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No person shall move in 
interstate commerce livestock that are unfit to trav-
el. 
‘‘(2) UNFIT DEFINED.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of para-
graph (1), the term ‘unfit to travel’ means, with 
respect to the movement of livestock, that such 
livestock are deemed unfit to travel pursuant to 
Article 7.3.7(3), Chapter 7.3 of the World 
Organisation for Animal Health’s Terrestrial 
Animal Health Code, including successive 
changes. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—Such term includes 
livestock that— 
‘‘(i) are sick, injured, weak, disabled, 
or fatigued; 
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‘‘(ii) are unable to stand unaided or 
bear weight on each leg; 
‘‘(iii) are blind in both eyes; 
‘‘(iv) cannot be moved without causing 
additional suffering; 
‘‘(v) are newborn with a navel that 
has not been fully healed; 
‘‘(vi) are pregnant and that would be 
in the final 10 percent of their gestation 
period at the planned time of unloading; 
‘‘(vii) have given birth within the pre-
vious 48 hours and are traveling without 
their offspring; or 
‘‘(viii) have a body condition that 
would result in poor welfare because of the 
expected climatic conditions. 
‘‘(3) EXCEPTION.—Nothing in this subsection 
shall be construed to limit the movement in inter-
state commerce of any livestock for purposes of pro-
viding veterinary care to such livestock.’’. 
Æ 
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