I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1684 
To amend the Horse Protection Act to designate additional unlawful acts 
under the Act, strengthen penalties for violations of the Act, improve 
Department of Agriculture enforcement of the Act, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2025 
Mr. FITZPATRICK (for himself, Mr. COHEN, Mr. BUCHANAN, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Mr. CISCOMANI, Mr. MEUSER, Mr. FULCHER, Mrs. KIM, Mr. 
LAWLER, Mr. NEAL, Mr. MAGAZINER, Mr. LALOTA, Ms. SALAZAR, Ms. 
STRICKLAND, Ms. NORTON, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. MULLIN, 
Mr. CAREY, Mr. BEYER, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. JOHNSON of 
Georgia, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mrs. MCBATH, Mrs. TRAHAN, Ms. MOORE of 
Wisconsin, Ms. BUDZINSKI, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, 
Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCGARVEY, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. 
GOMEZ, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. TITUS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. TONKO, Mr. 
MRVAN, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. CHU, Ms. PEREZ, Mr. BISHOP, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. 
TAKANO, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. HARDER of 
California, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. TORRES of New York, Mr. STANTON, Mr. 
GARCIA of California, Mr. KENNEDY of New York, Ms. MENG, Ms. 
TOKUDA, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. CALVERT, Ms. SCANLON, Mrs. 
BEATTY, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. KELLY of 
Illinois, Mr. THANEDAR, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. MCCLELLAN, Mrs. SYKES, 
Ms. BROWN, Mr. CARSON, Mr. MOSKOWITZ, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. SALI-
NAS, Ms. ROSS, Ms. OMAR, Mr. RYAN, Mr. MOULTON, Ms. DAVIDS of 
Kansas, Mr. CASE, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of 
Georgia, Ms. STANSBURY, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. HOYLE of 
Oregon, Ms. MACE, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. POCAN, Ms. ELFRETH, Mr. 
GIMENEZ, Mr. HIMES, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Ms. JACOBS, Mr. 
VARGAS, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. SORENSEN, Mrs. 
FOUSHEE, Ms. SCHOLTEN, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. LIEU, Mr. SOTO, Mr. 
GOTTHEIMER, Mr. NADLER, Ms. LOIS
FRANKEL
of Florida, Mr. 
AUCHINCLOSS, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mr. EVANS of 
Pennsylvania, 
Mr. 
KELLY
of 
Pennsylvania, 
Mr. 
NEHLS, 
Ms. 
MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. PETERS, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. 
JAYAPAL, Ms. TENNEY, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. PETTERSEN, Mr. 
THOMPSON of California, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. FRIED-
MAN, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. CROW, Mr. CASTRO
of Texas, Ms. 
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DELAURO, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. GOODEN, Ms. WILLIAMS of 
Georgia, Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Ms. BALINT, Ms. ANSARI, Ms. DEXTER, Ms. 
SA´NCHEZ, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. BERA, Ms. STEVENS, Ms. 
KAPTUR, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GOLDMAN of New 
York, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. RUIZ, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. 
DEAN of Pennsylvania, Mr. SWALWELL, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. CASTOR of 
Florida, Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. VINDMAN, Mr. IVEY, Ms. 
DEGETTE, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. LATIMER, Mr. DELUZIO, Mr. SUOZZI, 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. SMUCKER, Ms. 
CLARKE of New York, Mr. SUBRAMANYAM, Mr. AMO, Mr. GREEN of 
Texas, Mr. KEATING, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. HOYER, Mr. KEAN, 
Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, and Ms. PLASKETT) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Horse Protection Act to designate additional 
unlawful acts under the Act, strengthen penalties for 
violations of the Act, improve Department of Agriculture 
enforcement of the Act, 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 ‘‘Prevent All Soring 
Tactics Act of 2025’’ or the ‘‘PAST Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. INCREASED ENFORCEMENT UNDER HORSE PRO-
TECTION ACT. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2 of the Horse Protection 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1821) is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), 
and (4) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5), respec-
tively; 
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so re-
designated) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1)(A) The term ‘action device’ means any 
boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encir-
cles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg 
of a horse in such a manner that it can— 
‘‘(i) rotate around the leg or slide up and 
down the leg, so as to cause friction; or 
‘‘(ii) strike the hoof, coronet band, fetlock 
joint, or pastern of the horse. 
‘‘(B) Such term does not include soft rubber or 
soft leather bell boots or quarter boots that are used 
as protective devices.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(6)(A) The term ‘participate’ means engaging 
in any activity with respect to a horse show, horse 
exhibition, or horse sale or auction, including— 
‘‘(i) transporting or arranging for the 
transportation of a horse to or from a horse 
show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction; 
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‘‘(ii) personally giving instructions to an 
exhibitor; or 
‘‘(iii) being knowingly present in a warm- 
up area, inspection area, or other area at a 
horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or 
auction that spectators are not permitted to 
enter. 
‘‘(B) Such term does not include spectating.’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Section 3 of the Horse Protection 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1822) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and soring horses for 
such purposes’’ after ‘‘horses in intrastate com-
merce’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘in many ways, including 
by creating unfair competition, by deceiving the 
spectating public and horse buyers, and by neg-
atively impacting horse sales’’ before the semi-
colon; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(3) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
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‘‘(6) the Inspector General of the Department 
of Agriculture has determined that the program 
through which the Secretary inspects horses is inad-
equate for preventing soring; 
‘‘(7) historically, Tennessee Walking Horses, 
Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses have 
been subjected to soring; and 
‘‘(8) despite regulations in effect related to in-
spection for purposes of ensuring that horses are not 
sore, violations of this Act continue to be prevalent 
in the Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse, 
and Spotted Saddle Horse breeds.’’. 
(c) HORSE SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS.—Section 4 of 
the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1823) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘appointed’’ and inserting 
‘‘licensed’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
sentences: ‘‘In the first instance in which the 
Secretary determines that a horse is sore, the 
Secretary shall disqualify the horse from being 
shown or exhibited for a period of not less than 
180 days. In the second instance in which the 
Secretary determines that such horse is sore, 
the Secretary shall disqualify the horse for a 
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period of not less than 1 year. In the third in-
stance in which the Secretary determines that 
such horse is sore, the Secretary shall disqualify 
the horse for a period of not less than 3 
years.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘appointed’’ 
and inserting ‘‘licensed’’; 
(3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(c)(1)(A) The Secretary shall prescribe by regula-
tion requirements for the Department of Agriculture to 
license, train, assign, and oversee persons qualified to de-
tect and diagnose a horse which is sore or to otherwise 
inspect horses at horse shows, horse exhibitions, or horse 
sales or auctions, for hire by the management of such 
events, for the purposes of enforcing this Act. 
‘‘(B) No person shall be issued a license under this 
subsection unless such person is free from conflicts of in-
terest, as defined by the Secretary in the regulations 
issued under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(C) If the Secretary determines that the perform-
ance of a person licensed in accordance with subparagraph 
(A) is unsatisfactory, the Secretary may, after notice and 
an opportunity for a hearing, revoke the license issued to 
such person. 
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‘‘(D) In issuing licenses under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall give a preference to persons who are li-
censed or accredited veterinarians. 
‘‘(E) Licensure of a person in accordance with the 
requirements prescribed under this subsection shall not be 
construed as authorizing such person to conduct inspec-
tions in a manner other than that prescribed for inspec-
tions by the Secretary (or the Secretary’s representative) 
under subsection (e). 
‘‘(2)(A) Not later than 30 days before the date on 
which a horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auc-
tion begins, the management of such show, exhibition, or 
sale or auction may notify the Secretary of the intent of 
the management to hire a person or persons licensed 
under this subsection and assigned by the Secretary to 
conduct inspections at such show, exhibition, or sale or 
auction. 
‘‘(B) After such notification, the Secretary shall as-
sign a person or persons licensed under this subsection 
to conduct inspections at the horse show, horse exhibition, 
or horse sale or auction. 
‘‘(3) A person licensed by the Secretary to conduct 
inspections under this subsection shall issue a citation 
with respect to any violation of this Act recorded during 
an inspection and notify the Secretary of each such viola-
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