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 pur-
poses. 
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-roam-
ing 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. 
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 ‘‘Wild Horse and Burro 
Protection Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) As part of efforts to control equine popu-
lations under law, the Bureau of Land Management 
is directed to humanely capture wild free-roaming 
horses and burros for adoption. 
(2) The Bureau of Land Management contracts 
directly with private enterprises, including helicopter 
companies, to round up equines at rates between 
$500–$800 per animal. 
(3) The use of helicopters to chase equines over 
prolonged distances, usually on rough terrain, is par-
ticularly dangerous, and can frighten the animals 
and lead to deadly situations. 
(4) In January 2022, during the horse gath-
ering at the Pancake Complex in central Nevada, a 
young colt was chased for miles by helicopter, ulti-
mately gravely injuring itself, and necessitating the 
need for the animal to be shot and killed. 
(5) Since 2011, the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment’s top three helicopter contractors have col-
lected over $36.8 million in taxpayer funding for 
their services, including over $5.3 million since 2021 
alone. 
(6) Scientific research shows that more humane 
and cost-effective alternatives exist to control equine 
populations, including fertility controls. 
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(7) Currently, the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment’s Wild Horse and Burro Program spends less 
than one percent of its budget on implementing fer-
tility controls. 
(8) The elimination of helicopters from the Bu-
reau of Land Management’s gatherings would pro-
vide a more humane method of capturing equines, 
and provide significant savings to taxpayers. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE WILD FREE-ROAMING 
HORSES AND BURROS ACT. 
Section 9 of the Act commonly known as the Wild 
Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 92– 
195; 16 U.S.C. 1338a) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘In administering this Act’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In administering this 
Act’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘helicopters or, for the purpose 
of transporting captured animals, motor vehicles’’ 
and inserting ‘‘motor vehicles for the purpose of 
transporting captured animals’’; 
(3) by striking ‘‘fixed-wing aircraft, or heli-
copters, or to’’ and inserting ‘‘or’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) PROHIBITION
ON CERTAIN USES
OF AIR-
CRAFT.—In administering this Act, the Secretary may not 
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use or contract for the use of helicopters or fixed-wing air-
craft for the purposes of rounding up or gathering wild 
free-roaming horses and burros.’’. 
SEC. 4. GAO REPORT. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit, to the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate, a report that describes— 
(1) humane alternatives to the use of heli-
copters and fixed-wing aircraft in managing wild 
free-roaming horse and burro populations; 
(2) job creation opportunities presented by the 
use of such humane alternatives; and 
(3) the effects of aircraft, including unmanned 
aircraft systems, on wild free-roaming horse and 
burro populations. 
Æ 
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