I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 503 
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 
FEBRUARY 1, 2005 
Mr. SWEENEY (for himself, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mrs. BONO, Mr. 
BROWN of Ohio, Mr. COX, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. 
FERGUSON, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. 
GALLEGLY, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, and Mr. SHAYS) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce 
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 
equines to be slaughtered for human consumption, 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. PROHIBITION ON SHIPPING, TRANSPORTING, 
MOVING, 
DELIVERING, 
RECEIVING, 
POS-
SESSING, PURCHASING, SELLING, OR DONA-
TION OF HORSES AND OTHER EQUINES FOR 
SLAUGHTER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2 of the Horse Protection 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1821) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), 
and (4) as paragraphs (2), (3), (5), and (6), respec-
tively; 
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so re-
designated, the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘human consumption’ means in-
gestion by people as a source of food.’’; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3), as so re-
designated, the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) The term ‘slaughter’ means the killing of 
one or more horses or other equines with the intent 
to sell or trade the flesh for human consumption.’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Section 3 of the Horse Protection 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1822) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
(5) as paragraphs (6) through (10), respectively; 
(2) by adding before paragraph (6), as so redes-
ignated, the following new paragraphs:
‘‘(1) horses and other equines play a vital role 
in the collective experience of the United States and 
deserve protection and compassion; 
‘‘(2) horses and other equines are domestic ani-
mals that are used primarily for recreation, pleasure, 
and sport; 
‘‘(3) unlike cows, pigs, and many other animals, 
horses and other equines are not raised for the pur-
pose of being slaughtered for human consumption; 
‘‘(4) individuals selling horses or other equines 
at auctions are seldom aware that the animals may 
be bought for the purpose of being slaughtered for 
human consumption; 
‘‘(5) the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service of the Department of Agriculture has found 
that horses and other equines cannot be safely and 
humanely transported in double deck trailers;’’; and 
(3) by striking paragraph (8), as so redesig-
nated, and inserting the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(8) the movement, showing, exhibition, or sale 
of sore horses in intrastate commerce, and the ship-
ping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, 
possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation in intra-
state commerce of horses and other equines to be
slaughtered for human consumption, adversely affect 
and burden interstate and foreign commerce;’’. 
(c) PROHIBITION.—Section 5 of the Horse Protection 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1824) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through 
(11) as paragraphs (9) through (12), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph 7 the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(8) The shipping, transporting, moving, deliv-
ering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or 
donation of any horse or other equine to be slaugh-
tered for human consumption.’’. 
(d) AUTHORITY TO DETAIN.—Section 6(e) of the 
Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1825(e)) is amended— 
(1) by striking the first sentence of paragraph 
(1); 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) 
and as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so re-
designated, the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) The Secretary may detain for examination, test-
ing, or the taking of evidence— 
‘‘(A) any horse at any horse show, horse exhi-
bition, or horse sale or auction which is sore or
which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is 
sore; and 
‘‘(B) any horse or other equine which the Sec-
retary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, 
transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, 
purchased, sold, or donated in violation of section 
5(8).’’. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
12 of the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1831) is 
amended 
by 
striking 
‘‘$500,000’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘$5,000,000’’. 
Æ