I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 503 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain conduct relating 
to the use of horses for human consumption. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 14, 2009 
Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. ACKERMAN, Ms. 
BERKLEY, Mr. BILBRAY, Mrs. BONO MACK, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BROWN 
of South Carolina, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 
CUMMINGS, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. 
GALLEGLY, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HALL of 
New York, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. INGLIS, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. 
JONES, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. KIRK, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, Mr. 
KUCINICH, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. LOBIONDO, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN 
of California, Mrs. MALONEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. 
MCCOTTER, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. 
MITCHELL, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. PAT-
RICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. NADLER of New York, Mr. 
PAYNE, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ROTHMAN of New 
Jersey, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, 
Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Ms. SUTTON, 
Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WATSON, Mr. 
WEXLER, Mr. WHITFIELD, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. WU, and Mr. YOUNG of 
Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain 
conduct relating to the use of horses for human consumption. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prevention of Equine 
Cruelty Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. SLAUGHTER OF HORSES FOR HUMAN CONSUMP-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 50. Slaughter of horses for human consumption 
‘‘(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever 
knowingly— 
‘‘(1) possesses, ships, transports, purchases, 
sells, delivers, or receives, in or affecting interstate 
commerce or foreign commerce, any horse with the 
intent that it is to be slaughtered for human con-
sumption; or 
‘‘(2) possesses, ships, transports, purchases, 
sells, delivers, or receives, in or affecting interstate 
commerce or foreign commerce, any horse flesh or 
carcass or part of a carcass, with the intent that it 
is to be used for human consumption; 
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 
three years or both. 
‘‘(b) If— 
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‘‘(1) the defendant engages in conduct that 
would otherwise constitute an offense under sub-
section (a); 
‘‘(2) the defendant has no prior conviction 
under this section; and 
‘‘(3) the conduct involves less than five horses 
or less than 2000 pounds of horse flesh or carcass 
or part of a carcass; 
the defendant shall, instead of being punished under that 
subsection, be fined under this title or imprisoned not 
more than one year, or both. 
‘‘(c) As used in this section, the term ‘horse’ means 
any member of the family Equidae.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new item: 
‘‘50. Slaughter of horses for human consumption.’’. 
Æ 
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