IB 
Union Calendar No. 357 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 503 
[Report No. 109–617, Part I] 
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 
JULY 13, 2006 
Rereferred to the Commitee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition, to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 
Additional sponsors: Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. 
PITTS, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. JONES of 
North Carolina, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. FARR, Mr. KING 
of New York, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. DICKS, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. GEORGE MIL-
LER
of California, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. LEWIS
of California, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. STRICK-
LAND, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. STARK, Mr. 
RUSH, Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. FILNER, Mr. 
MENENDEZ, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. WU, Mr. SHAW, Mr. WILSON of South 
Carolina, Mr. NADLER, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. 
KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Ms. WATSON, 
Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. LEE, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. 
OLVER, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. BALDWIN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. SCHWARTZ 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Ms. 
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SLAUGHTER, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. NEY, Mr. KIRK, Ms. WATERS, Mr. 
UDALL of New Mexico, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. HAR-
RIS, Mr. BECERRA, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. CASTLE, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. INS-
LEE, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. 
ABERCROMBIE, Mr. LINDER, Mr. EVANS, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. ZOE 
LOFGREN of California, Mr. WYNN, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, 
Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mrs. 
MCCARTHY, Mr. WEINER, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, 
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. POR-
TER, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. WOLF, Ms. 
DELAURO, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. DAVIS of 
Florida, Mr. CHABOT, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. HOLT, Ms. CARSON, Ms. ROY-
BAL-ALLARD, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. BROWN of South Caro-
lina, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. GOODE, Mrs. JO ANN 
DAVIS of Virginia, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. MEE-
HAN, Mr. FITZPATRICK of Pennsylvania, Mr. OWENS, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. 
RYAN of Ohio, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. 
MCCOTTER, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, 
Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. EMANUEL, Mr. 
RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. DENT, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr. CASE, Mr. 
FATTAH, Mr. KLINE, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, 
Mr. GERLACH, Mr. BRADY
of Pennsylvania, Mr. EHLERS, Ms. 
BORDALLO, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. DOGGETT, Mrs. DAVIS of Cali-
fornia, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina, 
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. KEL-
LER, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Ms. NORTON, 
Mr. OXLEY, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. WAMP, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of Cali-
fornia, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. MILLER of North 
Carolina, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. 
JACKSON-LEE
of Texas, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. 
KUCINICH, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. FORD, Mr. THOMPSON of Mis-
sissippi, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. 
REGULA, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. 
HYDE, Mr. SHUSTER, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. CHAN-
DLER, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. 
WELLER, Mr. CAMPBELL of California, and Mr. BURTON of Indiana 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 
Reported adversely from the Committee on Agriculture with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
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[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 1, 2005] 
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 
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(3) by inserting after paragraph (3), as so redes-
ignated, 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; and 
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‘‘(5) the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service of the Department of Agriculture has found 
that horses and other equines cannot be safely and hu-
manely 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, pos-
sessing, purchasing, selling, or donation in intrastate 
commerce of horses and other equines to be slaugh-
tered 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 fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(8) As a pilot program to evaluate the feasi-
bility and practicability of imposing such a prohibi-
tion nation-wide, the shipping, transporting, moving, 
delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, 
or donation of any horse or other equine in the States 
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