I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6341 
To amend the Horse Protection Act to provide increased protection for horses 
participating in shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 23, 2021 
Mr. DESJARLAIS (for himself and Mr. ROSE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Horse Protection Act to provide increased 
protection for horses participating in shows, exhibitions, 
sales, and auctions, 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 ‘‘Protecting Horses 
from Soring Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 2 of the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 
1821) is amended— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 23, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6341.IH
H6341
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(1) by striking the section designation and all 
that follows through ‘‘requires:’’ in the matter pre-
ceding paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 
‘‘SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this Act:’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), 
and (4) as paragraphs (2), (4), (5), and (6), respec-
tively; 
(3) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so re-
designated) the following: 
‘‘(1) HORSE
INDUSTRY
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘Horse Industry Organization’ means the orga-
nization established under section 4(c)(1)(A).’’; and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (2) (as so re-
designated) the following: 
‘‘(3) OBJECTIVE INSPECTION.—The term ‘ob-
jective inspection’ means an inspection conducted by 
a veterinarian or veterinarian technician using only 
an inspection method based on a science-based pro-
tocol that consists of, at a minimum, swabbing and 
blood testing, and that— 
‘‘(A) has been the subject of testing and is 
capable of producing scientifically reliable and 
reproducible results; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 23, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6341.IH
H6341
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(B) has been subjected to peer review; 
and 
‘‘(C) has received acceptance in the veteri-
nary or other applicable scientific community, 
as determined by the Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Section 3 of the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 
1822) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 
paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) the Inspector General of the Department 
of Agriculture has determined that the program 
through which the Secretary inspects horses is not 
adequate to ensure compliance with this Act;’’. 
SEC. 4. INCREASING PROTECTIONS FOR HORSES PARTICI-
PATING IN HORSE SHOWS, EXHIBITIONS, 
SALES, OR AUCTIONS. 
(a) HORSE SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS.—Section 4 of 
the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1823) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(a) DISQUALIFICATION OF HORSES.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 23, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6341.IH
H6341
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The management of any 
horse show or horse exhibition shall disqualify any 
horse from being shown or exhibited if— 
‘‘(A) the horse is determined to be sore by 
an objective inspection; or 
‘‘(B) the management has been notified 
that the horse is sore by— 
‘‘(i) a person licensed under sub-
section (c)(3)(A); or 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) DURATION
OF
DISQUALIFICATION.—Any 
horse that is determined to be sore by an objective 
inspection shall be disqualified from being shown or 
exhibited— 
‘‘(A) for a period of not less than 30 days 
if it is the first determination; and 
‘‘(B) for a period of not less than 90 days 
if it is a second or subsequent determination.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(b) The management’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(b) PROHIBITION ON SALE, AUCTION, AND EXHI-
BITION.—The management’’; 
(3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 23, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6341.IH
H6341
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(c) HORSE INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of the Pro-
tecting Horses from Soring Act of 2021, the 
Secretary shall establish an organization, to be 
known as the ‘Horse Industry Organization’ 
(referred to in this subsection as ‘the Organiza-
tion’). 
‘‘(B) BOARD.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Organization 
shall be governed by a board (referred to 
in this subsection as ‘the Board’) con-
sisting of not more than 9 individuals, of 
whom— 
‘‘(I) two shall be appointed by 
the Commissioner of Agriculture for 
the State of Tennessee; 
‘‘(II) two shall be appointed by 
the Commissioner of Agriculture for 
the State of Kentucky; 
‘‘(III) two shall— 
‘‘(aa) represent the Ten-
nessee Walking Horse industry; 
and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 23, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6341.IH
H6341
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(bb) be appointed by the 
members appointed under sub-
clauses (I) and (II), in accord-
ance with a process developed by 
those members; and 
‘‘(IV) not more than three shall 
be appointed by the members ap-
pointed under subclauses (I) through 
(III). 
‘‘(ii) QUORUM.—Five members of the 
Board shall constitute a quorum for the 
transaction of business. 
‘‘(iii) BYLAWS.—The members of the 
Board, in consultation with the Secretary, 
shall develop bylaws and other policies to 
operate the Organization, establish com-
mittees, and fill vacancies on the Board. 
‘‘(C) VACANCIES; PERIOD
OF
APPOINT-
MENT.— 
‘‘(i) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy on the 
Board— 
‘‘(I) shall not impair the author-
ity of the Board; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 23, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6341.IH
H6341
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS