PAST Act

Bill: 113-hr-1518
Sponsor: Rep. Whitfield, Ed [R-KY-1]
Introduced: 2013-04-11 in the House
Policy area: Animals
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Crimes against animals and natural resources
Department of Agriculture
Government information and archives
Licensing and registrations
Mammals
Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
Veterinary medicine and animal diseases

Summary:
action_date: 2013-04-11
text: 
 Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to replace the Designated Qualified Persons program responsible for inspecting horses for soring with a new inspection system. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prescribe regulatory requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. 
 
Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Authorizes USDA to revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. Requires USDA to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians in issuing the licenses.
 
Requires USDA to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors.
 
Directs an inspector to issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of the violations within five days of the citation being issued.
 
Requires USDA to: (1) publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act; and (2) disqualify a horse that is sore for specified time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance.
 
Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse.
 
 Prohibits showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device that causes friction by rotating around a horse's leg or sliding up and down the leg or strikes the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter a horse's gait and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. 
 
Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. 
 
Authorizes USDA to disqualify a violator from: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted.
 
 Permits USDA to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-04-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
action_date: 2013-04-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E441)
action_date: 2013-04-11
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2013-04-11
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2013-04-11
text: Introduced in House