[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 503 Placed on Calendar Senate (PCS)]
Calendar No. 631
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 503
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 20, 2006
Received and read the first time
September 21. 2006
Read the second time and placed on the calendar
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
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 Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PROHIBITION ON SHIPPING, TRANSPORTING, MOVING, DELIVERING,
RECEIVING, POSSESSING, PURCHASING, SELLING, OR DONATION
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), respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated,
the following new paragraph:
``(1) The term `human consumption' means ingestion by
people as a source of food.''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3), as so redesignated,
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 redesignated, 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 animals 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 purpose 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 redesignated, and
inserting the following new paragraph:
``(8) the movement, showing, exhibition, or sale of sore
horses in intrastate commerce, and the shipping, transporting,
moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling,
or donation in intrastate 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, delivering,
receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of any
horse or other equine to be slaughtered 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 redesignated,
the following new paragraph:
``(1) The Secretary may detain for examination, testing, or the
taking of evidence--
``(A) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, 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 Secretary 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''.
Passed the House of Representatives September 7, 2006.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.
Calendar No. 631
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 503
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 21, 2006
Read the second time and placed on the calendar