Sponsors (10)
The bill trades clearer federal protection for equines and reduced commercial slaughter (benefiting animal welfare and owners) against lost markets and income for producers/processors, potential criminal/enforcement risks for transporters, and legal/revenue conflicts for state and tribal authorities.
Animal welfare organizations and the public benefit because the bill explicitly bars commercial slaughter and sale of equines for human consumption, reducing killing and market-forced sales of horses.
Equine owners and advocates (including people who rely on horses for disability services) gain clearer legal protection because equines are explicitly excluded from slaughter for human consumption.
Horse owners, breeders, and businesses that sold or processed equine meat for human consumption lose that market and potential income because the bill prohibits commercial sale for human food.
Interstate transporters and processors who handled equine products face criminal penalties or increased enforcement risk because the statute reaches activities in interstate commerce related to equine slaughter/sale.
States and Tribal governments that previously regulated limited equine slaughter or derived revenue from related commerce may face legal conflicts or lost revenue because federal prohibition preempts or conflicts with local rules.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds equines (horses and similar animals) to the statute that prohibits slaughter and listed misconduct for dogs and cats, so the ban now covers "a dog, cat, or equine."
Adds horses and other equines to an existing federal ban that currently covers certain conduct involving dogs and cats. The change makes the statute’s prohibition on slaughter and the enumerated illegal acts apply to “a dog, cat, or equine,” while leaving existing penalties, interstate-commerce scope, tribal exception, and State preemption language unchanged.
Official title: Amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Lindsey O. Graham · Last progress February 27, 2025