Horse Slaughter Bills Reintroduced

January 21, 2007 — 

Bills were reintroduced in both the U.S. House and Senate to amend the Horse Protection Act to prevent the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

Similar bills were introduced in the 2006 Congress. The bill subsequently passed the House but stalled in the Senate. This year's House bill (H.R. 503) has been referred to both the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The Senate bill (S. 311) has been referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

In related news, a federal appeals court has ruled that horse slaughter for human consumption is illegal in the state of Texas. If enforced, this would leave only a single plant, located in Illinois, performing equine slaughter in the U.S. The federal court case was supported by an amicus brief filed by the Humane Society of the US (HSUS). The ruling in this case could have an impact on the legislative process as the bills move through the U.S. Congress.