The Senate sponsor of the Safeguard American Food Exports Act (SAFE Act), S.B. 541, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D–LA) has said the bill “will pass this year”. The SAFE Act is the latest effort in Congress to ban horse slaughter for human consumption.
The bill would amend the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 331, by adding provisions declaring equine parts are unsafe as food and prohibiting the “knowing sale or transport of equines or equine parts in interstate or foreign commerce for purposes of human consumption”.
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) is the co-sponsor in the Senate.
Find your U.S. senators here. Find out if your senators have signed up to co-sponsor S.B.541.
The SAFE Act is currently pending before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Find out if either of your senators is on the committee.
The House of Representatives version, H.R. 1094, was introduced by Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa).
Find your U.S. representative here. Find out if your representative has signed up to co-sponsor H.R. 1094, the SAFE Act. The House version of the SAFE Act is pending in the Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit. Find out if your representative is on the committee.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
If either of your senators or your rep is not a co-sponsor, please call now and urge them to support an end to horse slaughter, the SAFE Act, S.B. 541/H.R. 1094. If your senators or reps is on the committee assigned to the SAFE Act, let them know you want them to vote yes and help pass the bill out of committee with a favorable vote.
The text of the bill contains strong talking points:
(1) horses and other equines are domestic animals that are used primarily for recreation, pleasure, and sport;
(2) horses and other members of the equidae family are not raised for the purpose of human consumption;
(3) equines raised in the United States are frequently treated with drugs, including phenylbutazone, acepromazine, boldenone undecylenate, omeprazole, ketoprofen, xylazine, hyaluronic acid, nitrofurazone, polysulfated glycosaminoglycan, clenbuterol, tolazoline, and ponazuril, which are not approved for use in horses intended for human consumption;
(4) consuming parts of an equine raised in the United States likely poses a serious threat to human health and the public should be protected from these unsafe products; and
(5) the sale and transport of equines for the purpose of processing for human consumption, and the sale and transport of equine parts for human consumption, are economic in nature and substantially affect interstate and foreign commerce.
Also, read and use Animal Law Coalition’s 12 Reasons to Oppose Horse Slaughter
There has been an effort since 2001 to enact a federal ban on slaughter that would also prohibit the sale and export of U.S. horses for slaughter for human consumption:
• 2001: H.R.2622 Helping Out to Rescue and Save Equines Act;
• 2002: H.R.3781 The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act;
• 2003: H.R.857 The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act;
• 2004: S.2352 American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2004;
• 2005: H.R. 503, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act;
S.1915, Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act;
• 9/7/2006: U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act by a vote of 263-146;
• 2006: S.1915 Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act died in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
• 2007: H.R.503, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act;
S.311, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act;
• 4/25/2007: The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee approved S.311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act by a vote of 15 to 7.
• 2008: H.R.6598, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008;
• 9/23/2008: H.R.6598 passed the House Judiciary Committee by voice vote.
• 2009: H.R.503, Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009;
S.727, the Landrieu-Ensign Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act;
• 2011: H.R.2966, American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011;
S.1176, American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011.