Save America's Forgotten Equines Act of 2023 or the SAFE Act of 2023
This bill permanently prohibits the slaughter of equines (e.g., horses and mules) for human consumption. (Current law prohibits the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. This bill extends the prohibition to equines.)
Specifically, this bill prohibits a person from knowingly
The bill subjects a violator to a fine.
The bill applies to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. However, it does not apply to an activity carried out by an Indian for a religious ceremony.
In recent years, appropriations acts have prohibited the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using federal funds to inspect horses before they are slaughtered for human consumption. Therefore, there are currently no USDA-inspected horse slaughter facilities in the United States.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2037 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2037
To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the
slaughter of equines for human consumption.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 15, 2023
Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Graham, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Collins,
Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Booker, and
Mr. Fetterman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the
slaughter of equines for human consumption.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Save America's Forgotten Equines Act
of 2023'' or the ``SAFE Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON SLAUGHTER OF EQUINES FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.
Section 12515 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C.
2160) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``dogs and cats''
and inserting ``dogs, cats, and equines''; and
(2) in subsection (a), by striking ``a dog or cat'' each
place it appears and inserting ``a dog, cat, or equine''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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