Save America's Forgotten Equines Act of 2025 or the SAFE Act of 2025
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 (1) slaughtering an equine for human consumption; or (2) shipping, transporting, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donating an equine to be slaughtered for human consumption or equine parts for human consumption.
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.
As background, in recent years, the 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 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1661 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1661
To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the
slaughter of equines for human consumption.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2025
Mr. Buchanan (for himself, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Nehls, Mr. Beyer, Mr.
Ciscomani, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs. Kim,
Mr. Foster, Mr. Steube, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Ms.
Escobar, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Barr, Mr. Quigley, Mr.
Carey, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. LaLota, Mr.
Espaillat, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Ms. Meng, Ms.
Pingree, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Pocan, Mrs. Trahan, Mr. McGarvey, Mr.
Takano, Ms. Stansbury, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Stanton, Mr.
Smith of Washington, Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Mrvan, Ms. Chu, Ms.
Salinas, Mr. Horsford, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Matsui,
Mr. Doggett, Mr. Carson, Ms. DelBene, Ms. Perez, Ms. Omar, Ms.
McCollum, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Garcia of
California, Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Correa, Mr. Lieu, Mr. Torres of New York,
Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Frost, Ms. Titus, Ms. Brownley, Mr.
Peters, Ms. Hoyle of Oregon, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Schweikert, Mr.
Tonko, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mrs.
Beatty, Ms. Jayapal, Mrs. Sykes, Mr. Neal, Ms. Sherrill, Mr.
Haridopolos, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Pappas, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. Foushee, Mr.
Amo, Mr. Latimer, Mr. Calvert, Ms. Scholten, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania,
Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Crow, Ms. Moore of
Wisconsin, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Huffman, Mr.
Gomez, Ms. Ross, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Norton, Ms. Adams, Ms. Salazar, Mr.
Bilirakis, and Mr. Kean) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
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 2025'' or the ``SAFE Act of 2025''.
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 House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
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