BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE FOOD and AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE
Senator Dean Florez, Chairman
BILL NO: SJR 22 HEARING: 3/16/10
AUTHOR: Florez FISCAL: No
VERSION: 2/10/10 CONSULTANT: John Chandler
Horses.
BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW
In 1998, California voters passed Proposition 6, the Prohibition
on Slaughter of Horses and Sale of Horsemeat for Human
Consumption Initiative, with over 59% of the vote. Proposition
6 established a felony crime for any person who buys, sells,
gives away, holds, imports, exports, or accepts a horse with the
intent to slaughter or have another slaughter the horse for
human consumption. The proposition also established a
misdemeanor for the sale of horsemeat for human consumption.
Currently in the United States Congress, there are two bills, HR
503 and S 727, to create the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of
2009. These bills would amend the federal criminal code to
impose a fine and/or prison term of up to three years for
possessing, shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling,
delivering, or receiving any horse, horse flesh, or carcass with
the intent that it be used for human consumption. The bills
reduce the prison term to one year if the offense involves less
than five horses or less than 2,000 pounds of horse flesh or
carcass and the offender has no prior conviction for this
offense.
HR 503 and S 727 are the latest efforts to prevent the slaughter
of horses for human consumption. During previous Congressional
sessions, similar efforts have attempted to move a horse
slaughter ban through Congress. However, none of those bills
has made it into federal law.
It is estimated that around 100,000 American horses are
slaughtered for their meat per year.
PROPOSED LAW
SJR 22 requests Congress to support federal legislation to
protect American horses from slaughter for human consumption.
COMMENTS
1.Proponents of this resolution state that despite the passage
SJR 22 - Page 2
of Proposition 6 in California to stop the slaughter of horses
for human consumption California horses are being transported
out of the state to auction where they can be purchased for
slaughter for human consumption. A national standard by
federal law preventing horse slaughter for human consumption
would reinforce the actions taken in California, with the
passage of Proposition 6, to protect California's horses from
slaughter for human consumption.
Proponents further state that many of the horses sent to
slaughter are in sound and good condition. When these horses
are sent to auction, horse rescue operators report being
outbid by buyers sending horses to slaughter. Congressional
adoption of a national ban would help horse rescue operations
while bringing federal law protecting horses from human
consumption to the same level as California.
SUPPORT
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Humane Society of the United States
OPPOSITION
None received