BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SJR 22|
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SJR 22
Author: Florez (D)
Amended: 8/2/10
Vote: 21
SENATE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE : 3-1, 3/16/10
AYES: Florez, Hancock, Wolk
NOES: Hollingsworth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado
SENATE FLOOR : 27-7, 4/15/10
AYES: Alquist, Calderon, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, Cox,
DeSaulnier, Florez, Hancock, Kehoe, Leno, Liu, Lowenthal,
Maldonado, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Padilla, Pavley,
Price, Romero, Simitian, Steinberg, Strickland, Wolk,
Wright, Wyland, Yee
NOES: Ashburn, Dutton, Harman, Hollingsworth, Huff,
Runner, Walters
NO VOTE RECORDED: Aanestad, Cogdill, Denham, Ducheny,
Wiggins, Vacancy
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 55-16, 8/16/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Horses
SOURCE : The Humane Society of the United States
DIGEST : This resolution memorializes the United States
Congress to support federal legislation to protect American
horses from slaughter for human consumption.
CONTINUED
SJR 22
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Assembly Amendments are technical and clarifying in nature.
ANALYSIS : In 1998, California voters passed Proposition
6, the Prohibition on Slaughter of Horses and Sale of
Horsemeat for Human Consumption Initiative, with over 59
percent 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, H.R. 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.
H.R. 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 approximately 100,000 American horses
are slaughtered for their meat per year.
This resolution requests the United States Congress to
support federal legislation to protect American horses from
slaughter for human consumption.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 3/17/10) (Unable to reverify)
CONTINUED
SJR 22
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The Humane Society of the United States (source)
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
California Horsemen's Alliance
Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association
Tranquility Farm
United Animal Nations
Veterinarians for Equine Welfare
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Proponents of this resolution
state that despite the passage 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.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Ammiano, Arambula, Beall, Block, Blumenfield,
Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Carter, Chesbro,
Conway, Coto, De La Torre, De Leon, Eng, Evans, Feuer,
Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Galgiani,
Gatto, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber,
Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Lieu, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma,
Mendoza, Nava, Nestande, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,
Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra
Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Yamada,
John A. Perez
NOES: Adams, Anderson, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill,
DeVore, Gaines, Gilmore, Hagman, Logue, Miller, Niello,
Nielsen, Norby, Silva, Tran, Villines
CONTINUED
SJR 22
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NO VOTE RECORDED: Bass, Blakeslee, Charles Calderon, Cook,
Davis, Garrick, Knight, Monning, Vacancy
TSM:mw 8/17/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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