What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
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.
Action Timeline
2025-03-28
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
2025-02-27
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
2025-02-27
Introduced in House
2025-02-27
Introduced in House
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.1661 pass?
HR.1661 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: 32%.
What does HR.1661 do?
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 …
Who sponsored HR.1661?
HR.1661 was sponsored by Vern Buchanan (R-Florida).
Full Bill Text
119 HR 1661 IH: Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act of 2025 U.S. House of Representatives 2025-02-27 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1661 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. García 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. Barragán , 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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act of 2025 or the SAFE Act of 2025 . 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 .
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