[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1847 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1847

To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to make it unlawful for 
  any stockyard owner, market agency, or dealer to transfer or market 
 nonambulatory cattle, sheep, swine, horses, mules, or goats, and for 
                            other purposes.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 6, 1996

 Mr. Akaka (for himself and Mr. Smith) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to make it unlawful for 
  any stockyard owner, market agency, or dealer to transfer or market 
 nonambulatory cattle, sheep, swine, horses, mules, or goats, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Downed Animal Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. UNLAWFUL STOCKYARD PRACTICES INVOLVING NONAMBULATORY LIVESTOCK.

    (A) Unlawful Practices.--Title III of the Packers and Stockyards 
Act, 1921, is amended by inserting after section 317 (7 U.S.C. 217a) 
the following new section:

``SEC. 318. UNLAWFUL STOCKYARD PRACTICES INVOLVING NONAMBULATORY 
              LIVESTOCK.

    ``(a) Definitions.--As used in this section:
            ``(1) The term `humanely euthanized' means to kill an 
        animal by mechanical, chemical, or other means that immediately 
        render the animal unconscious, with this state remaining until 
        the animal's death.
            ``(2) The term `nonambulatory livestock' means any 
        livestock that is unable to stand and walk unassisted.
    ``(b) Unlawful Practices.--It shall be unlawful for any stockyard 
owner, market agency, or dealer to buy, sell, give, receive, transfer, 
market, hold, or drag any nonambulatory livestock unless the 
nonambulatory livestock has been humanely euthanized.
    ``(c) Effective Date; Rules.--Section 318 of the Packers and 
Stockyards Act, 1921, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect at 
the end of the one-year period beginning on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. By the end of such period, the Secretary shall issue rules 
to implement such section.
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