[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6598 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6598

  To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain conduct 
          relating to the use of horses for human consumption.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 2008

Mr. Conyers (for himself, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Jones 
of North Carolina, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. 
    Scott of Virginia, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. 
Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Nadler, and Ms. Sutton) introduced the following 
       bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain conduct 
          relating to the use of horses 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 ``Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 
2008''.

SEC. 2. SLAUGHTER OF HORSES FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 50. Slaughter of horses for human consumption
    ``(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever knowingly--
            ``(1) possesses, ships, transports, purchases, sells, 
        delivers, or receives, in or affecting interstate commerce or 
        foreign commerce, any horse with the intent that it is to be 
        slaughtered for human consumption; or
            ``(2) possesses, ships, transports, purchases, sells, 
        delivers, or receives, in or affecting interstate commerce or 
        foreign commerce, any horse flesh or carcass or part of a 
        carcass, with the intent that it is to be used for human 
        consumption;
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years 
or both.
    ``(b) If--
            ``(1) the defendant engages in conduct that would otherwise 
        constitute an offense under subsection (a);
            ``(2) the defendant has no prior conviction under this 
        section; and
            ``(3) the conduct involves less than five horses or less 
        than 2000 pounds of horse flesh or carcass or part of a 
        carcass;
the defendant shall, instead of being punished under that subsection, 
be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or 
both.
    ``(c) The Attorney General shall provide for the humane placement 
or other humane disposition of any horse seized in connection with an 
offense under this section.
    ``(d) As used in this section, the term `horse' means any member of 
the family Equidae.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 3 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``50. Slaughter of horses for human consumption.''.
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