[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 727 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 727

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 26, 2009

  Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
  Graham, Ms. Collins, Mr. McCain, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
 Levin, Mr. Carper, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Byrd, Mr. Kerry, and Mr. Leahy) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 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 
2009''.

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) 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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