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Senate Companion Bill Introduced
to Protect Wild Horses & Burros

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Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) introduced the following legislation on March 9th, 2005 To restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros. (Introduced in Senate)

S 576 IS

109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 576

To restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 9, 2005

Mr. BYRD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SALE OF WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS.

    (a) Prohibition- Section 3 of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1333) (as amended by section 142(a) of Public Law 108-447 (118 Stat. 3070)) is amended by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:

      '(e) Prohibition of Sale of Wild Free-roaming Horses and Burros- No wild free-roaming horse or burro or the remains of a wild free-roaming horse or burro may be sold or transferred for consideration for processing into commercial products.'.

    (b) Criminal Provisions- Section 8(a)(4) of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1338(a)(4)) (as amended by section 142(b) of Public Law 108-447 (118 Stat. 3071)) is amended by striking `except as provided in section 3(e),'.

What the bill means:

If S.576 passes, it will

  1. Prohibit sales of BLM wild horses and burros for purposes of rendering into any commercial products (e.g., they can't be sold for slaughter.)

  2. Repeal the section in the Burns rider that exempts the older animals and "three strikes" animals from the protection of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. (Those protections would again be in force.)

  3. Repeal language eliminating criminal penalties for using wild horses and burros for unlawful commercial purposes.

Note: This bill still has to clear committee, be passed by the Senate, a companion bill, H.R. 297 has to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by the President before it becomes law. Public support is still needed!

Actions needed:

  1. Contact Senator Byrd and offer thanks and support.
    • Senator Byrd's Web Site

  2. Contact your own Senator and ask him/her to support S.576.
    • Locate your Senator here

  3. Contact your Congressman and urge him/her to cosponsor H.R. 297.
    • Locate your Congressman here

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For a related story, please see Animal rights group wants to give doomed horses to tribes.