SAFE Act of 2023
Latest action · Jun 23, 2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 18, 2023
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Save America's Forgotten Equines Act of 2023 or the SAFE Act of 2023
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
- slaughtering an equine for human consumption; or
- 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.
In recent years, 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.
Cosponsors 236
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 18, 2023 to Nov 26, 2024, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-IL | Janice D. Schakowsky | Original | May 18, 2023 |
| D-CA | Barbara Lee | May 23, 2023 | |
| D-CA | Brad Sherman | May 23, 2023 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | May 23, 2023 | |
| D-FL | Frederica S. Wilson | May 23, 2023 | |
| D-VA | Gerald E. Connolly | May 23, 2023 | |
| D-CA | Jimmy Panetta | May 23, 2023 | |
| R-OH | Mike Carey | May 23, 2023 | |
| R-SC | Nancy Mace | May 23, 2023 | |
| R-NY | Nicole Malliotakis | May 23, 2023 | |
| D-CO | Jason Crow | May 25, 2023 | |
| D-CO | Joe Neguse | May 25, 2023 | |
| R-FL | W. Gregory Steube | Jun 12, 2023 | |
| D-NJ | Bill Pascrell, Jr. | Jun 13, 2023 | |
| D-CO | Brittany Pettersen | Jun 13, 2023 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 23, 2023Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- May 18, 2023Introduced in House
- May 18, 2023Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2037 | SAFE Act of 2023 | Identical bill | Jun 15, 2023 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Agriculture and Food.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 18, 2023Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.