Install
SAFE Act of 2025
A bill to amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption.
- Introduced
- Committee
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To President
- Became law
Summary
Save America's Forgotten Equines Act of 2025 or the SAFE Act of 2025
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 (1) slaughtering an equine for human consumption; or (2) 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.
As background, in recent years, the 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.
Summary by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Actions
- Feb 27, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Feb 27, 2025 Introduced in Senate
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