Legislation Introduced to Protect Wild Horses and Burros--SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!

INFORMATION VIA WILD HORSE ADVOCATES:

Representative Rep Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) introduced the following legislation on January 15, 2005.

109TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 297
To restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. RAHALL (for himself and Mr. WHITFIELD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on _________________

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) IN GENERAL - Section 3(d)(5) of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1333(d)(5)) is amended -

(1) by striking the period and inserting the following: "Provided, That no wild free-roaming horse or burro or its remains may be sold or transferred for consideration for processing into commercial products."; and
(2) by striking subsection (e).

(b) CRIMINAL PROVISIONS.—Section (8)(a)(4) of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1338(a)(4)) is amended by striking "except as provided in section 3(e),"


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What the bill means:

If HR-297 passes, it will:

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.)

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.)

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 House of Representatives, be passed in the Senate and be signed by the President before it becomes law. Public support is still needed! ******

Action needed!

Contact Congressmen Rahill and Whitfield and offer thanks and support.

• Congressman Rahall's Web Site
  
• Congressman Whitfield's Web Site

Contact your own Congressman and ask him/her to support HR-297.
Locate your Congressman here

Continue your correspondence to Senators in opposition to wild horse slaughter sales.
Locate your Senator here