Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Wild Horse Integrity and Slaughter Prevention Act”.
Wild Horse Integrity and Slaughter Prevention Act
A BILL
To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to provide for criminal penalties for acquiring a wild free-roaming horse or burro with the intention of transferring such animal for processing into commercial products, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Time period before title granted; criminal penalty
The Act of December 15, 1971 (16 U.S.C. 1331, et seq.; commonly known as the “Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act”) is amended as follows:
In section 3(c) (16 U.S.C. 1333(c))—
by striking “period of one year” and inserting “period of 6 months”; and
by striking “one-year period” and inserting “6-month period”.
In section 8 (16 U.S.C. 1338)—
by striking “Any person who” and inserting “(a) Any person who”;
in paragraph (4), by striking “except as provided in section 3(e),”;
by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (8);
by inserting after paragraph (5), the following:
“(6) acquires a wild free-roaming horse or burro, or the remains thereof, with the intention of transferring such animal, or the remains thereof, directly or indirectly, for processing into commercial products, or
“(7) knowingly transfers an acquired wild free-roaming horse or burro, or the remains thereof, directly or indirectly, for processing commercial products, or”
in the matter following paragraph (8), as so redesignated, by striking “be subject to” and all that follows through “United States Code” and inserting “have committed a felony offense punishable by a fine of not more than $2,000, imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, or both”; and
by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
“(b) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, and their respective employees, shall have power to investigate possible violations of the offenses listed in subsection (a). A finding of non-compliance shall be referred to the Attorney General (or one of the U.S. Attorney’s offices serving under the Attorney General) for prosecution.”