Congress Attempts Again to Ban Double-Deckers
(courtesy the American Horse Council)
On January 8, Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2009 (H.R. 305). The bill would prohibit the interstate transport of any horse in a double-decker truck.
This bill was also introduced in the last Congress. It calls for civil penalties of $100 to $500 for each violation. A separate violation occurs for each horse transported.
Congressman Kirk said he was prompted to introduce this legislation by the accident in Wadsworth, Illinois in October, 2007, which involved the overturning of a double-decker cattle truck carrying 59 Belgian draft horses. Eight horses died at the scene and 10 were later euthanized.
Several states have passed legislation banning the transport of horses in double-decker trucks and the United States Department of Agriculture has proposed rules to prohibit the transport of horses to slaughter in such vehicles. However, this is the first federal bill introduced prohibiting the transport of all horses in such trucks.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. |
