Introduction
The horse industry is hurt by floods, droughts, ice storms and hurricanes just like other livestock and crops. But few horse breeders are eligible for the various forms of emergency federal assistance provided in such circumstances. While producers of horses kept for the production of food or fiber on the owner’s farm can qualify for federal emergency assistance, producers of other horses are cannot.
If a breeding farm or ranch loses horses because of floods, tornadoes or other natural disasters, it has lost its “crop” and has nothing to sell. When grazing lands are lost because of flood or drought, and feed must be purchased for horses, it is possible that a breeder might have to sell his horses at distressed prices because he could no longer afford to provide for them. Under these circumstances, federal emergency assistance would help some people to keep their breeding operations rather than selling them.
Legislation
On
Congressional Action
When the Senate considered the USDA
FY 2006 appropriations bill in September, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
offered the provision in the Equine Equity Act to make horses eligible for
federal assistance as an amendment. This
was passed by voice vote. Its effective
date was rolled back to
There was no similar provision in the House-passed USDA FY 2006 Appropriations bill.
The Conference Committee formed
to work out the various differences between the two bills accepted the Senate
version of this provision with the new federal assistance program. Language making horses eligible for some
federal disaster assistance programs was included in the final USDA FY 2006 appropriations
bill passed by Congress and signed by the President last Fall. The provision is the same as the language
regarding federal assistance in the Equine Equity Act (S. 1528) introduced in
the Senate by Senators McConnell, Bunning and Lincoln, except that it was made
retroactive to
The provision will include horses within the scope of livestock eligible for some federal programs provided for in other statutes governing emergency federal programs. Importantly, it repeals the language in the outdated Agricultural Act of 1949 limiting emergency funds to horses “used for food or the production of food.” This limitation has been a major stumbling block to making horses eligible for federal assistance.
The various federal programs that provide relief to livestock and crop producers following a disaster are a hodge-podge of programs that require specific appropriations. Horses will now be eligible for some funds when they are appropriated, but not all. Nonetheless this is a good first step and removes the major stumbling block to funding eligibility. The industry must continue to work on this initiative to make horse owners and breeders eligible for all programs when funds are appropriated, just like other livestock producers.
The industry must still be vigilant when federal funds are appropriated for emergency relief horses to ensure that horses are now a part of the mix. While several statutes have been changed, the specific appropriations bill must reference the new broader provisions making horses eligible.
AHC Position
The AHC has long supported the industry’s efforts to make horses eligible livestock for federal emergency monies under the same circumstances that producers of other crops and livestock have been eligible for. Broadening the current emergency assistance programs to include horses rectifies the unfair situation facing horse owners and breeders.