General Issues

On February 13, Secretary Vilsack unveiled the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) portion of the President's Budget proposal for fiscal year 2013 (FY2013).  The President is required to submit a Budget to Congress on the first Monday in February.  The President's budget is basically an outline of the administration's priorities for the year ahead. The USDA budget proposal calls for approximately $700 million in discretionary spending cuts from the 2012 enacted level.  The 2012 fiscal year expires on September 30, 2012. 

On June 27, 2011, Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 (S.1281).  The bill would prohibit the interstate transport of any horse in a double-deck truck. Background

On June 9, 2011 Senator Mary Landreiu (D-LA) introduced the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act S.1176 and on September 19, 2011, Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) introduced the House version of this bill H.R.2966.  This bill would prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The Bill

Several tax bills were passed in the last Congress that extended tax benefits for the horse industry for additional years.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the stimulus act, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, passed during the lame-duck session, all included important tax benefits. Some of these provisions have been extended; others have not allowing them to revert to prior levels, which are still favorable.

Despite substantial efforts to recruit and train U.S. workers, horse farms, ranches, horse shows, trainers and others must use both the H-2B and H-2A temporary foreign worker programs to meet their labor needs.  Without foreign workers the horse industry could not continue to operate as now does.

On November 18, 2011 the President signed the FY 2012 USDA appropriations bill (H.R. 2112) this bill provides funding for the USDA for the 2012 fiscal year (October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012) and contains several provisions of interest to the horse industry. The bill also included a Continuing Resolution (CR) that funded other government activities through December 16, 2011 and contained a provision concerning a new H-2B temporary worker program wage rule opposed by the AHC.     Background

On September 7, 2011 Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced the American Specialty Agriculture Act (H.R.2847).  This bill would create a new, less burdensome temporary foreign agricultural worker program to replace the current H-2A program.

In April 2011, the Senate passed and the President signed the bill to repeal the new 1099 reporting requirement that was scheduled to kick-in in 2012. The House had approved the same bill (H.R 4), introduced by Congressman Lungren (R-CA), earlier this year. The bill repeals only the new broader reporting requirements.  Businesses will still have to send 1099s to independent contractors as current law requires.

Congress has passed an Omnibus Appropriations bill (H.R.2055) that in addition to funding most federal agencies for the remainder of the 2012 fiscal year (October 1, 2011 to September 31, 2012) will prohibit the Department of Labor (DOL) from implementing a new wage rule for the H-2B program.   The new wage rule is opposed by the American Horse Council (AHC) and other H-2B users and would have gone into effect on January 1, 2012.

Today, Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) announced he will be introducing the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act shortly.  The bill will amend the Animal Welfare Act to restrict the use of "exotic and non-domesticated animals in traveling circuses and exhibitions." Congressman Moran announced the bill during a press conference with representatives from Animal Defenders International, PAWS, and Bob Barker, former host of "The Price is Right."

On September 7, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) adopted the final rule amending the regulatory protections provided under the Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Act (the Act) to horses bound for slaughter. The final rule changes extend the same regulatory protections to horses transported to intermediate points, such as assembly points, feedlots, or stockyards, as those shipped directly to slaughter.  The proposed rule changes were published on November 7, 2007, and the final rule changes went into effect on October 7, 2011.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released its eighteen month report entitled “Horse Welfare: Action Needed to Address Unintended Consequences from Cessation of Domestic Slaughter.”  To view the complete report go to: http://www.gao.gov/Products/GAO-11-228

In July, 2008, the Department of Justice proposed new rules under the Americans with Disabilities Act (Act or ADA) to update the standards originally contained in the 1990 Act and to make the requirements “consistent with the minimum guidelines and requirements issued by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board,” published in 2004. The DOJ has issued a final rule that will take effect March 15, 2011.

On April 16, 2010, President Obama launched the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative (AGO).  A central part of the initiative was an effort to collect the view points of Americans and produce a report. The American Horse Council submitted comments to the Administration concerning the equestrian community’s connection to America’s private and public land.

In February 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) replaced its proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS) with the Animal Disease Traceability Program (ADTP).

Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) infection in horses can cause respiratory disease, abortion in mares, neonatal foal death, and/or neurologic disease.  The neurologic form of EHV-1 is called Equine Herpes Virus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM).  While EHV-1 and EHM are only officially listed as reportable diseases in some states, private veterinary practitioners are encouraged to notify their state animal health officials of any suspected or confirmed cases, regardless of current official state reporting requirements.  Background

The American Horse Council (AHC) has submitted comments to the Department of Labor (DOL) on a proposed rule governing the H-2B program temporary guest worker program. The H-2B program is used by members of the horse industry, principally horse trainers and owners who cannot find American workers to fill semi-skilled jobs at racetracks, horse shows, fairs and in similar non-agricultural activities. Background

The Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed new child labor regulations applicable to agriculture.  The DOL’s stated purpose for the rule making is “to improve the safety of minors under 18 working in both agricultural and nonagricultural jobs.”  The proposed rule changes would place new limits on the work “hired farm workers” under 16 and 18 would be allowed to do and could impact horse farms, ranches and auctions that employ young people who work with horses.   The proposed new rules would not apply to children working on farms and ranches owned or operated by their par

A prerequisite to the evaluation of animal health is to know the demographics of that industry. While the agriculture census enumerates livestock populations every 5 years, food and fiber animal numbers are more actively tracked by the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), which estimates major livestock populations at least annually. Currently, collecting comprehensive demographics at regular intervals is not done for the equine industry. NASS, being the principle source for estimates of animal inventories in the U.S.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) has published a proposed rule concerning reporting requirements for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).   Some large horse facilities, such as racetracks, training facilities, stables, shows, exhibitions, and fairgrounds are considered CAFOs and could be subject to the proposed  reporting requirements.