Bill to Amend the Wild Horse Free-Roaming and Burros Act

To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to improve the management and long-term health of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and for other purposes.
current 111st session of congress Other Bill Titles (1 more)Hide Other Bill Titles

* Official: To amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to improve the management and long-term health of wild free-roaming horses and burros, and for other purposes. as introduced.

2/12/2009--Introduced.
Amends the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to revise provisions concerning the management of such animals.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior (for Bureau of Land Management- [BLM] administered lands) or the Secretary of Agriculture (for Forest Service-administered lands) to:
(1) update the inventory of such animals annually and make it publicly available on the BLM website;
(2) take specified actions to estimate populations of, and establish management levels for, such animals;
(3) identify new rangelands, arrange for supervised protection on private lands, and establish sanctuaries or exclusive use areas for such animals;
(4) implement enhanced surgical or immunocontraception sterilization or other safe methods of fertility control;
(5) exhaust all practicable options of maintaining horse and burro populations in the range before providing for the capture and removal of excess animals for private maintenance;
(6) take specified actions to promote the adoption program;
(7) temporarily remove horses or burros from the range if their immediate health or safety is threatened; and
(8) provide specified public information on animal removals, range changes, and treatment. Requires adopters of horses and burros to affirm that adopted animals will not be slaughtered for human consumption. Prohibits:
(1) the use of helicopters or other airborne devices to remove such animals;
(2) containing such animals in holding facilities for more than six months while awaiting disposition; or
(3) the destruction of such an animal unless the Secretary determines it is terminally ill.
Expands the membership of the advisory board on the management and protection of such animals.
Applies criminal penalties to any person who transports a live or deceased horse or burro for processing into commercial products.
Sets forth new reporting requirements on the management of such animals.


All bill actions:
* Added to calendar on Jun 23, 2009: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 94..
* Jun 23, 2009: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 111-177.
* Added to calendar on Apr 29, 2009: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 21 - 14..
* Apr 29, 2009: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
* Apr 29, 2009: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Discharged.
* Mar 03, 2009: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
* Feb 17, 2009: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
* Feb 12, 2009: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
* Feb 12, 2009: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E256)
* Introduced on Feb 12, 2009.

To see more about this very important bill and follow it's progress go to OpenCongress