Horse Transportation Safety Act

In 2011, the US Department of Agriculture banned the use of double-deck trailers for transporting horses to slaughter. The regulations were published at the behest of Congress, which recognized that horses going to slaughter “have unique and special needs” that necessitated further regulation. Horses hauled for other purposes, however, such as for recreation or sale, are not afforded the same protection. 

At least seven states—Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont—recognize that transporting horses via double-deck trailers is inhumane and prohibit it altogether. An eighth state, New York, bans the use of double-deck trailers for carrying more than six horses on the highway. Rhode Island’s law not only bans the use of double-decker trailers to transport horses but also prohibits a person from sheltering “any equine animal” in a vehicle with two or more levels.  

HR 3623, the Horse Transportation Safety Act, would establish a nationwide ban on the interstate transport of horses via double-deck trailer for any reason, not just for the purpose of hauling them to slaughter. With strong support from AWI, the HTSA was first introduced in Congress in 2008 in response to a horrific accident in Illinois in which a double-deck trailer carrying 59 horses overturned, killing and severely injuring a number of the horses.  

The Horse Transportation Safety Act has twice passed the full House of Representatives in transportation and infrastructure packages, signaling the bipartisan support that exists to end this dangerous practice. The HTSA was most recently reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Dina Titus (D-NV). It is critical that Congress pass the HTSA to protect horses from avoidable injury and prioritize public safety.