Congress moves to ban horse slaughter for human consumption

What it does

This bill amends the 2018 Farm Bill to extend an existing prohibition on slaughtering dogs and cats for human consumption to also cover horses (equines). Currently, U.S. law bans the slaughter of dogs and cats for food; this bill adds horses to that same ban, making it illegal to slaughter horses for human consumption in the United States.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is to extend an existing animal-protection statute (the dog/cat slaughter ban) to horses. It is a straightforward animal-welfare measure with no hidden provisions or narrow beneficiaries.

What the text implies

• May affect small number of horse-processing facilities currently operating under USDA inspection; facilities would need to cease equine slaughter operations or transition to non-slaughter uses.
• Could increase domestic horse population if export markets for live horses remain open, potentially affecting pasture management and feed costs for horse owners.
• Aligns U.S. law with existing bans in several states and reflects international trend toward horse-slaughter prohibition in developed nations.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill extends legal protection against slaughter to horses, aligning with widespread public sentiment against horse slaughter and reflecting evolving animal-welfare standards. Citizens who oppose horse slaughter gain a legal guarantee; no citizen loses an existing right or protection.

Named in the bill

U.S. Senate, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, USDA, Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

Where it stands

9 cosponsors: 5 Republicans, 4 Democrats.

• Feb 27, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Feb 27, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

13 lobbying clients named this bill on 17 disclosure filings across 3 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $2,492,500 in lobbying spend. A filing names 9 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 94% of bills with at least one filing.

Lindsey Graham, the sponsor, reported $1,001,057 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association — $1,440,000 on 1 filing
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — $462,000 on 3 filings
• Humane World Action Fund — $280,000 on 1 filing
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Inc — $90,000 on 1 filing
• United States Trotting Association (usta) — $60,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 23, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.