SAFE Act of 2025
SAFE Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Summary: SAFE Act of 2025 **What the bill does:** The SAFE Act would permanently ban the slaughter of horses, mules, and other equines for human consumption in the United States. Currently, federal law prohibits slaughtering dogs and cats for food, but allows horse slaughter. This bill would extend that same protection to equines. It would make it illegal to slaughter these animals for meat, as well as to buy, sell, transport, or donate them for that purpose. Violators would face fines. **Who it affects:** The bill would primarily affect anyone involved in the horse meat industry, including slaughterhouses, meat dealers, and those who transport or sell horses for slaughter.
It would also impact horse owners, veterinarians, and animal welfare organizations. The bill includes an exception for Native Americans performing religious ceremonies. It applies to activities within the U.S. and affecting interstate or international commerce. **Current status:** The bill was introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. Note: Congress has passed temporary restrictions on horse slaughter funding through appropriations measures in recent years, but this bill would make a permanent prohibition into law.
CRS Official Summary
Save America's Forgotten Equines Act of 2025 or the SAFE Act of 2025This bill permanently prohibits the slaughter of equines (e.g., horses and mules) for human consumption. (Current law prohibits the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. This bill extends the prohibition to equines.) Specifically, this bill prohibits a person from knowingly (1) slaughtering an equine for human consumption; or (2) shipping, transporting, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donating an equine to be slaughtered for human consumption or equine parts for human consumption.The bill subjects a violator to a fine.The bill applies to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. However, it does not apply to an activity carried out by an Indian for a religious ceremony.As background, in recent years, the appropriations acts have prohibited the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using federal funds to inspect horses before they are slaughtered for human consumption. Therefore, there are currently no USDA-inspected horse slaughter facilities in the United States.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.