Senate Study Bill 3280 


PAG LIN



  1  1              SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2             BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
  1  3                RESOLUTION BY CHAIRPERSON FRAISE)
  1  4 A Concurrent Resolution urging the United States
  1  5    Congress to support the continuation of the horse
  1  6    processing industry, including horse processing
  1  7    facilities, the delivery and transportation of
  1  8    horses for processing, and the export of products
  1  9    processed at those facilities.
  1 10    WHEREAS, horse processing is the most stringently regulated
  1 11 of all animal harvesting industries; and
  1 12    WHEREAS, horses are the only agricultural animals subjected
  1 13 to federal regulation from transportation and delivery to
  1 14 processing; and
  1 15    WHEREAS, any federal effort to force the closure of horse
  1 16 processing facilities and the elimination of export options
  1 17 for horse=derived products would, according to estimates of
  1 18 the horse welfare coalition, result in 90,000 to 100,000
  1 19 unwanted horses annually which would be exposed to potential
  1 20 abandonment and neglect; and
  1 21    WHEREAS, the forced closure of horse processing facilities
  1 22 and the elimination of export options for horse=derived
  1 23 products would, according to estimates of the horse welfare
  1 24 coalition, result in 90,000 to 100,000 unwanted horses
  1 25 annually competing for adoption with 32,000 wild horses that
  1 26 United States taxpayers are currently paying $40 million to
  1 27 shelter and feed; and
  1 28    WHEREAS, the nation's inadequate, overburdened, and
  1 29 unregulated horse rescue and adoption facilities could not
  1 30 shelter, feed, and adopt the influx of the approximately
  1 31 60,000 or more additional horses each year that, according to
  1 32 the congressional research service, would result from a
  1 33 prohibition upon the harvesting of horses; and
  1 34    WHEREAS, many zoo animal diets rely on equine protein
  1 35 because it mimics the diet that those zoo animals receive in
  2  1 the wild; and
  2  2    WHEREAS, a number of veterinarians and animal nutritionists
  2  3 state that a diet which includes equine protein is the
  2  4 healthiest for big cats and certain rare birds; and
  2  5    WHEREAS, legislative measures proposed in the United States
  2  6 Congress, including S. 311 and H.R. 503, would, if enacted,
  2  7 close horse processing facilities that provide for the only
  2  8 source for this meat that is inspected by the United States
  2  9 department of agriculture; NOW THEREFORE,
  2 10    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  2 11 CONCURRING, That the General Assembly supports the
  2 12 continuation of the horse processing industry, including horse
  2 13 processing facilities, the delivery and transportation of
  2 14 horses for processing, and the export of products processed at
  2 15 those facilities; and
  2 16    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the United States Congress is
  2 17 urged to offer incentives that help expand the horse
  2 18 processing industry throughout the United States, including
  2 19 state=inspected horse harvest for export; and
  2 20    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the United States Congress is
  2 21 urged to support the continuation of existing horse processing
  2 22 facilities and the establishment of new horse processing
  2 23 facilities regulated by the United States department of
  2 24 agriculture and state agencies; and
  2 25    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the United States Congress is
  2 26 urged to oppose legislative measures including S. 311 and H.R.
  2 27 503, pending before the 110th Congress which threaten this
  2 28 nation's horse processing industry; and
  2 29    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly supports
  2 30 the location of horse processing facilities on state, tribal,
  2 31 or private lands under mutually acceptable and market=driven
  2 32 land leases and, if necessary, a mutually acceptable
  2 33 assignment of revenues that meet the needs of all parties
  2 34 involved with those facilities; and
  2 35    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this
  3  1 Resolution be sent to the President of the United States
  3  2 Senate; the Speaker of the United States House of
  3  3 Representatives; the Chairperson of the United States Senate
  3  4 Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; the
  3  5 Chairperson of the United States House of Representatives
  3  6 Committee on Agriculture; the Secretary of the United States
  3  7 Department of Agriculture; and the members of Iowa's
  3  8 congressional delegation.
  3  9 LSB 6549SC 82
  3 10 da/nh/5