Georgia State Senator Curt Thompson recently introduced a resolution in the Georgia Senate in support of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST Act). The summary on the Georgia Lobby website read: A RESOLUTION urging the members of the Georgia Congressional delegation to cosponsor and press for passage of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act and to encourage the United States Department of Agriculture to finalize its proposed Horse Protection Act rule in the form it was announced by the Department and displayed in the Federal Register in January, 2017; and for other purposes.
The PAST Act was originally introduced by Congressman Ed Whitfield from Kentucky and in the most recent Congress was sponsored by Rep. Ted Yogo of Florida. The PAST Act would be devastating to the Tennessee Walking Horse industry and for all intents and purpose put a halt to the horse shows being held currently in the industry.
The PAST Act is currently in the Energy and Commerce Committee but has not been scheduled for any committee vote or debate. Also in Energy and Commerce is the industry’s alternative bill to the PAST Act, sponsored by Rep. Scott DesJarlais (TN), that calls for objective, science-based inspections, increased penalties and a single enforcement entity to ensure consistent enforcement across all aspects of the industry.
The resolution introduced by Thompson has not been voted on and only a limited number of days remain in the Georgia legislative calendar. Thompson’s office can be reached at (404) 463-1318 or he can be emailed at curt@curtthompson.com
The full copy of the resolution is as follows:
18
Senate Resolution 1016
By: Senator Thompson of the 5th
LC 117 0424
A RESOLUTION
1. 1 Urging the members of the Georgia Congressional delegation to cosponsor and press for
2. 2 passage of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act and to encourage the United States
3. 3 Department of Agriculture to finalize its proposed Horse Protection Act rule in the form it
4. 4 was announced by the Department and displayed in the Federal Register in January, 2017;
5. 5 and for other purposes.
6. 6 WHEREAS, the soring of horses is cruel and inhumane; and
7. 7 WHEREAS, horses shown or exhibited which are sore, where such soreness improves the
8. 8 performance of such horse, compete unfairly with horses which are not sore; and
9. 9 WHEREAS, the movement, showing, exhibition, or sale of sore horses in intrastate
10. 10 commerce and soring horses for such purposes adversely affects and burdens interstate and
11. 11 foreign commerce in many ways, including by creating unfair competition, by deceiving the
12. 12 spectating public and horse buyers, and by negatively impacting horse sales and breeding
13. 13 fees; and
14. 14 WHEREAS, all horses which are subject to regulation under the federal Horse Protection Act
15. 15 are either in interstate or foreign commerce or substantially affect such commerce; and
16. 16 WHEREAS, regulation under the Horse Protection Act by the United States Secretary of
17. 17 Agriculture is appropriate to prevent and eliminate burdens upon commerce and to
18. 18 effectively regulate commerce; and
19. 19 WHEREAS, the Inspector General of the United States Department of Agriculture has
20. 20 determined that the program through which the Secretary inspects horses under the federal
21. 21 Horse Protection Act is inadequate for preventing soring; and
S. R. 1016 -1-
18 LC 117 0424
22. 22 WHEREAS, historically, Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle
23. 23 Horses have been subjected to soring; and
24. 24 WHEREAS, despite federal regulations in effect related to inspection for purposes of
25. 25 ensuring that horses are not sore, violations of the Horse Protection Act continue to be
26. 26 prevalent in the Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse, and Spotted Saddle Horse breeds.
27. 27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body:
28. 28 (1) Urge the members of the Georgia Congressional delegation to cosponsor and urge
29. 29 the United States House and Senate leadership to bring the Prevent All Soring Tactics
30. 30 Act to the floor for a vote by each chamber.
31. 31 (2) Urge the members of the Georgia Congressional delegation to encourage the United
32. 32 States Department of Agriculture to publish its proposed Horse Protection Act rule as it
33. 33 was announced on January 13, 2017, and finalized and displayed in advance public notice
34. 34 in the Federal Register on January 19, 2017.
35. 35 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
36. 36 to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the members of the
37. 37 Georgia Congressional delegation, to the sponsors of the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act, and
38. 38 to the United States Secretary of Agriculture.