Updated - The House passed the PAST Act (H.R. 5441) by a 304-111 margin on Monday November 15, 2022.  The bill would have to now pass in the Senate to become law.

The House of Representatives will vote on 29 bills on the suspension calendar on Monday November 14, 2022. In the 29 bills is the PAST Act. The bills on suspension vote will have to have a two-thirds majority vote to pass.  At the current time is not certain whether the bills or some of the bills will be lumped together in one vote or the PAST Act would be voted on alone. The version of the PAST Act being voted on can be viewed here.

The House calendar for the week was sent out by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is his Weekly Leader (https://www.majorityleader.gov/content/weekly-leader-friday-november-11-2022).

The current version of the PAST Act being voted on tonight would place a ban on any action device, pad, hoof band or weighted shoe. Prohibitions are stated as “(12) The use of an action device on any limb of a Tennessee Walking Horse, a Racking Horse, or a Spotted Saddle Horse at a horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction. (13) The use of a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material at a horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction.”

The PAST Act would also turn over total control of the inspection process to the USDA and Secretary. The USDA would be required to license and train inspectors with a preference given to veterinarians as inspectors. Show management would be required to hire those inspectors through the USDA and the Secretary would assign the inspectors to the horse show.

In addition, the penalties are escalated in the PAST Act for violations of the act.  A first offense carries a minimum 180 day suspension, a second offense a minimum one year and a third offense a minimum of three years.

The PAST Act would require new regulations to be enacted. “Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall issue regulations to carry out the amendments made by this section, including regulations prescribing the requirements under subsection (C) of section 4 of the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1823(c)), as amended by subsection (c)(3).

The PAST Act would apply prohibitions to both the flat shod and performance Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse. It would also dramatically change the cost of inspection for horse shows as well as reporting requirements for show management.