By Sadie Fowler
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Last month closed with the reintroduction of the PAST Act, or Prevent All Soring Tactics Act, into Congress, with only two of the bill’s 220 co-sponsors hailing from the area it would potentially affect the most — Tennessee and Kentucky.

U.S. Rep. Ted Yoto (R-FL) reintroduced the bill March 30 after its first version died last year. The bill, which derives most of its support from HSUS-leaning states such as California, would essentially ban all action devices and eliminate the walking horse show industry as its currently known.

Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis, Tenn., and Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky are two of a total of four co-sponsors of the bill from the south. Thirty-six co-sponsors of the bill come from California. 

More details on the bill, which essentially remains unchanged from its first version, can be seen here.

Although walking horse industry leaders believe there is little chance of this bill passing, show enthusiasts are encouraged to pay attention and continue their opposition of the Yoho bill (H.R. 1847).

The bill has currently been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 

U.S. Sen. Scott DesJarlais, who represents the fourth district in Tennessee and has been a great supporter to the industry, also reintroduced a bill earlier in March geared toward amending the Horse Production Act.

This bill, H.R. 1338, mirrors the bill he introduced in the previous Congress that would eliminate the current inconsistent and subjective inspection methods and replace them with objective, science-based inspections.