,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #baic  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #a1     
#bjad ,mr4 ,alexander 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,mc,connell1 ,mr4 ,isakson1 and ,mr4   
,paul7 introduced the following bill2   
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend   
the ,horse ,protection ,act to provide  
increased protection for horses         
participating in shows1 exhibitions1 or 
sales1 and for other purposes4  #a4     
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,horse ,protection ,amendments ,act
 of #bjad4  #b4  ,definition  ,section  
#b of the ,horse ,protection ,act 7#ae  
,u4,s4,c4 #ahba7 is amended--  7#a7 by  
redesignating paragraphs 7#a71 7#b7 and 
7#c7 as paragraphs 7#b71 7#d7 and 7#e71 
respectively2  7#b7 by inserting before 
paragraph 7#b71 as redesignated1 the    
following3  7#a7 ,the term ,horse       
,industry ,organization means the       
organization established pursuant to    

section #d7;c77#a74  2 and  7#c7 by     
inserting after paragraph 7#b71 as      
redesignated1 the following3  7#c7 ,the 
term objective inspection means an      
inspection conducted using only         
inspection methods based on             
science-based protocols 7including      
swabbing or blood testing protocols7    
that--  7,a7 have been the subject of   
testing and are capable of producing    
scientifically reliable1 reproducible   
results2  7,b7 have been subjected to   
peer review2 and  7,c7 have received    
acceptance in the veterinary or other   
applicable scientific community4  4  #c4
  ,increasing protections for horses    
participating in horse shows1           
exhibitions1 or sales or auctions  7a7  
,findings  ,section #c of the ,horse    
,protection ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #ahbb7  
is amended--  7#a7 by redesignating     
paragraphs 7#d7 and 7#e7 as paragraphs  
7#e7 and 7#f71 respectively2 and  7#b7  
by inserting after paragraph 7#c7 the   
following3  7#d7 the ,inspector ,general

 of the ,department of ,agriculture has 
determined that the program through     
which the ,secretary inspects horses is 
not adequate to ensure compliance with  
this ,act2  4  7b7  ,horse shows and    
exhibitions  ,section #d of the ,horse  
,protection ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #ahbc7  
is amended-- 7#a7 by striking subsection
 7a7 and inserting the following3  7a7  
,disqualification of horses  7#a7 ,in   
general ,in addition to being subject to
 applicable criminal or civil penalties 
authorized under section #f1 the        
management of any horse show or horse   
exhibition shall disqualify any horse   
from being shown or exhibited-- 7,a7    
which1 upon objective testing1 is       
determined to be sore2 or  7,b7 if the  
management has been notified that the   
horse is sore by-- 7i7 a person         
appointed in accordance with regulations
 prescribed under subsection 7c72 or    
7ii7 the ,secretary4  7#b7 ,duration of 
disqualification ,in addition to any    
other requirements or penalties imposed 

under this ,act1 any horse that has been
 determined to be sore by objective     
testing shall be disqualified from being
 shown or exhibited for-- 7,a7 a period 
of not less than #cj days for the first 
such determination2 and  7,b7 a period  
of #ij days for a second determination  
and any subsequent determination4  2 and
  7#b7 by striking subsection 7c7 and   
inserting the following3  7c7           
,appointment of inspectors2 manner of   
inspections  7#a7 ,establishment of     
horse industry organization  7,a7 ,in   
general ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date of the enactment of the ,horse 
,protection ,amendments ,act of #bjad1  
the ,secretary shall prescribe1 by      
regulation1 the establishment of the    
,horse ,industry ,organization1 which   
shall be governed by a board consisting 
of not more than #i individuals1 who    
shall be appointed in accordance with   
subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c74  7,b7      
,members ,of the #i members constituting
 the ,horse ,industry ,organization     

,board-- 7i7 #b members shall be        
appointed by the ,commissioner of       
,agriculture for the ,state of          
,tennessee to serve for a term of #d    
years2  7ii7 #b members shall be        
appointed by the ,commissioner of       
,agriculture for the ,commonwealth of   
,kentucky to serve for a term of #d     
years2  7iii7 #b members shall represent
 the ,tennessee ,walking ,horse industry
 and shall be appointed from within such
 industry by the members appointed      
pursuant to clauses 7i7 and 7ii71 in    
accordance with a process developed by  
such members1 to serve for an initial   
term of #c years2 and  7iv7 not more    
than #c members shall be appointed by   
the #f members appointed pursuant to    
clauses 7i7 through 7iii7 to serve for a
 term of #d years4  7,c7 ,quorum2       
vacancies  7i7 ,quorum ,five members of 
the ,horse ,industry ,organization      
,board shall constitute a quorum for the
 transaction of business4  7ii7 ,effect 
of vacancy ,a vacancy on the ,horse     

,industry ,organization ,board shall not
 impair the authority of the ,board4    
7iii7 ,subsequent appointments          
,subsequent appointments1 including     
reappointments of existing ,board       
members1 shall be made in accordance    
with subparagraph 7,b71 except that all 
such appointments shall be for a term of
 #d years4  7iv7 ,bylaws ,the members of
 the ,horse ,industry ,organization     
,board1 in consultation with the        
,secretary1 shall develop bylaws and    
other policies for operations1 the      
establishment of committees1 and filling
 vacancies on the ,board4  7,d7         
,termination ,section #ad7;a77#b77;,b7  
of the ,federal ,advisory ,committee    
,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app47 shall not     
apply to the ,horse ,industry           
,organization4  7,e7 ,licensing         
requirements  7i7 ,in general ,the      
,horse ,industry ,organization shall    
establish requirements to appoint       
persons qualified-- 7,i7 to detect and  
diagnose a horse which is sore2 or      

7,,ii7 to otherwise inspect horses for  
the purposes of enforcing this ,act4    
7ii7 ,conflicts of interest             
,requirements established pursuant to   
clause 7i7 shall require any person     
appointed by the ,horse ,industry       
,organization ,board1 or a member of the
 immediate family of such a person1 to  
be free from conflicts of interest1 by  
reason of any association or connection 
with the walking horse industry1        
including-- 7,i7 through employment by1 
or the provision of any services to1 any
 show manager1 trainer1 owner1 or       
exhibitor of ,tennessee ,walking horses1
 ,spotted ,saddle horses1 or ,racking   
horses2 and  7,,ii7 training1           
exhibiting1 shoeing1 breeding1 or       
selling ,tennessee ,walking horses1     
,spotted ,saddle horses1 or ,racking    
horses4  7,f7 ,certification  7i7       
,certification ,after the members of the
 ,horse ,industry ,organization ,board  
have been appointed pursuant to         
subparagraph 7,b71 the ,secretary shall 

certify the ,horse ,industry            
,organization in accordance with section
 #aa4g of title #i1 ,code of ,federal   
,regulations 7,certification and        
licensing of designated qualified       
persons71 including the training of     
inspectors4  7ii7 ,revocation of        
certification ,not later than #ij days  
after the date on which the ,horse      
,industry ,organization is established  
pursuant to this paragraph1 the         
,secretary shall revoke the             
certification issued to any other horse 
industry organization under section     
#aa4g of title #i1 ,code of ,federal    
,regulations 7or any successor          
regulation71 as in effect on such date4 
7#b7 ,responsibilities of horse industry
 organization ,the ,horse ,industry     
,organization shall-- 7,a7 establish a  
formal affiliation with the management  
of each horse sale1 horse exhibition1   
and horse sale or auction2  7,b7 appoint
 inspectors to conduct inspections at   
each such show1 exhibition1 and sale or 

auction2  7,c7 identify and contract    
with equine veterinary experts to advise
 the ,horse ,industry ,organization     
,board on-- 7i7 objective scientific    
testing methods and procedures2 and     
7ii7 the certification of testing       
results2 and  7,d7 otherwise ensure     
compliance with this ,act1 in           
coordination with the ,secretary4  4    
7c7  ,unlawful acts  ,section #e of the 
,horse ,protection ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4  
#ahbd7 is amended--  7#a7 in paragraph  
7#c71 by striking appoint and retain a  
person in accordance with section #d7;c7
 of this ,act and inserting establish a 
formal affiliation with the ,horse      
,industry ,organization under section   
#d7;c77#b77;,a72  7#b7 in paragraph     
7#d71 by striking appoint and retain a  
qualified person in accordance with     
section #d7;c7 of this ,act and         
inserting establish a formal affiliation
 with the ,horse ,industry ,organization
 under section #d7;c77#b77;,a72  7#c7 in
 paragraph 7#e71 by striking appointed  

and retained a person in accordance with
 section #d7;c7 of this ,act and        
inserting established a formal          
affiliation with the ,horse ,industry   
,organization under section             
#d7;c77#b77;,a72 and  7#d7 in paragraph 
7#f7--  7,a7 by striking appointed and  
retained a person in accordance with    
section #d7;c7 of this ,act and         
inserting established a formal          
affiliation with the ,horse ,industry   
,organization under section             
#d7;c77#b77;,a72 and  7,b7 by striking  
such person or the ,secretary and       
inserting a person licensed by the      
,horse ,industry ,organization4  #d4    
,rulemaking  ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,agriculture    
shall issue regulations to carry out the
 amendments made by this ,act4