,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dcef  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #aj1 #bjbe,ms4 
,titus 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 and   
,mr4 ,ciscomani7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,act commonly  
known as the ,wild ,free-roaming ,horses
 and ,burros ,act to prohibit certain   
uses of aircraft with respect to the    
management of wild free-roaming horses  
and burros1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,wild ,horse and ,burro ,protection
 ,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,findings ,congress
 finds the following3  7#a7 ,as part of 
efforts to control equine populations   
under law1 the ,bureau of ,land         
,management is directed to humanely     
capture wild free-roaming horses and    
burros for adoption4  7#b7 ,the use of  
helicopters to chase equines over       
prolonged distances1 usually on rough   
terrain1 is particularly dangerous1 and 

can frighten the animals and lead to    
deadly situations1 often miles from     
public view4  7#c7 ,public observation  
of roundups is typically limited1       
thereby restricting public access to the
 government operation4  7#d7 ,scientific
 research shows that more humane and    
cost-effective alternatives exist to    
control equine populations1 including   
fertility controls4  7#e7 ,since fiscal 
year #bjab1 over #fi4e million in       
taxpayer dollars have funded roundup    
operations to remove federally protected
 wild horses and burros from the range4 
7#f7 ,in the past five years            
7#bjbj-bjbd71 at least #cf4g million has
 been spent on roundups1 including over 
#f million paid to helicopter roundup   
contractors in fiscal year #bjbb alone4 
7#g7 ,since #bjab1 the ,bureau of ,land 
,management has administered fewer than 
#hjj fertility control treatments per   
year on average4 ,in fiscal year #bjab1 
#a1jde treatments were applied2 in      
fiscal year #bjbd1 #a1jch treatments4   

7#h7 ,historically1 the ,bureau of ,land
 ,management's ,wild ,horse and ,burro  
,program has spent less than one percent
 of its budget on implementing fertility
 controls4  7#i7 ,the elimination of    
helicopters from the ,bureau of ,land   
,management's gatherings would provide a
 more humane method of capturing        
equines1 and provide significant savings
 to taxpayers4  #c4 ,amendments to the  
,wild ,free-roaming ,horses and ,burros 
,act ,section #i of the ,act commonly   
known as the ,wild ,free-roaming ,horses
 and ,burros ,act 7,public ,law #ib-aie2
 #af ,u4,s4,c4 #acch;a7 is amended--    
7#a7 by striking ,in administering this 
,act and inserting 7a7 ,in general4--,in
 administering this ,act2  7#b7 by      
striking helicopters or1 for the purpose
 of transporting captured animals1 motor
 vehicles and inserting motor vehicles  
for the purpose of transporting captured
 animals or aircraft only in compliance 
with subsection 7b7 of this section2    
7#c7 by striking fixed-wing aircraft1 or

 helicopters1 or to and inserting or2   
and  7#d7 by adding at the end the      
following3  7b7 ,phased elimination of  
certain uses of aircraft ,in            
administering this ,act1 during the     
#b-year period after the date of the    
enactment of the ,wild ,horse and ,burro
 ,protection ,act of #bjbe1 the         
,secretary shall phase out the use or   
contracts for the use of helicopters or 
fixed-wing aircraft for the purposes of 
rounding up or gathering wild           
free-roaming horses and burros1 ensuring
 an effective reduction in the reliance 
on these methods each year until all    
such practices have been terminated4    
7c7 ,requirement for use of cameras on  
aircraft ,any helicopter or aircraft    
used for the purposes of rounding up or 
gathering wild horses and burros shall  
be equipped with one or more cameras to 
record the roundup or gather operation4 
,the ,secretary shall ensure such       
footage is made available as part of the
 corresponding agency roundup or gather 

report4  4  #d4 ,,gao ,report ,not later
 than #a year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller
 ,general shall submit1 to the          
,committee on ,natural ,resources of the
 ,house of ,representatives and the     
,committee on ,energy and ,natural      
,resources of the ,senate1 a report that
 describes-- 7#a7 humane alternatives to
 the use of helicopters and fixed-wing  
aircraft in managing wild free-roaming  
horse and burro populations2  7#b7 job  
creation opportunities presented by the 
use of such humane alternatives2 and    
7#c7 the effects of aircraft1 including 
unmanned aircraft systems1 on wild      
free-roaming horse and burro            
populations4