Update — March 4, 2026: The U.S. House Agriculture Committee just passed the House Farm Bill, a huge piece of legislation that identifies national agricultural priorities and reaffirms the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This bill impacts farm animals, companion animals and horses and dictates how our food and farm systems operate and how funding is allocated, which means that it has the potential to improve or worsen the lives of animals, people and the environment.
In good news, the Committee removed a terrible provision that would have harmed dogs in puppy mills. Unfortunately, the bill still contains language that would overturn state laws banning extreme confinement of farm animals. The House Farm Bill also fails to include the SAFE Act, which is critical to protecting horses from brutal and inhumane slaughter. Learn more and take action before the Farm Bill goes to the House Floor!
California and 15 other states have banned cruel farming practices, including gestation crates for pigs, battery cages for egg-laying hens and veal crates for calves. These state animal confinement bans are popular, effective, commonsense laws that protect animals, independent farmers and consumers.
The Save Our Bacon Act (H.R. 4673), which is a rebranded version of the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, would eliminate these state and local animal welfare laws and prevent states from passing new ones. This would harm animals, disadvantage farmers who have already made the investment to more humane animal housing systems and violate states’ rights. Help us keep this dangerous provision out of the final Farm Bill!
Every year that passes without a federal ban on horse slaughter dooms tens of thousands of equines — work partners, athletes, trusted friends — to unnecessary and inhumane deaths. Approximately 24,000 American horses went over our borders last year to be slaughtered for human consumption around the world.
The Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act would simply add equines to an existing, uncontroversial law banning the slaughter of dogs and cats for meat. Nothing could be easier or make more sense: Americans overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter, and it is way past time to give equines the same protection we give our cat and dog friends. Passing the SAFE Act through the Farm Bill will give at-risk horses a chance to find loving homes and humane care.
What You Can Do
Please use the form below to send a pre-drafted message to your members of Congress urging them to reject provisions in the Farm Bill that would harm billions of animals and include language protecting horses from slaughter.
