There are bills pending in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate that would require humane treatment of sick or injured livestock and ban the use of these "downed" animals for human food. Earlier versions of these bills were defeated.

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) has introduced S. 394, the Senate version of the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act of 2007. The bill is pending in the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Find and contact committee members     A House version, H.R. 661, is sponsored by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Steve LaTourette (R-OH). That bill is pending before the House Agriculture Committee's subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry. Find and contact committee members

Contact your representative and senators and urge them to support this important anti-cruelty legislation. Find and contact U.S. representatives   Find and contact U.S. senators

These sick or injured animals are often too weak to stand or walk and hence the name downed animals. At the slaughterhouses these downed animals cannot eat or drink on their own. But no one bothers to make sure they have food, water or veterinary care because they are just there for slaughter.  Because they are not ambulatory on their own, they are given electric shocks to force them to move, pushed by a bulldozer, kicked or dragged to slaughter.  These animals suffer terribly and then are tortured as they are taken to slaughter.

This proposed law would amend the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958, 7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq. It  would require the USDA to promulgate rules to require better handling and treatment of livestock to prevent illness and injuries. Under this proposed law downed animals must be treated humanely and cannot be moved while they are conscious. Instead, these animals must be euthanized immediately rather than slaughtered. Producers of meat and meat products would be prohibited from using downed animals in human food.

Since the December 30, 2003 the USDA has banned the use of downed animals for human food. These pending bills would make this ruling permanent. The ruling was prompted by the discovery of a case of "mad cow disease" or BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in Washington state.  Indeed, all of the cases of mad cow disease found in North America appear to have involved downed animals. According to USDA's Federal Register notice on January 12, 2004, "[S]urveillance data from European countries in which BSE has been detected indicate that non-ambulatory cattle are among the animals that have a greater incidence of BSE than other cattle".

Downed animals are also at high risk for other diseases. An August 2003 USDA study found that downers had three times more deadly E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria than other cattle. There is reportedly a higher incidence of salmonella in downed cows as well.

Many ranchers, meat producers, and industry associations support the ban on use of downed animals for human food.

It should be noted the proposed bills apply to all livestock. 

Copies of these bills are in ALC's Pending Bills.