To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the transportation of horses in interstate transportation in a motor vehicle containing 2 or more levels stacked on top of one another, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Cohen (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Titus, Mr. Doggett, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2025 prohibits the use of double-decker (multi-level) trailers for transporting horses across state lines. This ban applies to motor vehicles with two or more levels stacked on top of one another. The bill amends existing federal transportation law to make this practice illegal and establishes fines of $100 to $500 per horse for violations.
Who Benefits and How
Animal welfare organizations and horse safety advocates benefit from improved safety standards for horse transportation. Horses themselves benefit from reduced risk of injury during interstate transport, as double-decker trailers have been criticized for insufficient headroom and ventilation. Manufacturers of single-level horse trailers gain a competitive advantage, as their products become the only legal option for interstate horse transportation.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Horse transportation companies that currently use double-decker trailers face significant compliance costs, as they must replace or retire their multi-level vehicles and potentially make more trips with single-level trailers. Manufacturers of multi-level horse trailers lose a market segment entirely, as their product becomes illegal for interstate commerce. Horse owners may face higher transportation costs if single-level trailers are more expensive or less efficient to operate. Federal enforcement agencies (Department of Transportation and USDA) must monitor compliance and enforce the new civil penalty regime.
Key Provisions
- Bans interstate transportation of horses in motor vehicles with 2 or more stacked levels
- Defines "motor vehicle" to clarify that rail transport is exempt from the ban
- Establishes civil penalties of $100-$500 per horse for knowing violations
- Makes each horse transported in violation a separate offense
- Specifies that penalties are in addition to any other legal remedies available
- Amends 49 USC 80502, which governs the transportation of horses and other animals
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Prohibits the interstate transportation of horses in multi-level (double-decker) motor vehicles to improve animal welfare and safety.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Animal welfare protection through transportation safety regulation"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Horses (animal welfare improvement)
- Animal welfare organizations
- Single-level horse trailer manufacturers
- Horse safety advocates
Likely Burden Bearers
- Horse transportation companies using double-decker trailers
- Multi-level horse trailer manufacturers
- Horse owners using cost-effective multi-level transport
- Livestock transporters
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "person"
- → Any individual or entity transporting horses in interstate commerce
- "rail_carrier"
- → Railroad companies operating horse transportation
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Transportation (implied)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A motor vehicle containing 2 or more levels stacked on top of one another
A vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power and manufactured primarily for use on public highways, excluding vehicles operated exclusively on rails
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology