HR 5286119th CongressIntroduced

Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act

Introduced: Sep 10, 2025

Agriculture & Food

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act aims to strengthen federal oversight of the transport of farmed animals by adding an enforcement mechanism within the Department of Transportation (DOT) and by expanding restrictions on interstate movement of livestock deemed unfit to travel. The bill requires DOT, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (USDA), to develop a formal process for investigating and inspecting transport vehicles, vessels, and related records to ensure compliance with existing transport rules for animals. It also adds a clear interstate prohibition on moving livestock that are unhealthy or unable to travel, using internationally recognized welfare criteria (the World Organisation for Animal Health code) to define “unfit to travel.” The overall effect is to make it harder to transport stressed or sick animals across state lines and to provide federal agencies with a structured enforcement framework.

Key Points

1Enforcement mechanism for animal transport
2- Creates a new enforcement framework under Section 80502 of Title 49, U.S.C., requiring DOT (with USDA input) to develop a mechanism to investigate or inspect rail, express, or common carriers, as well as vessel operators and related records, to determine violations.
3- DOT must implement this within 180 days of enactment and may use rules, orders, or guidance to carry it out.
4Coordination with Agriculture
5- The enforcement mechanism is to be developed in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, signaling joint federal oversight of farmed-animal welfare in transport.
6Prohibition on interstate movement of unfit livestock
7- Amends the Animal Health Protection Act to add a general prohibition: no one may move livestock in interstate commerce if they are unfit to travel.
8- Defines “unfit to travel” using the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code, including a detailed list of conditions (e.g., illness, injuries, severe weakness, inability to stand, blindness, newborns with unhealed navels, late-stage pregnancy, recent birthing without offspring, or adverse climate-related welfare risks).
9- Provides an explicit exception allowing movement for veterinary care.
10Basis for determination
11- The “unfit to travel” standard is tied to internationally recognized welfare guidelines (OIE), including ongoing updates to those standards.
12Scope
13- Applies to interstate movement of livestock, covering various transport modes (rail, express, common carriers) and vessel transport where animals are involved.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Livestock producers, shippers, carriers (rail, air/express, road), receivers and buyers, vessel operators, and other parties involved in interstate transport of farmed animals.Secondary group/area affected- U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for enforcement and policy coordination; animal welfare advocates and veterinarians who monitor and enforce humane transport standards.Additional impacts- Potential changes to logistics and transportation practices to ensure animals meet “unfit to travel” criteria.- Increased inspections and recordkeeping requirements for transport operations, possibly affecting costs and scheduling.- Clarification of welfare expectations based on international standards (OIE), which may influence state and industry standards beyond the federal rulebook.“Unfit to travel” is defined with specific health and welfare criteria, including health status, mobility, sensory impairment, postpartum status, and climatic risk.The OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code is an international set of guidelines that many countries use as a reference for animal-welfare and disease-control standards; this bill ties U.S. interstate transport to those guidelines with room for updates as the Code changes.

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