For the third year in a row, the U.S. Senate is considering legislation to make double-decker transport of horses illegal. The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2013 bans transportation of horses in trailers with two or more levels, according to bill co-sponsor Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). Co-sponsor Senator Kirk of Illinois (R) states that it is not only a matter of cruelty but that motorists lives are put at risk.
The states of Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont already ban double-decker horse transport. Arizona, California, Minnesota and Virginia have laws regulating their use. In 2007, the USDA banned double-decker trailer use for transporting horses to slaughter but does not have authority to issue a ban for other uses.
The bill is Senate Bill 1459 to amend Title 49 of the United States Code to prohibit the interstate transportation of horses in motor vehicles with 2 or more levels stacked on top of each other.
