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Touted as wild horse protection legislation, Senator Harry Reid has submitted a new bill,
S.1273, that would expand sale authority of wild horses and burros. As a companion measure, Nevada Congressman Jon Porter with cosponsorship from Jim Gibbons and Shelley Berkley have submitted similar wild horse legislation in the House known as
H.R.2993. Wild horse advocacy groups are livid.
Reid and his allies call their legislation the "Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Sale and Adoption Act of 2005."
The points of his legislation include:
- Removing the four horse annual limit on adoptions.
(1) in subsection (b)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``: Provided'' and all that follows through ``adopting party''; and
- Converting the unused "Sunset Option" to expanded sale authority.
(B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:
``(C) Additional excess wild free-roaming horses and burros for which an adoption demand by qualified individuals does not exist shall be sold under subsection (e).'';
- Removing additional language that limits adopters to four horses per year.
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ``not more than four animals'' and inserting ``excess animals transferred '';
- Rewriting the Burns Rider to include an estimated additional 16,000 animals in sale authority.
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:
``(A) the Secretary determines that there is no adoption demand from qualified individuals for the excess animal;'';
- Removing the "without limitation" language from the Burns Rider.
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``without limitation''; and
- Placing a one year delay on the conversion of protected to non-protected status of animals sold.
``(4) EFFECT OF SALE.--At the end of the 1-year period following the sale of any excess animal under this subsection--
``(A) the Secretary shall grant to the transferee title to the excess animal; and
``(B) the excess animal transferred shall no longer be considered to be a wild free-roaming horse or burro for purposes of this Act.''; and
- Dropping minimum adoption fees to $25.00.
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(f) Minimum Fees and Bids.--The minimum adoption fee required for the adoption of an excess animal under this section shall be $25.''
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