An Act to establish the use of humane methods of slaughter of livestock as a policy of the United States, and for other purposes.
Nicknames
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
Enacted by
the 85th United States Congress
Effective
August 26, 1958
Citations
Public law
85-765
Statutes at Large
72 Stat. 862
Codification
Titles amended
7 U.S.C.: Agriculture
U.S.C. sections created
7 U.S.C. ch. 48 § 1901 et seq.
Legislative history
Introduced in the House as H.R. 8308 by William R. Poage (D-TX) on July 9, 1957
Committee consideration by House Agriculture, Senate Agriculture and Forestry
Passed the House on February 4, 1958 (Passed voice vote)
Passed the Senate on July 29, 1958 (72-9) with amendment
House agreed to Senate amendment on August 13, 1958 (Agreed voice vote)
Signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 27, 1958
The Humane Slaughter Act, or the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act (P.L. 85-765; 7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), is a United States federal law designed to decrease suffering of livestock during slaughter. It was approved on August 27, 1958.[1] The most notable of these requirements is the need to have an animal completely sedated and insensible to pain. This is to minimize the suffering to the point where the animal feels nothing at all, instead blacking out and never waking. This differs from animal to animal as size increases and decreases. Larger animals such as bovines require a stronger method than chickens, for example. Bovines require electronarcosis or something equally potent, though electronarcosis remains a standard. The bovine would have a device placed on their head that, once activated, sends an electric charge that efficiently and safely stuns them.[2] Chickens, on the other hand, require much less current to be efficiently sedated and are given a run under electrically charged water. To ensure that these guidelines are met, the Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors at slaughtering plants are responsible for overseeing compliance, and have the authority to stop slaughter lines and order plant employees to take corrective actions. Although more than 168 million chickens (excluding broilers) and around 9 billion broiler chickens are killed for food in the United States yearly,[3] the Humane Slaughter Act specifically mentions only cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep and swine.[4]
Due to several reports of alleged non-compliance with these regulations and safety protocols, originating in the early 2000s, specifically late 2002 [citation needed], FSIS assigned additional veterinarians to its district offices specifically to monitor slaughter and handling procedures and to report to their headquarters about any issues of compliance. This has been the case ever since, as Congress passed a bill in 2002, The 2002 farm bill, that requires a compliance report to be submitted annually. In 2003, the initiative increased further as, in the FY in 2003, Congress voted in another $5 million operation to the FSIS effort and increased the amount of compliance inspectors by 50. Language in the FY 2004 consolidated appropriations act directs FSIS to continue fulfilling that mandate, and the FY2005 budget request calls for another $5 million to be allocated for enforcement activities. Despite these requirements in place, reports from January 2004 GAO have noted that there is still alleged non-compliance. These were narrowed down to select states that issues of non-compliance still allegedly persist (GAO-04-247). Earlier concerns about humane treatment of non-ambulatory (downer) cattle at slaughter houses became irrelevant when FSIS issued regulations in January 2004 (69 FR 1892) prohibiting them from being slaughtered and inspected for use as human food.[5]
^"To establish the use of humane methods of slaughter of livestock as a policy of the United States, and for other purposes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
^Anil, Haluk. "Religious slaughter: A current controversial animal welfare issue". Animal Frontiers. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
^"Chickens: Lost, Sold for Slaughter, Price, and Value, by State, United States, and Puerto Rico, 2007" (PDF). May 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2009. [dead link]
^"Humane Slaughter Act". Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
^CRS Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition - Order Code 97-905 Archived August 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
and 29 Related for: Humane Slaughter Act information
The HumaneSlaughterAct, or the Humane Methods of Livestock SlaughterAct (P.L. 85-765; 7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), is a United States federal law designed...
adoption of humane stunning by many local authorities. The HSA went on to play a key role in the passage of the Slaughter of Animals Act 1933. This made...
of animals in slaughterhouses. In the United States, there is the HumaneSlaughterAct of 1958, a law requiring that all swine, sheep, cattle, and horses...
to several concerns: whether horses are (or can be) managed humanely in industrial slaughter; whether horses not raised for consumption yield safe meat...
"designer" mice. The HumaneSlaughterAct is a United States federal law formulated to decrease livestock suffering during slaughter. The act was approved on...
The HumaneSlaughter Association (HSA) supports research, training, and development to improve the welfare of livestock during transport and slaughter. It...
First Amendment, to the HumaneSlaughterAct and in particular to the provisions relating to ritual slaughter as defined in the Act and which plaintiffs...
enforced by acts, such as the HumaneSlaughterAct require various prerequisites to be in place before any ritual or slaughter of any kind is permitted. This...
procedures for slaughtering animals. Ritual slaughter with a sharp knife is classified in the U.S. as 'humane' under the HumaneSlaughterAct and practiced...
month before slaughter. Their meat quality is determined on the mass of halves and the thickness of bacon on the back. The HumaneSlaughter Association...
Federal Meat Inspection Act. HumaneSlaughterAct Packers and Stockyards Act Pure Food and Drug Act "Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906 ~ P.L. 59-382"...
"Legislative History of the Animal Welfare Act: Introduction". Retrieved April 20, 2016. "Farm Animal Statistics: Slaughter Totals". February 2016. Retrieved May...
US meat scientists support shechita as a humaneslaughtering method as defined by the HumaneSlaughterAct. A 1978 study at the University of Veterinary...
needed] HumaneSlaughterAct Gerhard Peters; John T. Woolley. "Lyndon B. Johnson: "Remarks Upon Signing Bill Amending the Meat Inspection Act.," December...
before they can discharge manure. The federal HumaneSlaughterAct requires pigs to be stunned before slaughter, although compliance and enforcement is questioned...
Legislation (SAPL) was founded to lobby for humaneslaughter legislation, and the Humane Methods of SlaughterAct (HMSA) was passed in 1958. Following public...
International University in Assisi, Italy. She also holds Honorary Doctorates in Humane Letters from Schiller International University, Park University and William...
considers the following slaughter methods inhumane. Some ethicists have gone further and argued that there are no available humaneslaughter methods for fish...
the author of the first humaneslaughter bill introduced in the U.S. Congress and chief Senate sponsor of the HumaneSlaughterAct of 1958. Humphrey chaired...
the law does not apply to birds. The HumaneSlaughterAct is similarly limited. Originally passed in 1958, the Act requires that livestock be stunned into...
law called the HumaneSlaughterAct was designed to decrease suffering of livestock during slaughter. The Georgia Animal Protection Act of 1986 was a state...
The Slaughter of Poultry Act 1967 (c. 24) was a piece of UK legislation that provided for the humaneslaughter, for certain commercial purposes, of poultry...
the HumaneSlaughterAct of 1958, which requires that an animal be stunned before killing. This act, like those in many countries, exempts slaughter following...
believing, correctly, that the Reichswald was the more likely route. He acted against the assessments of his superiors and therefore ensured that the...
movement cohesion. In 1958, the Humane Methods of SlaughterAct passed, which required the proper use of humaneslaughter methods at slaughterhouses subject...
Global Information