The American Horse Council reports that the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved its version of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for 2012. This bill provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for 2012 fiscal year (October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012) and contains several provisions of interest to the horse industry.
The Senate bill authorized different levels of funding for various USDA programs than the House bill (H.R. 2112) passed on June 1, 2011. The AHC reported on the House Appropriations Committee approval of the USDA funding bill for 2012 fiscal year.
USDA Funding
The Senate bill sets overall funding for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inpsection Service (APHIS) at $820.1 million. APHIS is the agency responsible for responding to disease outbreaks. This is approximately $36 million more than the House-approved funding level of $783.4 million.
The Senate bill is $43 million less than FY2011 levels and $12 million less than the President’s FY2012 budget request. By comparison, the House bill was $80 million less than FY2011 levels and $49 million below the President’s request for FY2012. However, the Senate bill maintained funding for equine, cervid, and small ruminant health at $22 million in accordance with the President’s request and the House bill.
The Senate bill funds the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at $1.01 billion. ARS is USDA’s chief scientific research agency and has played a critical role in mitigating the health and economic impacts equine infectious diseases, such as Equine Piroplasmosis, have had on the horse industry. The Senate bill is approximately $100 million more than the House bill authorized.
The Senate bill is $40 million less than FY2011 levels and the President’s FY2012 budget request; however, the House bill was $146 million less than FY2011 levels and $150 million below the President’s FY2012 request.
The Senate also provided $7 million for the new animal disease traceability system, which USDA published a proposed rule on in August 2011. You can view the AHC’s information on the new animal disease traceability program.
Horse Protection Act
The Senate bill approved funding for enforcement of the Horse Protection Act at $891,000 which is the same amount as the President’s FY2012 budget request and $400,000 more than the House bill authorized.
Equine Transport
The Senate bill also included committee report language expressing concern with the lack of progress on USDA’s 2007 proposed rule changes under the Commercial Transportation of Equines to Slaughter Act. The Senate Committee directed USDA to finalize the rule before October 1, 2011. USDA published the final rule yesterday, September 7, 2011.
Status
This bill must now be approved by the full Senate, and go through a conference committee with representatives from both the Senate and the House to resolve any differences between the two bills.
If you have any questions regarding this bill please call the AHC.
