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• Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations to provide for the humane treatment, handling, and disposition of nonambulatory livestock by a covered entity, including a requirement that nonambulatory livestock be humanely euthanized.
  
  
• Provides that a covered entity shall: (1) not move nonambulatory livestock while such livestock are conscious; and (2) humanely euthanize such livestock.
  
  
• Prohibits an establishment covered by the Federal meat Inspection Act to pass nonambulatory livestock through inspection.
  
  
• Defines "covered entity," and "humanely euthanize."

The AVMA opposes this legislation because it is inconsistent with current AVMA Policy on Disabled Livestock:

The AVMA recommends that disabled livestock be handled humanely in all situations.

• Ambulatory Animals

  If an otherwise healthy animal has been recently injured, and the animal is ambulatory, it should be treated, shipped directly to a state or federally inspected slaughter plant, humanely slaughtered on the farm (where state laws permit), or euthanatized. Injured, ambulatory animals should not be commingled with other animals during transport.

  Care should be taken during loading, unloading, and handling of these animals to prevent further injury or stress.

• Non-ambulatory Animals: At no time is a nonambulatory animal to be dragged.

  If an animal is down on the farm

  If the animal is not in extreme distress and continues to eat and drink, the producer should contact a veterinarian for assistance and provide food, water, and appropriate shelter and nursing care to keep the animal comfortable.

  If the animal is in extreme distress and the condition is obviously irreversible, the animal should be euthanatized immediately or humanely slaughtered on the farm (where state laws permit.)

  If an animal is down at a nonterminal market (e.g., sale yard or auction)

  If the animal is not in extreme distress, but is disabled, treatment measures should be initiated.

  If an animal is down at a terminal market (e.g., slaughterhouse or packing plant)

  If the animal is in extreme distress and the condition is obviously irreversible, the animal should be euthanatized immediately or humanely slaughtered on the farm (where state laws permit.)

  If an animal is down at a terminal market (e.g., slaughterhouse or packing plant)

  If swine are down, and are not in extreme distress or do not have an obviously irreversible condition, they may be allowed up to 2 hours to recover. Acceptable interventions to assist in this recovery include rest, cooling, or other treatments that do not create drug residue concerns.

  Swine that do not recover and other animals should be euthanatized immediately

• USDA Non-ambulatory Final Rule (PDF)