Rep. Dina Titus Reintroduces Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act Amid Alarming Report on Welfare Violations
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) has reintroduced the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act, legislation aimed at strengthening protections for animals transported long distances across the United States. The bill arrives as a new report from the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) reveals widespread violations of federal law and a lack of enforcement to protect livestock during transport.
At the heart of the legislation is the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, the nation’s oldest federal animal welfare statute, which prohibits certain animals from being transported more than 28 consecutive hours without being offloaded for food, water, and rest. The law also prohibits the transport of animals considered “unfit for travel.”
Despite its long-standing existence, AWI’s updated report—Farmed Animals in Transport: The Twenty-Eight Hour Law—documents nearly two decades of weak enforcement, raising serious concerns about animal welfare, public health, and food safety.
AWI Report Findings: A Pattern of Neglect
The AWI report, based on 17 years of federal records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, paints a troubling picture:
From 2006 to 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made only 20 inquiries into potential violations. Just four resulted in warnings, and only one case was referred to the Department of Justice—with no recorded follow-up.
USDA investigators often struggled to confirm violations because haulers are not required to keep detailed logs of travel times, mileage, or rest stops. Industry-standard paperwork was found to be incomplete or inaccurate.
Oversight is fragmented: at least three federal agencies—the USDA, Department of Justice, and Department of Transportation—are tied to the law, but records show confusion about which agency is ultimately responsible for enforcement.
In cases involving Canadian transport companies, USDA officials claimed they lacked authority to act, even though no exemption exists for foreign carriers operating within the U.S.
A 2023 review of more than 3,500 veterinary inspection certificates for cattle leaving Florida revealed 173 shipments of 30,000 animals that likely violated the Twenty-Eight Hour Law. Florida is not even a major livestock state, suggesting the problem is far larger nationwide.
“The worst abuses in farmed animal transport occur when animals are hauled extremely long distances or when they are ill, disabled, or otherwise in such poor condition that they can’t withstand the journey,” said Adrienne Craig, senior policy associate and staff attorney for AWI’s Farmed Animal Program.
Transport Stress and Animal Welfare Risks
Long-distance transport exposes livestock to extreme stressors—noise, vibration, crowding, prolonged food and water deprivation, and exposure to heat and cold. These conditions not only worsen injuries and illness but also weaken immune systems, increasing the spread of infectious diseases, including zoonotic pathogens that can pass to humans.
“Millions of animals carried on our roads every year should be entitled to protection under our nation’s oldest animal welfare law,” Craig said. “But that’s not possible without a clear mechanism for enforcement and cooperation among agencies.”
What the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act Would Do
The proposed legislation would amend the Animal Health Protection Act to:
Require federal enforcement of the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, including clear agency accountability.
Ban interstate transport of livestock deemed unfit for travel, aligning U.S. standards with international animal welfare guidelines.
Close loopholes in recordkeeping to ensure accurate tracking of transport duration, mileage, and rest stops.
The bill mirrors fitness criteria already applied to animals exported internationally from the U.S., adopted in 2016 after AWI’s successful petition to halt the export of animals too young, weak, or sick to travel.
“For far too long, federal regulations requiring humane treatment of transported farm animals have not been enforced,” Titus said. “This bill would stop the lax oversight that has led to needless suffering, injuries, and deaths during transport.”
Why It Matters
Animal advocates argue that better enforcement would not only reduce animal suffering but also improve food safety and public health. Stress and illness during transport contribute to disease spread and contamination risks in the food supply chain.
The reintroduction of this bill—backed by bipartisan support—comes at a pivotal moment, as the U.S. faces increasing scrutiny over livestock welfare practices and their implications for global trade and human health.
