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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10611 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10611
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations to
facilitate the temporary international movement of high-health, high-
performance horses, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 24, 2026
Mr. Tonko (for himself, Mrs. Cammack, and Mrs. Bice) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations to
facilitate the temporary international movement of high-health, high-
performance horses, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Temporary International Movement of
Equines Act of 2026'' or the ``TIME Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States Equestrian Federation is the national
governing body for equestrian sport under the Ted Stevens
Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (36 U.S.C. 220501 et seq.), and
numerous other organizations (including breed registries and
sport-specific associations) govern and sanction high-health,
high-performance horse competitions across disciplines such as
racing, showing, endurance, and breed-specific events.
(2) International horse competitions hosted in the United
States contribute significantly to the national and local
economies, but many owners and trainers avoid U.S.-based events
due to non-standardized, restrictive protocols.
(3) Current Federal regulations governing the importation
of horses do not adequately address the unique health and
welfare needs of high-health, high-performance horses
temporarily entering the United States for competition or
racing purposes.
(4) The World Organization for Animal Health (in this
section referred to as ``WOAH'') has established
internationally recognized standards for the temporary movement
of such horses, addressing health and welfare concerns while
also maintaining strict biosecurity protocols to protect
overall herd health.
(5) The WOAH ``High Health, High Performance'' framework,
endorsed by Federation Equestre Internationale, the
international governing body for equestrian sport, has been
adopted by multiple countries, and updating U.S. horse import
and transport protocols to align with international standards
is a science-based, welfare-focused, economically sound, and
globally competitive move that will benefit horses, the
industry, and the public.
SEC. 3. REGULATIONS FOR TEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT OF HIGH-
HEALTH, HIGH-PERFORMANCE HORSES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall issue
regulations to facilitate the temporary international movement of high-
health, high-performance horses. The Secretary shall periodically
review and, as appropriate, revise such regulations, including
whenever--
(1) the World Organization for Animal Health revises its
health, biosecurity, and identification standards for the
temporary international movement of high-health, high-
performance horses;
(2) a significant advance is made in equine diagnostic
capabilities; or
(3) a change occurs in the epidemiology of equine
regulatory diseases.
(b) Elements.--The regulations (including the revisions to such
regulations) referred to in subsection (a) shall--
(1) recognize the low health risk posed by horses certified
for international competition under standards established by
the World Organization for Animal Health;
(2) establish a risk-based framework incorporating
identification, traceability, and biosecurity measures;
(3) accept certification from national or international
recognized entities regarding the health status of horses; and
(4) provide for expedited entry procedures and modified
quarantine protocols consistent with international best
practices and internationally recognized standards.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) High-health, high-performance horse.--The term ``high-
health, high-performance horse'' means a horse that meets the
health, biosecurity, and identification standards established
by the World Organization for Animal Health for temporary
movement, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
(2) National or international recognized entity.--The term
``national or international recognized entity'' means an
organization--
(A)(i) certified as a national governing body under
section 220521(a) of the Ted Stevens Olympic and
Amateur Sports Act (36 U.S.C. 220521); or
(ii) certified or recognized by another appropriate
entity, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture
(including national recognized breed registries,
national recognized discipline organizations, and
sanctioning bodies); and
(B) that is responsible for organizing, regulating,
or certifying high-health, high-performance horse
competitions or participants.
(3) National recognized breed registry.--The term
``national recognized breed registry'' means a domestic
organization that maintains official pedigree, identification,
and performance records for a specific equine breed and that
establishes and enforces breed specific standards or
competition rules.
(4) National recognized discipline organization.--The term
``national recognized discipline organization'' means a
domestic organization that sanctions, regulates, or certifies
equine competitions within a defined sport discipline and
establishes participation, eligibility, or health standards for
such competitions.
(5) Temporary international movement.--The term ``temporary
international movement'' means the entry of high-health, high-
performance horses into the United States for a limited
duration for the purpose of participating in recognized
international competitions or races.
(d) Rulemaking.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall initiate
rulemaking to implement the provisions of this Act.
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