Sec. 2. Findings
232 words·~1 min read·
/bill/119/hr/4356/ih/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: As part of efforts to control equine populations under law, the Bureau of Land Management is directed to humanely capture wild free-roaming horses and burros for adoption. The use of helicopters to chase equines over prolonged distances, usually on rough terrain, is particularly dangerous, and can frighten the animals and lead to deadly situations, often miles from public view. Public observation of roundups is typically limited, thereby restricting public access to the government operation.
Scientific research shows that more humane and cost-effective alternatives exist to control equine populations, including fertility controls. Since fiscal year 2012, over $69.5 million in taxpayer dollars have funded roundup operations to remove federally protected wild horses and burros from the range. In the past five years (2020–2024), at least $36.7 million has been spent on roundups, including over $6 million paid to helicopter roundup contractors in fiscal year 2022 alone.
Since 2012, the Bureau of Land Management has administered fewer than 800 fertility control treatments per year on average. In fiscal year 2012, 1,045 treatments were applied; in fiscal year 2024, 1,038 treatments. Historically, the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program has spent less than one percent of its budget on implementing fertility controls. The elimination of helicopters from the Bureau of Land Management’s gatherings would provide a more humane method of capturing equines, and provide significant savings to taxpayers.