Animal House: Horses, duck stamps and animal drugs up next week

The bill from Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) calls for a herd of no more than 130 free-roaming wild horses and the introduction of some horses from another herd to introduce genetic viability.

The Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act, H.R. 1206, will also get a vote in the House. This bill would make federal duck stamps available for purchase online.

{mosads}Duck stamps are federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamps that were first authorized in 1934. They used to be federal hunting licenses and are now used to help fund conservation efforts.

“The sale and distribution of the federal duck stamp is a critical part of conserving vital waterfowl habitat across this nation,” said bill sponsor Rob Wittman (R-Va.) when he introduced the measure in March. “While this issue may seem small for many, passage of the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act would be an important step forward for the conservation of our natural areas for use and enjoyment by future generations.”

The House approved a similar bill in the last Congress.

The third bill is S. 622, the Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Reauthorization Act. This legislation is aimed at expediting the approval process for animal drugs by reauthorizing a user fee program that helps pay for the federal approval process at the Food and Drug Administration.

Similar user fee programs help fund the approval process of drugs for humans and are usually endorsed by the industry as a way to ensure speedy inspections and approvals. The Senate approved this bill, from Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), earlier this month.

Each of these bills will be called up under a suspension of House rules, which means less debate and a two-thirds majority required for passage.