AHC, AAEP back bill to modernize temporary equine entry

The American Horse Council, the AAEP, and other equine groups are rallying behind the Temporary International Movement of Equines, or TIME, Act of 2026, a bipartisan House bill that would require USDA to build a new regulatory pathway for the temporary international movement of high-health, high-performance horses. Introduced September 24, 2026, as H.R. 10611, the bill is framed as a modernization effort for elite competition and racehorses entering the U.S. on a temporary basis. (govscent.org)

This push has been building for years. AHC said it spent 2025 working with the U.S. Equestrian Federation, AAEP, The Jockey Club, and others on a legislative proposal that would align U.S. policy with the World Organisation for Animal Health’s High Health, High Performance, or HHP, framework. That framework, developed through a WOAH partnership focused on international competition horse movement, is designed around strict veterinary supervision, identification, traceability, and biosecurity, with disease mitigation tailored to a defined high-health subpopulation. (horsecouncil.org)

Under the bill text, USDA would be directed to issue regulations for temporary movement of these horses and to revisit those regulations when WOAH standards change, when diagnostic tools improve, or when equine disease epidemiology shifts. Congressional findings in the bill argue that current federal import rules do not adequately address the welfare and risk profile of temporarily imported competition horses, and that non-standardized, restrictive protocols may discourage participation in U.S.-based events. The legislation also points to the U.S. role as a major host for international equestrian events and racing. (govscent.org)

Supporters are emphasizing both welfare and operational efficiency. AHC said the bill would establish a risk-based system using identification, traceability, and biosecurity measures, while providing expedited entry procedures and modified quarantine protocols. In its announcement, AHC described the legislation as a milestone in a years-long effort to modernize temporary entry rules without weakening equine health protections. The organization also noted support from USEF, AAEP, The Jockey Club, and Breeders’ Cup leadership. (horsecouncil.org)

AAEP President Dr. Sarah Reuss said modernizing the requirements would reduce quarantine time and post-arrival restrictions for temporarily entering competition and racehorses that are already closely monitored. USEF’s David O’Connor described the proposal as a collaborative public-private step for a country that now hosts many major international competitions. The Jockey Club and Breeders’ Cup framed the bill as a way to reduce unnecessary barriers while preserving rigorous animal health safeguards. Those comments came through AHC’s and Rep. Tonko’s release, and no separate AAEP press release was readily available in the organization’s current press archive. (horsecouncil.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about easing rules across the board and more about creating a distinct regulatory category for a narrowly defined equine population with intensive health oversight. If enacted and then implemented by USDA, the bill could change how veterinarians prepare horses for temporary international competition travel, including documentation, certification, traceability, and biosecurity planning. It could also shift some federal resources away from lower-risk temporary entries and toward higher-risk disease threats. At the same time, APHIS’ recent move to end the transition period for model health certificates on October 1, 2026, shows the agency is already standardizing equine import controls, so practitioners should expect modernization to come with more formalized compliance expectations, not fewer. (aphis.usda.gov)

There’s also a broader strategic backdrop. AHC explicitly tied the measure to the U.S. preparing to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and other major international competitions. That timing matters because any future USDA rulemaking would need to define eligibility, disease safeguards, and operational details well before those events if the industry wants a functional new pathway in place. That’s an inference based on the legislative timeline and the bill’s reliance on future rulemaking, rather than a stated implementation deadline in the bill text. (horsecouncil.org)

What to watch: The next signals will be whether H.R. 10611 picks up more co-sponsors, whether a Senate companion emerges, and whether USDA or APHIS publicly weighs in on how a U.S. HHP-style framework could fit with existing quarantine, import permit, and health certificate requirements. (govscent.org)