GAO presses Congress to update livestock transport law

A new GAO report is pressing Congress to modernize the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, arguing that the nation’s core livestock transport statute is too narrow, too old, and too weakly enforced to address current animal welfare risks in interstate transport. GAO’s conclusion is straightforward: the law still sets a time limit on confinement, but it does not give federal agencies the tools or authority they need to monitor compliance and prevent cruelty during transport. (gao.gov)

The Twenty-Eight Hour Law dates back to 1873 and was later reenacted in 1906 and 1994. It generally requires animals moved across state lines for more than 28 consecutive hours to be unloaded for at least five hours for feed, water, and rest, with some exceptions, including certain written extensions to 36 hours, additional time for sheep in some circumstances, and exemptions for transport by air or water. The law remains the primary federal standard for interstate livestock transport, but GAO found Congress has not updated it to reflect a broader understanding of transport-related welfare risks. (gao.gov)

In its review, GAO identified six factors that could help prevent cruelty during livestock transport, while noting that the current law only partly addresses one of them. The report points to risks such as overcrowding, extreme temperatures, poor ventilation, unsanitary equipment, and transport of animals that may be unfit to travel. GAO also noted that other countries include more detailed standards on species, condition, vehicle design, and fitness for travel, suggesting the U.S. framework is comparatively limited. (gao.gov)

The enforcement picture was just as notable. GAO said USDA initiated 23 cases involving possible violations between 2013 and 2025, but referred only one case to DOJ, which took no action. According to the report, USDA had previously used warning letters and other administrative correspondence, but USDA and DOJ concluded in 2022 that the law does not authorize agencies to take those administrative enforcement actions for transport violations. GAO added that the civil penalty range, $206 to $1,055 per violation as of April 2026, has not been meaningfully updated since the law’s original passage apart from inflation adjustments, and officials told investigators those amounts are too low to serve as an effective deterrent. (gao.gov)

Outside reaction has been supportive from animal welfare advocates, who see the report as validation of long-running concerns. The Animal Welfare Institute said GAO’s findings reinforce evidence of noncompliance, delayed investigations, and minimal consequences under the current system. AWI also pointed to the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act, introduced as H.R. 5286, which would require USDA and DOT to develop a process for detecting violations and would bar transport of animals deemed unfit for travel. (awionline.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is bigger than a transport-law housekeeping issue. Long-haul transport affects animal welfare, biosecurity, morbidity, carcass quality, and economic outcomes, especially when animals are stressed, injured, heat-loaded, dehydrated, or otherwise compromised before arrival. GAO explicitly said stronger standards could help protect health and welfare, limit disease spread, and reduce economic losses, a framing that aligns transport oversight with preventive veterinary medicine rather than compliance alone. For practitioners working with food animal systems, the report may also sharpen expectations around fitness-to-ship assessments, documentation, and conversations with producers, haulers, and processors. (gao.gov)

There are also scope questions worth watching. Reporting on the GAO review noted that the law applies to cattle, sheep, swine, and other mammals, but not poultry, a major omission given the scale of poultry transport in the U.S. At the same time, GAO’s emphasis on clearer agency roles suggests any legislative update would likely need to resolve who is responsible for inspections, data collection, case referral, and administrative action before enforcement can become more than nominal. (agri-pulse.com)

What to watch: The next step is whether Congress leaves the report as a policy marker or turns it into statutory change. GAO’s recommendations remain open, and any serious update would likely focus on three areas: expanding the law beyond trip duration alone, explicitly authorizing federal monitoring with defined USDA and DOT roles, and strengthening penalties and administrative enforcement tools. (gao.gov)