Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) is introducing bipartisan legislation to authorize the use of drones to manage America's wild horse and burro populations.
Specifically, the Leveraging Aerial Systems for Stewardship Operations (LASSO) Act establishes a five-year pilot program testing drone-assisted herd stewardship and population control methods.
Funds are authorized at $100,000 annually from the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program budget and must go toward a university or other organization with a proven record of using drones to assist in herd stewardship, further mandating that the drones be American in origin.
"America's wild horses and burros are a beloved symbol of the American spirit and deserve protection and humane treatment," said Rep. Buchanan in a statement. "As Co-Chairman of the Animal Protection Caucus, I'm proud to join Congressman Vindman in introducing the LASSO Act to ensure humane care, modernize land management, and save taxpayer dollars."
Representative Eugene Vindman (D-VA), the bill's cosponsor, shared that he is "in the business of tackling waste, fraud, and abuse — and this bill would do just that." "The LASSO Act is designed to lower costs for taxpayers, strengthen the American drone industry, and promote responsible stewardship of our public lands, while preserving one of our nation's most iconic symbols: the wild horse," Vindman added.
In May 2024, Rep. Buchanan led a bipartisan letter demanding that the domestic slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States be banned, calling it "a barbaric practice that has no place in our country."
In October 2024, the Florida Congressman urged an investigation into allegations of poor living conditions of horses used to draw funerary carriages at Arlington National Cemetery after two animals were euthanized in 2022.
"Given the honorable, selfless service of those who are being laid to rest at the Arlington National Cemetery, we must ensure that they receive a proper, honorable burial," said Buchanan. "We must also ensure the horses who have worked tirelessly to provide for these brave service members are taken care of in a humane manner."
