Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act (7 USC, 1901 - 1907)
These statutory sections comprise what is commonly termed the Humane Slaughter Act. Included in
these sections are Congress' statement that livestock must be slaughtered in a humane manner to prevent
needless suffering, research methods on humane methods of slaughter, the nonapplicability of these statutes
to religious or ritual slaughter, and the investigation into the care of nonambulatory livestock.
Humane Slaughter of Livestock Regulations (9CFR 313)
The CFR is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the
Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
FSIS Directives and Notices
FSIS Directive 6900.2 - Humane Handling and Slaughter of Livestock (PDF Only)
This directive informs inspection program personnel of the requirements,
verification activities, and enforcement actions for ensuring that the
handling and slaughter of livestock, including the slaughter of livestock by
religious ritual methods, is humane.
FSIS Notice 21-09 - Humane Handling Activities and Documentation in Livestock
Slaughter Establishments (PDF Only)
This notice provides instructions for Public Health Veterinarians (PHVs) and other
inspection program personnel to conduct humane handling activities randomly throughout
their tour of duty.
Docket No. 04-013N - Humane Handling and Slaughter Requirements and the Merits of
a
Systematic Approach To Meet Such Requirements
Humane
Interactive Knowledge Exchange (HIKE)
Through the use of fictional scenarios, HIKE allows an employee to review FSIS
requirements, and hopefully, to correlate with his or her work-group and supervisor
regarding the application of those requirements.
