A Florida bill to that would make it a felony to slaughter horses and sell their meat for human consumption drew closer to passage on April 21 when that state's House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the measure.

HB 765 prohibits the mutilation or killing of any horse and forbids the transport, distribution, sale, and purchase of horsemeat for human consumption. If the bill is enacted, violators could face felony mandatory minimum penalties of $3,500 in fines and one year in prison, and maximum penalties of five years in prison and $5,000 in fines for each offense.

The bill now moves to the senate, where a twin bill, SB 1708, remains pending. Both bills were introduced in direct response to a series of horse poaching incidents in South Florida during the past year, said HB 765 sponsor Rep. Luis Garcia.

Since January 2009, the butchered remains of at least 22 horses have been found in Miami-Dade County. Two horses were also discovered dead and mutilated in a field in nearby Miramar, Fla., in May