Bill Would Deploy U.S.-Made Drones to Ensure Humane Treatment, Modernize Land Management and Reduce Federal Waste
WASHINGTON — Congressman Vern Buchanan, co-chair of the Animal Protection Caucus, and Congressman Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) recently introduced the Leveraging Aerial Systems for Stewardship Operations (LASSO) Act (H.R. 5829), bipartisan legislation that uses cutting-edge unmanned drones to protect wild horses and burros, improve safety during roundups and reduce costs for taxpayers.
“America’s wild horses and burros are a beloved symbol of the American spirit and deserve protection and humane treatment,” said Buchanan. “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.”
“I’m in the business of tackling waste, fraud, and abuse — and this bill would do just that,” said Vindman. “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.”
The bill authorizes a five-year pilot program, allocating $100,000 annually from the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) $142 million Wild Horse and Burro Program budget to test drone-assisted new herd stewardship and population control strategies. It also requires that the award go to an organization or university with a proven track record of using drones to corral equines and mandates that the drones be produced in the United States.
Buchanan is a leading advocate for protecting endangered species and ending animal cruelty, introducing and co-sponsoring dozens of important animal measures. Recently, Buchanan introduced the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act to ban the inhumane slaughter of horses. He is also a two-time recipient of the Humane Society’s “Legislator of the Year” award, winning the award in 2015 and 2020.
