This bill creates new rules to make sure farm animals are treated humanely when transported across state lines. Right now, there are animal welfare standards on the books, but there's no real way to enforce them. This law fixes that by requiring the Transportation Department and Agriculture Department to set up a system for inspecting trucks, trains, and ships that carry animals, as well as checking the records of companies doing the transporting. They have six months to get this inspection system in place.

The bill also spells out exactly which animals shouldn't be transported at all because they're too sick or weak to handle the journey. This includes animals that are injured, can't stand up on their own, are blind, or are so sick that moving them would cause more suffering. It also protects newborn animals with unhealed navels, pregnant animals near the end of their pregnancy, and animals that just gave birth and are separated from their babies. The only exception is if an animal is being moved specifically to get veterinary care—that's always allowed. Essentially, this law gives the government the tools to actually catch and stop companies that transport animals in inhumane conditions, rather than just having rules that nobody enforces.