[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1202 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1202

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit interstate-connected 
                  conduct relating to exotic animals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 20, 1997

  Mr. Brown of California (for himself, Mr. Shays, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. 
 Manton, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. Wynn, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Farr of California, 
  Mr. Borski, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Berman, Mr. 
Stark, Mr. Filner, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Leach, Mrs. Morella, Mr. Lantos, 
   Mr. Miller of California, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. Rivers, Mr. Clay, Ms. 
Pelosi, Mr. Markey, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Foglietta, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Porter, 
   Ms. Norton, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Klug, Mrs. 
Kennelly of Connecticut, Mr. Skaggs, Mr. Castle, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Davis 
  of Illinois, Ms. Lofgren, and Mr. Rangel), introduced the following 
       bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit interstate-connected 
                  conduct relating to exotic animals.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act 
of 1997''.

SEC. 2. TRANSPORT OR POSSESSION OF EXOTIC ANIMALS FOR PURPOSES OF 
              KILLING OR INJURING THEM.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 48. Exotic animals
    ``(a) Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, 
knowingly transfers, transports, or possesses a confined exotic animal, 
for the purposes of allowing the killing or injuring of that animal for 
entertainment or the collection of a trophy, shall be fined under this 
title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
    ``(b) As used in this section--
            ``(1) the term `confined exotic animal' means a mammal of a 
        species not historically indigenous to the United States that 
        in fact has been held in captivity for the shorter of--
                    ``(A) the greater part of the animal's life; or
                    ``(B) a period of one year;
        whether or not the defendant knew the length of the captivity; 
        and
            ``(2) the term `captivity' does not include any period 
        during which the animal--
                    ``(A) lives as it would in the wild, surviving 
                primarily by foraging for naturally occurring food, 
                roaming at will over an open area of at least 1,000 
                acres; and
                    ``(B) has the opportunity to avoid hunters.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the end of 
chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item:

``48. Exotic animals.''.
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