110 HR 5534 IH: Bear Protection Act of U.S. House of Representatives 2008-03-05 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5534 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 5, 2008 Mr. Grijalva introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to extend its protections to bears illegally harvested for their viscera in the same manner as with respect to prohibited wildlife species, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Bear Protection Act of 2008.

2.

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to ensure the long-term viability of the world’s 8 bear species by reinforcing State conservation and management of bear populations.

3.

Bear viscera defined

Section 2 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371) is amended— (1)by redesignating paragraphs (a) through (k) as paragraphs (b) through (l), respectively; and (2)by inserting before paragraph (b) (as so redesignated) the following new paragraph: (a)

Bear viscera

The term bear viscera— (1)subject to subparagraphs (2) and (3), means the body fluids or internal organs of a species of bear; (2)except as provided in subparagraph (3), includes the gallbladder of such a species and its contents; and (3)does not include blood or brains of such a species. .

4.

Discouraging the illegal harvest of bears for their viscera

Section 3 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3372) is amended in subsections (a)(2)(C) and (e)(1) by inserting or bear viscera after prohibited wildlife species each place it appears.

5.

State management authority

None of the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to affect the regulation by any State of its bear populations or to affect the hunting of bears that is lawful under applicable State laws and regulations.