[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 561 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 561

    To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the 
   importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada 
    before the date on which the polar bear was determined to be a 
      threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 25, 2015

 Mr. Crapo (for himself and Mr. Risch) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the 
   importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada 
    before the date on which the polar bear was determined to be a 
      threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

    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 ``Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. PERMITS FOR IMPORTATION OF POLAR BEAR TROPHIES TAKEN IN SPORT 
              HUNTS IN CANADA.

    Section 104(c)(5) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 
U.S.C. 1374(c)(5)) is amended by striking subparagraph (D) and 
inserting the following:
                    ``(D) Polar bear parts.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Notwithstanding 
                        subparagraphs (A) and (C)(ii), subsection 
                        (d)(3), and sections 101 and 102, the Secretary 
                        of the Interior shall, expeditiously after the 
                        date on which the expiration of the applicable 
                        30-day period described in subsection (d)(2) 
                        expires, issue a permit for the importation of 
                        any polar bear part (other than an internal 
                        organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt 
                        in Canada to any person--
                                    ``(I) who submits, with the permit 
                                application, proof that the polar bear 
                                was legally harvested by the person 
                                before February 18, 1997; or
                                    ``(II) who submitted, with a permit 
                                application submitted before May 15, 
                                2008, proof that the polar bear was 
                                legally harvested from a polar bear 
                                population from which a sport-hunted 
                                trophy could be imported before that 
                                May 15, 2008, in accordance with 
                                section 18.30(i) of title 50, Code of 
                                Federal Regulations (or a successor 
                                regulation) by the person before May 
                                15, 2008.
                            ``(ii) Applicability of prohibition on the 
                        importation of a depleted species.--
                                    ``(I) Parts legally harvested 
                                before february 18, 1997.--
                                            ``(aa) In general.--
                                        Sections 101(a)(3)(B) and 
                                        102(b)(3) shall not apply to 
                                        the importation of any polar 
                                        bear part authorized by a 
                                        permit issued under clause 
                                        (i)(I).
                                            ``(bb) Applicability.--Item 
                                        (aa) shall not apply to polar 
                                        bear parts imported before June 
                                        12, 1997.
                                    ``(II) Parts legally harvested 
                                before may 15, 2008.--
                                            ``(aa) In general.--
                                        Sections 101(a)(3)(B) and 
                                        102(b)(3) shall not apply to 
                                        the importation of any polar 
                                        bear part authorized by a 
                                        permit issued under clause 
                                        (i)(II).
                                            ``(bb) Applicability.--Item 
                                        (aa) shall not apply to polar 
                                        bear parts imported before the 
                                        date of enactment of the Polar 
                                        Bear Conservation and Fairness 
                                        Act of 2015.''.
                                 <all>