[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6546 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6546

To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to allow certain activities 
 to be carried out with regard to certain fish held in captivity or a 
                        controlled environment.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 1, 2023

  Mr. Bentz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to allow certain activities 
 to be carried out with regard to certain fish held in captivity or a 
                        controlled environment.

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

SECTION 1. FISH HELD IN CAPTIVITY OR CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.

    Section 9(b) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1538(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(3) Fish Held in Captivity or Controlled Environment.--
            ``(A) Exception.--The provisions of subsection (a)(1) and 
        section 7(a)(2) do not apply to--
                    ``(i) a fish legally held in captivity or in a 
                controlled environment in a manner that maintains 
                physical separation of such fish from any wild 
                population of the same species on the date of the 
                enactment of this paragraph; or
                    ``(ii) progeny of a fish described in clause (i) 
                legally held in the manner described in clause (i),
        until such time as any such fish or progeny is intentionally 
        released from such captivity or controlled environment to live 
        in the wild.
            ``(B) Requirement.--
                    ``(i) In general.--A person that holds a fish or 
                progeny described in subparagraph (A) shall be able to 
                demonstrate to the Secretary that such fish or progeny 
                qualifies as a fish or progeny described in 
                subparagraph (A).
                    ``(ii) Fulfillment of requirement.--A person that 
                holds a fish or progeny described in subparagraph (A) 
                may fulfill the demonstration requirement described in 
                clause (i) through compliance with the applicable 
                provisions of the Convention.''.
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