“To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Wildlife Confiscations Network, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states congressional findings on wildlife trafficking as a national security threat linked to transnational organized crime; the limitations of federal ports of entry in holding, caring for, and transporting seized live animals (noting 834 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cases from 2015-2019 involving 48,793 animals, averaging nearly 30 per day); and the success of the Wildlife Confiscations Network pilot in southern California, which has placed over 4,100 animals into care in two years and should be expanded nationwide to support law enforcement.
This section defines terms used in the Act, including "CITES species" (i.e., animal species listed in appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), "confiscated animal" (i.e., individual of a CITES species or threatened or endangered species seized at a U.S. port or border and placed at a qualified animal care facility), "qualified animal care facility" (i.e., zoo, aquarium, sanctuary, or similar entity reviewed by the Committee that currently cares for such animals or has relevant recent expertise), "Network" (i.e., Wildlife Confiscations Network established under section 4(a)), "Committee" (i.e., committee established under section 4(b)(3)), "Secretary" (i.e., Secretary of the Interior acting through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director), and "threatened or endangered species" (i.e., animal species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973).
This section establishes the Wildlife Confiscations Network, a voluntary cooperative program in partnership with a professional accrediting zoological association to assist federal wildlife law enforcement agencies with the placement and care of confiscated animals. The Network must (1) establish a cooperative response protocol for animal care and welfare; (2) create and maintain a database of qualified animal care facilities for triage and long-term housing; (3) form a committee to review and approve or reject membership applications; and (4) serve as the single point of contact for agencies seeking placements in qualified facilities. Membership is open to wildlife sanctuaries, aquarium facilities, zoological facilities, animal rescue and rehabilitation organizations, universities, and nongovernmental organizations, with applications evaluated by the committee for credentials, permits, licenses, and capability. The seven-member committee comprises representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the partnering zoological association, a zoological facility, an aquarium facility, a wildlife sanctuary, a nongovernmental organization, and a wildlife rehabilitation or rescue facility (or similar); initial members are appointed by the Secretary with staggered terms (two for 1 year, two for 2 years, three for 3 years), and subsequent members are elected for 3-year terms.