S. 1594 — Captive Primate Safety Act

This section defines "prohibited primate species" under the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. 3371) as any live species of nonhuman primate, including chimpanzee, galago, gibbon, gorilla, lemur, loris, monkey, orangutan, tarsier, or any hybrid thereof (redesignating existing subsections (h) through (l) as (i) through (m)). It prohibits any person from importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, purchasing in interstate or foreign commerce (or in a manner substantially affecting such commerce), breeding, or possessing any prohibited primate species or prohibited wildlife species (i.e., big cats such as lions and tigers, as defined in prior law). Exceptions apply to federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement; licensed exhibitors and USDA-registered Class C exhibitors or USDA-licensed facilities; accredited zoos and aquariums; entities transporting to permitted holders; pre-enactment possessors who register each animal with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within 180 days of enactment, thereafter prohibit breeding, acquisition, or sale, and bar public direct contact; and USDA-registered research facilities in good standing conducting research involving prohibited primates. (Thus, the amendments effectively ban private ownership, trade, breeding, and public contact with captive nonhuman primates nationwide, with a grandfather clause for existing animals.) This section further directs the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment (without delaying enforceability) and makes technical amendments to the Lacey Act, including correcting "subpenas" to "subpoenas," updating "Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976" to "Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act," and fixing punctuation.