Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act

Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act of 2019

This bill prohibits the use or possession of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The bill imposes on persons who possess or use such traps in the system (1) for a first offense, a civil fine of up to $500 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used; and (2) for subsequent offenses, a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used, imprisonment for up to 180 days, or both such a civil fine and imprisonment.

The bill makes any body-gripping traps that are possessed or used in violation of this bill, and any wildlife captured by the use of such traps, including the pelts and raw fur, subject to civil forfeiture.

Persons found to be in violation of such prohibition shall pay all associated court costs.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5127 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5127

 To end the use of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge 
                    System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 15, 2019

   Mrs. Lowey (for herself, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. 
Langevin, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Engel, Mr. Khanna, 
  Ms. Mucarsel-Powell, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Schiff, Mr. 
Kilmer, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Peters, Ms. Norton, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mrs. 
 Davis of California, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Swalwell 
     of California, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. 
  Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Dean, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Sires, Mr. 
 Blumenauer, Ms. Shalala, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Pappas, Ms. 
 Stevens, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. 
   Casten of Illinois, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Keating, Mr. Hastings, Mr. 
DeFazio, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney 
  of New York, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Correa, Mr. Raskin, and Ms. Speier) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To end the use of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge 
                    System, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. POSSESSION OR USE OF BODY-GRIPPING TRAP PROHIBITED.

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 6. POSSESSION OR USE OF BODY-GRIPPING TRAP PROHIBITED.

    ``(a) In General.--No person may possess or use a body-gripping 
trap in the System.
    ``(b) Enforcement Provisions.--Notwithstanding section 4(f), a 
person who possesses or uses a body-gripping trap in the System shall 
be subject to the following:
            ``(1) In the case of a first offense, a civil fine of not 
        more than $500 imposed by the Secretary for each body-gripping 
        trap possessed or used.
            ``(2) In the case of a subsequent offense--
                    ``(A) a civil fine of not more than $1,000 imposed 
                by the Secretary for each body-gripping trap possessed 
                or used;
                    ``(B) imprisonment for not more than 180 days; or
                    ``(C) both a civil fine and imprisonment in 
                accordance with subparagraphs (A) and (B).
    ``(c) Forfeiture of Body-Gripping Trap.--Any body-gripping trap 
that is possessed or used in violation of this section, and any 
wildlife captured by the use of such trap, including the pelt or raw 
fur of such wildlife, shall be subject to forfeiture to the United 
States in accordance with the provisions of chapter 46 of title 18, 
United States Code, relating to civil forfeitures.
    ``(d) Payment of Court Costs and Other Associated Expenses.--A 
person found to be in violation of subsection (a) shall pay all 
associated court costs.
    ``(e) Regulations.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue any regulations 
necessary to carry out this section.
    ``(f) Body-Gripping Trap Defined.--In this section, the term `body-
gripping trap'--
            ``(1) except as provided in paragraph (3), means any device 
        that is intended to kill or capture wildlife by physically 
        restraining any part of the animal;
            ``(2) includes any--
                    ``(A) steel-jaw, padded, or other modified leghold 
                trap;
                    ``(B) kill-type trap;
                    ``(C) snare trap; or
                    ``(D) modified version of any such trap; and
            ``(3) does not include any--
                    ``(A) cage or box trap; or
                    ``(B) suitcase-type live beaver trap.''.
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