SAW Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9568 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9568

To prohibit any person from using a motor vehicle to intentionally run 
  over or kill a wild animal on public lands, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 12, 2024

Ms. Mace (for herself, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Gaetz, and Mr. 
Carter of Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prohibit any person from using a motor vehicle to intentionally run 
  over or kill a wild animal on public lands, 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 ``Snowmobiles Aren't Weapons Act'' or 
the ``SAW Act''.

SEC. 2. USE A MOTOR VEHICLE TO INTENTIONALLY RUN OVER OR KILL A WILD 
              ANIMAL ON PUBLIC LANDS PROHIBITED.

    (a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever 
intentionally uses a motor vehicle to run over, strike, or kill a wild 
animal on public lands shall be fined not more than $5,000, imprisoned 
not more than 1 year, or both.
    (b) Exceptions.--A person shall not be considered to have violated 
the prohibition in subsection (a) if their actions were taken--
            (1) to avoid injury or death to themselves or another 
        person;
            (2) to avoid the destruction of personal property; or
            (3) while conducting wildlife management activities 
        pursuant to a preexisting wildlife management plan.
    (c) Investigation of Violations.--The Secretary of the Interior, or 
a person authorized by the Secretary--
            (1) shall make such investigations as the Secretary deems 
        necessary to determine whether any person has violated or is 
        violating this Act; and
            (2) when conducting investigations under this subsection, 
        may request and accept the assistance of State and local law 
        enforcement and governmental agencies.
    (d) Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to affect section 13 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 
742j-1).
    (e) Definitions.--In this Act--
            (1) the term ``motor vehicle'' means a ground-based self-
        propelled vehicle or a vehicle propelled or drawn by a ground-
        based self-propelled vehicle;
            (2) the term ``public lands'' means any land owned by the 
        United States and administered by the Secretary of the 
        Interior, except lands where the title is held in trust by the 
        United States for the benefit of an American Indian tribe or an 
        individual American Indian; and
            (3) the term ``wild animal'' means a wolf or coyote.
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