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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2308 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2308

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain interstate 
conduct relating to exotic animals and certain computer-assisted remote 
                    hunting, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2009

Mr. Cohen (for himself, Mr. Whitfield, and Mr. Sherman) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain interstate 
conduct relating to exotic animals and certain computer-assisted remote 
                    hunting, 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 ``Sportsmanship in Hunting Act of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. TRANSPORT OR POSSESSION OF EXOTIC ANIMALS FOR PURPOSES OF 
              KILLING OR INJURING THEM.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 49. Exotic animals
    ``(a) Captive Exotic Animals.--Whoever, in or affecting interstate 
or foreign commerce, knowingly transfers, transports, or possesses a 
confined exotic animal, for the purposes of allowing the killing or 
injuring of that animal for entertainment or for the collection of a 
trophy, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 1 
year, or both.
    ``(b) Computer-Assisted Remote Hunting.--Whoever, using any 
instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly makes 
available a computer-assisted remote hunt shall be fined under this 
title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
    ``(c) Exception.--Providing an instrumentality of commerce, such as 
equipment or access to the Internet, is not a violation of subsection 
(b) unless the provider has knowledge that the equipment or access is 
to be used for a computer-assisted remote hunt.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `confined exotic animal' means a mammal of a 
        species not indigenous to the United States that has been held 
        in captivity--
                    ``(A) the majority of the animal's life; or
                    ``(B) a continuous period of 1 year;
            ``(2) the term `captivity' does not include any period 
        during which an animal lives as it would in the wild--
                    ``(A) surviving primarily by foraging for naturally 
                occurring food;
                    ``(B) roaming at will over an open area of not less 
                than 1,000 acres; and
                    ``(C) having the opportunity to avoid hunters;
            ``(3) the term `computer-assisted remote hunt' means any 
        use of a computer or other device, equipment, or software to 
        allow a person remotely to control the aiming and discharge of 
        a weapon so as to kill or injure an animal while not in the 
        physical presence of the targeted animal; and
            ``(4) the term `instrumentality of interstate commerce' 
        means any written, wire, radio, television, or other form of 
        communication in, or using a facility of, interstate commerce.
    ``(e) Construction With Other Law.--Nothing in this section limits 
the power of State and local authorities to enact laws or regulations 
concerning computer-assisted remote hunting facilities.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning 
of chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new item:

``49. Exotic animals.''.
                                 <all>
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