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Union Calendar No. 218 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 737 

[Report No. 116–273] 

To prohibit the sale of shark fins, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 23, 2019 

Mr. SABLAN (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. 

BONAMICI, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, 

Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. 

CRIST, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. 

GARAMENDI, Ms. HILL of California, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. JOHNSON of 

Georgia, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KATKO, Mr. KEATING, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. 

KINZINGER, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. MITCHELL, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. 

RASKIN, Mr. RESCHENTHALER, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RYAN, Mr. 

SCHWEIKERT, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. SOTO, Mr. SUOZZI, Ms. 

TITUS, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. 

VELA, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. AGUILAR, 

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. GOMEZ, and Mr. WEBER of Texas) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources 

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 

Additional sponsors: Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. MOULTON, Ms. BASS, 

Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. LOEBSACK, Ms. CLARKE of New York, 

Mr. BERA, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. COHEN, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Ms. 

LEE of California, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. ESPAILLAT, 

Ms. SPEIER, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. ESTES, Mr. SAN

NICOLAS, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. NEAL, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. BEYER, Ms. 

MATSUI, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. SHALALA, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mrs. DAVIS of 

California, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. MEUSER, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. WASSERMAN

SCHULTZ, Mr. KIND, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. CISNEROS, Mr. COSTA, 


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Ms. DEAN, Mr. DELGADO, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. GUTHRIE, Ms. HAALAND, 

Mr. HARDER of California, Mr. HECK, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. 

ROSE of New York, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. WATKINS, Mr. 

BACON, Mr. CASTEN of Illinois, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. 

JAYAPAL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. NORCROSS, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. WELCH, 

Mr. WOODALL, Mr. MALINOWSKI, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. BRINDISI, Mr. 

CUMMINGS, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. SIRES, Mr. SMUCKER, Mr. LAHOOD, Ms. 

BROWNLEY of California, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. 

HIGGINS of New York, Mr. HIMES, Mr. KIM, Mr. LAMB, Mr. LARSEN

of Washington, Mr. LUJA ́N, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. 

O’HALLERAN, Mr. POCAN, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. ROONEY of Florida, Mr. 

ROUDA, Mr. RUSH, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. WEXTON, Mr. 

ZELDIN, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. CASE, Mr. CORREA, Mr. COX

of California, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. OLSON, Mr. 

SCHNEIDER, Mr. TONKO, Mr. WRIGHT, Ms. SLOTKIN, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, 

Mr. LEVIN of California, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. BABIN, Mr. CRENSHAW, 

Mr. STAUBER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. YOHO, Ms. 

BARRAGA ́N, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. HUNTER, Ms. GRANGER, 

Mr. HAGEDORN, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Mr. COLLINS of New York, 

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PENCE, Mr. 

STEUBE, Mr. TURNER, Mr. UPTON, Mrs. AXNE, Mr. CROW, Mr. 

GROTHMAN, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. PALAZZO, Ms. 

SHERRILL, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. FINKENAUER, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. 

HORSFORD, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. SHERMAN, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. MCEACHIN, 

Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Ms. CLARK of 

Massachusetts, Ms. FRANKEL, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. 

TRONE, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. KILMER, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Ms. 

UNDERWOOD, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. BUDD, Mr. BERGMAN, Mr. EMMER, 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Ms. PORTER, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. BURCHETT, Mrs. 

DEMINGS, Mr. ALLRED, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Miss RICE of New 

York, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. GREEN of 

Texas, Mr. NADLER, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. GRIFFITH, Ms. 

SPANBERGER, Mr. TIMMONS, Mr. PETERS, Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas, Ms. 

PINGREE, Mrs. LURIA, Mrs. TRAHAN, Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma, Mr. MORELLE, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. CLAY, Ms. WILD, Mr. 

SERRANO, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. COOPER, Ms. MOORE, Mrs. 

FLETCHER, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, 

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mrs. MCBATH, Mrs. LEE of 

Nevada, Ms. STEVENS, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, 

Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DANNY K. 

DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. COURTNEY, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. 

CA ́RDENAS, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, 

Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. HOULAHAN, Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico, Mr. 

LAMALFA, Mr. KELLER, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. CUELLAR, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. 

STANTON, Mr. PHILLIPS, Mr. EVANS, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. 

GAETZ, Mr. STEIL, Mr. MCADAMS, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. GOODEN, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. RIGGLEMAN, and Ms. 

TLAIB


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NOVEMBER 8, 2019 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
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A BILL 

To prohibit the sale of shark fins, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Shark Fin Sales Elimi5 nation Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON SALE OF SHARK FINS. 

7 (a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in sections 3 

8 and 4, no person shall possess, offer for sale, sell, or pur9 chase any shark fin or product containing any shark fin. 

10 (b) PENALTY.—For purposes of section 308(a) of the 

11 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage12 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1858(a)), a violation of this section 

13 shall be treated as an act prohibited by section 307 of 

14 that Act. 

15 SEC. 3. EXEMPTION FOR TRADITIONAL FISHERIES, EDU16 CATION, AND SCIENCE. 

17 Section 2 shall not apply with respect to possession 

18 of a shark fin that was taken lawfully under a State, terri19 torial, or Federal license or permit to take or land sharks, 

20 if the shark fin is separated from the shark in a manner 

21 consistent with the license or permit and is— 

22 (1) destroyed or discarded upon separation; 

23 (2) used for noncommercial subsistence pur24 poses in accordance with State or territorial law; 


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1 (3) used solely for display or research purposes 

2 by a museum, college, or university, or by any other 

3 person under a State or Federal permit to conduct 

4 noncommercial scientific research; or 

5 (4) retained by the license or permit holder for 

6 a noncommercial purpose. 

7 SEC. 4. EXEMPTION FOR DOGFISH. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—It shall not be a violation of sec9 tion 2 for any person to possess, offer for sale, sell, or 

10 purchase any fresh or frozen raw fin or tail from any stock 

11 of the species Mustelus canis (smooth dogfish) or Squalus 

12 acanthias (spiny dogfish). 

13 (b) REPORT.—By not later than January 1, 2027, 

14 the Secretary of Commerce shall review the exemption in 

15 subsection (a) and shall prepare and submit to the Con16 gress a report that includes a recommendation on whether 

17 the exemption should continue or be terminated. In pre18 paring such report and making such recommendation, the 

19 Secretary shall analyze factors including— 

20 (1) the economic viability of dogfish fisheries 

21 with and without the continuation of the exemption; 

22 (2) the impact to ocean ecosystems of con23 tinuing or terminating the exemption; 

24 (3) the impact on enforcement of the ban con25 tained in section 3 caused by the exemption; and 


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1 (4) the impact of the exemption on shark con2 servation. 

3 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) SHARK.—The term ‘‘shark’’ means any spe6 cies of the orders Pristiophoriformes, Squatini7 formes, Squaliformes, Hexanchiformes, Lamni8 formes, Carchariniformes, Orectolobiformes, and 

9 Heterodontiformes. 

10 (2) SHARK FIN.—The term ‘‘shark fin’’ means 

11 the raw, dried, or otherwise processed detached fin, 

12 or the raw, dried, or otherwise processed detached 

13 tail, of a shark. 

14 SEC. 6. STATE AUTHORITY. 

15 Nothing in this Act affects any right of a State or 

16 territory of the United States to adopt or enforce any reg17 ulation or standard that is more stringent than a regula18 tion or standard in effect under this Act. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 218 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 737 

[Report No. 116–273] 

A BILL 

To prohibit the sale of shark fins, and for other 

purposes. 

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS