I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1727 

To prohibit use of body-gripping traps by personnel of the Department of 

the Interior and the Department of Agriculture and on lands of such 

departments. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 27, 2017 

Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself and Mrs. LOWEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To prohibit use of body-gripping traps by personnel of the 

Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture and on lands of such departments. 

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 ‘‘Limiting Inhumane 

5 Federal Trapping Act’’. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1727 IH

1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF USE OF BODY-GRIPPING TRAPS BY 

2 PERSONNEL AND ON LANDS OF THE DEPART3 MENTS OF THE INTERIOR AND AGRI4 CULTURE. 

5 (a) PROHIBITIONS.—Except as provided in sub6 section (b)— 

7 (1) no personnel of the Department of the Inte8 rior or the Department of Agriculture may, in per9 formance of their duties, use, recommend, train re10 garding the use of, or plan for use of, any body-grip11 ping trap; and 

12 (2) no person shall use or possess any body13 gripping trap on property under the administrative 

14 jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior or the 

15 Department of Agriculture, without regard to wheth16 er the person is employed by, or working under a 

17 contract with, the Department of the Interior or the 

18 Department of Agriculture. 

19 (b) EXCEPTIONS.— 

20 (1) LIMITATION ON APPLICATION.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) shall not 

22 apply with respect to use of a body-gripping 

23 trap to— 

24 (i) control documented, invasive spe25 cies to achieve resource management objecVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:44 Mar 29, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1727.IH H1727

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1727 IH

1 tives where alternative methods have 

2 failed; or 

3 (ii) protect a species that is— 

4 (I) listed as an endangered spe5 cies or threatened species under the 

6 Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 

7 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); or 

8 (II) treated by the Forest Service 

9 as a sensitive species. 

10 (B) CONDITIONS.— 

11 (i) IN GENERAL.—Subparagraph (A) 

12 shall not apply unless— 

13 (I) such use of a body-gripping 

14 trap is in accordance with applicable 

15 State and Federal law; 

16 (II) prior to use of a body-grip17 ping trap, all available and viable non18 lethal methods for such control or 

19 protection, respectively, are at20 tempted; and 

21 (III) such attempts are docu22 mented in writing, and such docu23 mentation is maintained at the head24 quarters of the department that emVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:44 Mar 29, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1727.IH H1727

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1727 IH

1 ploys the individual engaging in such 

2 attempt. 

3 (ii) NONLETHAL METHODS DE4 SCRIBED.—For purposes of clause (i)(II), 

5 the term ‘‘nonlethal methods’’— 

6 (I) except as provided in sub7 clause (II), includes exclusions or bar8 riers, harassment and scaring devices, 

9 and other methods that do not result 

10 in the death of target or nontarget 

11 species; and 

12 (II) does not include any body13 gripping device. 

14 (2) TRAINING.—Subsection (a)(1) shall not 

15 apply with respect to training in the dismantling of 

16 body-gripping traps that have been illegally placed. 

17 (3) INDIAN COUNTRY.—Subsection (a)(2) shall 

18 not apply with respect to use of a body-gripping trap 

19 in the Indian country. 

20 (c) PENALTIES.— 

21 (1) KNOWING VIOLATIONS.—Any person who 

22 knowingly violates or fails to comply with this Act 

23 or any regulation issued under this Act shall be 

24 fined under title 18, United States Code, or impris25 oned for not more than 1 year, or both. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 1727 IH

1 (2) OTHER VIOLATIONS.—Any person who oth2 erwise violates or fails to comply with this Act or 

3 any such regulation shall be fined under title 18, 

4 United States Code, or imprisoned not more than 

5 180 days, or both. 

6 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) BODY-GRIPPING TRAP.—The term ‘‘body8 gripping trap’’— 

9 (A) except as provided in subparagraph 

10 (B), means any device that is intended to kill 

11 or capture an animal by physically restraining 

12 any part of the animal on land or in an aquatic 

13 environment, including any— 

14 (i) spring traps, including steel-jaw, 

15 padded, enclosed and dog-proof, or other 

16 modified foothold or leghold traps; 

17 (ii) kill-type trap, including Conibear 

18 and body-crushing traps; 

19 (iii) snare traps, including foot snares 

20 and strangling neck snares; and 

21 (iv) modified version of any such a 

22 trap; and 

23 (B) does not include any— 

24 (i) cage or box trap; or 

25 (ii) suitcase-type live beaver trap. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 1727 IH

1 (2) INDIAN COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘Indian coun2 try’’ has the meaning given that term under section 

3 1151 of title 18, United States Code. 

4 (3) PERSONNEL.—The term ‘‘personnel’’ in5 cludes individuals employed by, working under a 

6 contract or cooperative agreement with, or otherwise 

7 collaborating with the Department of the Interior or 

8 the Department of Agriculture. 

9 (e) ANILCA NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in this Act 

10 is intended or shall be construed to conflict with the Alas11 ka National Interests Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 

12 3101 et seq.). 

13 (f) STRICTER STATE LAWS NOT AFFECTED.—This 

14 section shall not be construed to preempt or limit any re15 quirement of any law or regulation of a State or political 

16 subdivision of a State, that— 

17 (1) is more restrictive than the requirements of 

18 this section; or 

19 (2) creates penalties for conduct regulated by 

20 this section. 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS