I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1438 

To end the use of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2017 

Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. 

AGUILAR, Mr. QUIGLEY, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 

SERRANO, Mr. POLIS, Mr. MEEKS, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. 

JEFFRIES, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. KILMER, 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. 

MCGOVERN, Ms. LEE, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. BEYER, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. KEATING, Mr. 

CICILLINE, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. POCAN, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. GUTIE ́RREZ, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, 

Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. DEFAZIO, 

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Ms. TITUS, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Ms. CLARKE

of New York, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. COHEN, Mr. SEAN PATRICK

MALONEY of New York, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. 

KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. NADLER, and Mr. CLAY) 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. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Refuge From Cruel 

3 Trapping Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. POSSESSION OR USE OF BODY-GRIPPING TRAP PRO5 HIBITED. 

6 The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 

7 Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) is amended by add8 ing at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 6. POSSESSION OR USE OF BODY-GRIPPING TRAP 

10 PROHIBITED. 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—No person may possess or use 

12 a body-gripping trap in the System. 

13 ‘‘(b) ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS.—Notwithstanding 

14 section 4(f), a person who possesses or uses a body-grip15 ping trap in the System shall be subject to the following: 

16 ‘‘(1) In the case of a first offense, a civil fine 

17 of not more than $500 imposed by the Secretary for 

18 each body-gripping trap possessed or used. 

19 ‘‘(2) In the case of a subsequent offense— 

20 ‘‘(A) a civil fine of not more than $1,000 

21 imposed by the Secretary for each body-grip22 ping trap possessed or used; 

23 ‘‘(B) imprisonment for not more than 180 

24 days; or 

25 ‘‘(C) both a civil fine and imprisonment in 

26 accordance with subparagraphs (A) and (B). 


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1 ‘‘(c) FORFEITURE OF BODY-GRIPPING TRAP.—Any 

2 body-gripping trap that is possessed or used in violation 

3 of this section, and any wildlife captured by the use of 

4 such trap, including the pelt or raw fur, shall be subject 

5 to forfeiture to the United States in accordance with the 

6 provisions of chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code, 

7 relating to civil forfeitures. 

8 ‘‘(d) PAYMENT OF COURT COSTS AND OTHER ASSO9 CIATED EXPENSES.—A person found to be in violation of 

10 subsection (a) shall pay all court costs associated there11 with. 

12 ‘‘(e) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 120 days after 

13 the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 

14 shall issue any regulations necessary to carry out this sec15 tion. 

16 ‘‘(f) BODY-GRIPPING TRAP DEFINED.—As used in 

17 this section, the term ‘body-gripping trap’— 

18 ‘‘(1) except as provided in paragraph (3), 

19 means any device that is intended to kill or capture 

20 wildlife by physically restraining any part of the ani21 mal; 

22 ‘‘(2) includes any— 

23 ‘‘(A) steel-jaw, padded, or other modified 

24 leghold trap; 

25 ‘‘(B) kill-type trap; 


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1 ‘‘(C) snare trap; or 

2 ‘‘(D) modified version of any such trap; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(3) does not include any— 

5 ‘‘(A) cage or box trap; or 

6 ‘‘(B) suitcase-type live beaver trap.’’. 

Æ 


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