I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3710 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 1, 2009 

Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Ms. LEE

of California, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. 

ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. FARR, 

Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 

STARK, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CONYERS, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. 

HARE, Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts, Mr. HOLT, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. 

CROWLEY, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. PASCRELL, 

Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. BALDWIN, 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Mr. WU) 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Refuge from Cruel 

5 Trapping Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. POSSESSION OR USE OF BODY-GRIPPING TRAP PRO2 HIBITED. 

3 The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 

4 Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) is amended by add5 ing at the end the following: 

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

7 PROHIBITED. 

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

9 a body-gripping trap in the System. 

10 ‘‘(b) ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS.—Notwithstanding 

11 section 4(f), a person who possesses or uses a body-grip12 ping trap in the System shall be subject to the following: 

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

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

15 each body-gripping trap possessed or used. 

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

17 ‘‘(A) a civil fine of not more than $1000 

18 imposed by the Secretary for each body-grip19 ping trap possessed or used; 

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

21 days; or 

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

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

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

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

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


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

2 to forfeiture to the United States in accordance with the 

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

4 relating to civil forfeitures. 

5 ‘‘(d) PAYMENT OF COURT COSTS AND OTHER ASSO6 CIATED EXPENSES.—A person found to be in violation of 

7 subsection (a) shall pay all court costs associated there8 with. 

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

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

11 shall issue any regulations necessary to carry out this sec12 tion. 

13 ‘‘(f) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term 

14 ‘body-gripping trap’— 

15 ‘‘(1) means any device that is intended to kill 

16 or capture wildlife by physically restraining any part 

17 of the animal; 

18 ‘‘(2) includes any steel-jaw, padded, or other 

19 modified leghold trap, kill-type trap, snare trap, or 

20 any modified version of any such trap; and 

21 ‘‘(3) does not include any cage or box trap or 

22 suitcase-type live beaver trap.’’. 

Æ 


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