II 

Calendar No. 232 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1590 

To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize 

rewards for thwarting wildlife trafficking linked to transnational organized crime, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 22, 2019 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. COONS, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. 

DUCKWORTH, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. MCSALLY, Mr. VAN

HOLLEN, Mr. CARDIN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. CARPER, Mr. UDALL, and Ms. CANTWELL) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 

Reported by Mr. RISCH, without amendment 

A BILL 

To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 

1956 to authorize rewards for thwarting wildlife trafficking linked to transnational organized crime, and for 

other purposes. 

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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•S 1590 RS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rescuing Animals 

3 With Rewards Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘RAWR Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Wildlife trafficking is a major transnational 

7 crime that is estimated to generate over 

8 $10,000,000,000 a year in illegal profits and which 

9 is increasingly perpetrated by organized, sophisti10 cated criminal enterprises, including known terrorist 

11 organizations. 

12 (2) Wildlife trafficking not only threatens en13 dangered species worldwide, but also jeopardizes 

14 local security, spreads disease, undermines rule of 

15 law, fuels corruption, and damages economic devel16 opment. 

17 (3) Combating wildlife trafficking requires a co18 ordinated and sustained approach at the global, re19 gional, national, and local levels. 

20 (4) Congress stated in the Eliminate, Neu21 tralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 

22 (Public Law 114–231) that it is the policy of the 

23 United States to take immediate actions to stop the 

24 illegal global trade in wildlife and wildlife products 

25 and associated transnational organized crime. 


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•S 1590 RS

1 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con2 gress that the Department of State’s rewards program is 

3 a powerful tool in combating sophisticated international 

4 crime and that the Department of State and Federal law 

5 enforcement should work in concert to offer rewards that 

6 target wildlife traffickers. 

7 SEC. 3. WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING PREVENTION REWARDS 

8 PROGRAM. 

9 Subparagraph (B) of section 36(k)(5) of the State 

10 Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 

11 2708(k)(5)) is amended by inserting ‘‘wildlife trafficking 

12 (as defined by section 2(12) of the Eliminate, Neutralize, 

13 and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 (16 U.S.C. 

14 7601(12); Public Law 114–231)) and’’ after ‘‘includes’’. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
Calendar No. 232 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1590 

A BILL 

To amend the State Department Basic Authorities 

nized crime, and for other purposes. wildlife trafficking linked to transnational orgaAct of 1956 to authorize rewards for thwarting 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 

Reported without amendment 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS