I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1437 

To authorize livestock producers and their employees to take black vultures 

in order to prevent death, injury, or destruction to livestock, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2023 

Mr. ROSE (for himself and Mr. SOTO) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize livestock producers and their employees to take 

black vultures in order to prevent death, injury, or destruction to livestock, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Black Vulture Relief 

5 Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS AND 

2 THEIR EMPLOYEES TO TAKE CERTAIN BLACK 

3 VULTURES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any provision of 

5 the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), 

6 a covered person may— 

7 (1) take or attempt to take a black vulture that 

8 is causing, or that the covered person has a reason9 able belief will cause, death, injury, or destruction to 

10 livestock; or 

11 (2) in the course of taking or attempting to 

12 take a black vulture described in paragraph (1), 

13 cause injury to such black vulture. 

14 (b) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Not later than 

15 January 31 of each year, a covered person that takes a 

16 black vulture pursuant to subsection (a) in the preceding 

17 12-month period shall complete and submit to the appro18 priate United States Fish and Wildlife Service Regional 

19 Office (as determined by the geographic jurisdictions de20 scribed in section 2.2 of title 50, Code of Federal Regula21 tions) an annual report using the form developed under 

22 subsection (c). 

23 (c) ISSUANCE OF FORM.—The Director of the United 

24 States Fish and Wildlife Service shall, not later than 180 

25 days after the date of enactment of this Act, make avail26 able on the agency website such reporting form as the DiVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:06 Mar 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1437.IH H1437

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1 rector determines appropriate for the purposes of taking 

2 reports under subsection (b). Such form may not be more 

3 onerous to complete than similar forms for permitted take 

4 under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et 

5 seq.) required as of the date of the enactment of this sec6 tion. 

7 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) BLACK VULTURE.—The term ‘‘black vul9 ture’’ means a bird of the species Coragyps atratus. 

10 (2) COVERED PERSON.—The term ‘‘covered 

11 person’’ means— 

12 (A) a livestock producer; or 

13 (B) an employee of a livestock producer 

14 when such employee is actively engaged in live15 stock production. 

16 (3) LIVESTOCK.—The term ‘‘livestock’’ has the 

17 meaning given such term in section 602 of the 

18 Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 

19 (7 U.S.C. 1471). 

20 (4) LIVESTOCK PRODUCER.—The term ‘‘live21 stock producer’’ has the meaning given such term in 

22 section 602 of the Emergency Livestock Feed As23 sistance Act of 1988 (7 U.S.C. 1471). 


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1 (5) TAKE.—The term ‘‘take’’ means to capture, 

2 kill, disperse, or transport. 

Æ 


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