II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 561 

To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the 

date on which the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species 

under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2015 

Mr. CRAPO (for himself and Mr. RISCH) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

A BILL 

To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to 

allow the importation of polar bear trophies taken in 

sport hunts in Canada before the date on which the 

polar bear was determined to be a threatened species 

under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 

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 ‘‘Polar Bear Conserva5 tion and Fairness Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PERMITS FOR IMPORTATION OF POLAR BEAR TRO2 PHIES TAKEN IN SPORT HUNTS IN CANADA. 

3 Section 104(c)(5) of the Marine Mammal Protection 

4 Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1374(c)(5)) is amended by strik5 ing subparagraph (D) and inserting the following: 

6 ‘‘(D) POLAR BEAR PARTS.— 

7 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 

8 subparagraphs (A) and (C)(ii), subsection 

9 (d)(3), and sections 101 and 102, the Sec10 retary of the Interior shall, expeditiously 

11 after the date on which the expiration of 

12 the applicable 30-day period described in 

13 subsection (d)(2) expires, issue a permit 

14 for the importation of any polar bear part 

15 (other than an internal organ) from a 

16 polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada 

17 to any person— 

18 ‘‘(I) who submits, with the per19 mit application, proof that the polar 

20 bear was legally harvested by the per21 son before February 18, 1997; or 

22 ‘‘(II) who submitted, with a per23 mit application submitted before May 

24 15, 2008, proof that the polar bear 

25 was legally harvested from a polar 

26 bear population from which a sportVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:44 Mar 05, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S561.IS S561

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1 hunted trophy could be imported be2 fore that May 15, 2008, in accordance 

3 with section 18.30(i) of title 50, Code 

4 of Federal Regulations (or a successor 

5 regulation) by the person before May 

6 15, 2008. 

7 ‘‘(ii) APPLICABILITY OF PROHIBITION

8 ON THE IMPORTATION OF A DEPLETED

9 SPECIES.— 

10 ‘‘(I) PARTS LEGALLY HARVESTED

11 BEFORE FEBRUARY 18, 1997.— 

12 ‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—Sec13 tions 101(a)(3)(B) and 102(b)(3) 

14 shall not apply to the importation 

15 of any polar bear part authorized 

16 by a permit issued under clause 

17 (i)(I). 

18 ‘‘(bb) APPLICABILITY.— 

19 Item (aa) shall not apply to polar 

20 bear parts imported before June 

21 12, 1997. 

22 ‘‘(II) PARTS LEGALLY HAR23 VESTED BEFORE MAY 15, 2008.— 

24 ‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—Sec25 tions 101(a)(3)(B) and 102(b)(3) 


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1 shall not apply to the importation 

2 of any polar bear part authorized 

3 by a permit issued under clause 

4 (i)(II). 

5 ‘‘(bb) APPLICABILITY.— 

6 Item (aa) shall not apply to polar 

7 bear parts imported before the 

8 date of enactment of the Polar 

9 Bear Conservation and Fairness 

10 Act of 2015.’’. 

Æ 


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