Big Cat Public Safety Act

To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to clarify provisions enacted by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, to further the conservation of certain wildlife species, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Big Cat Public Safety Act 2. Definitions (a) In general Section 2 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 ( 16 U.S.C. 3371 (1) by redesignating subsections (a) through (k) as subsections (b) through (l), respectively; and (2) by inserting before subsection (b) (as so redesignated) the following: (a) Breed The term breed . (b) Conforming amendments (1) Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act Section 349(a)(3) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1997(a)(3) section 2(a) section 2(b) (2) Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 Section 7(c) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 ( 16 U.S.C. 3376(c) section 2(f)(2)(A) section 2(g)(2)(A) 3. Prohibitions Section 3 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 ( 16 U.S.C. 3372 (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting ; or (ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking ; or (iii) by striking subparagraph (C); and (B) in paragraph (4), by striking (1) through (3) (1) through (3) or subsection (e) (2) by amending subsection (e) to read as follows: (e) Captive wildlife offense (1) In general It is unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, or in a manner substantially affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or to breed or possess, any prohibited wildlife species. (2) Limitation on application Paragraph (1) does not apply to— (A) an entity exhibiting animals to the public under a Class C license from the Department of Agriculture, or a Federal facility registered with the Department of Agriculture that exhibits animals, if such entity or facility holds such license or registration in good standing; (B) a State college, university, or agency, or a State-licensed veterinarian; (C) a wildlife sanctuary that cares for prohibited wildlife species, and— (i) is a corporation that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) (ii) does not commercially trade in any prohibited wildlife species, including offspring, parts, and byproducts of such animals; and (iii) does not breed any prohibited wildlife species; (D) has custody of any prohibited wildlife species solely for the purpose of expeditiously transporting the prohibited wildlife species to a person described in this paragraph with respect to the species; or (E) an entity or individual that is in possession of any prohibited wildlife species that was born before the date of the enactment of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, and— (i) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the such Act, the entity or individual registers each individual animal of each prohibited wildlife species possessed by the entity or individual with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and (ii) does not breed, acquire, or sell any prohibited wildlife species after the date of the enactment of such Act. . 4. Penalties (a) Civil penalties Section 4(a)(1) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 ( 16 U.S.C. 3373(a)(1) (1) by inserting (e), (d), (2) by inserting , (e), subsection (d) (b) Criminal penalties Section 4(d) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 ( 16 U.S.C. 3373(d) (1) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting (e), (d), (2) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting (e), (d), (3) in paragraph (2), by inserting (e), (d), (4) by adding at the end the following: (4) Any person who knowingly violates subsection (e) of section 3 shall be fined not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both. Each violation shall be a separate offense and the offense is deemed to have been committed in the district where the violation first occurred, and in any district in which the defendant may have taken or been in possession of the prohibited wildlife species. . 5. Forfeiture of prohibited wildlife species Section 5(a)(1) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 ( 16 U.S.C. 3374(a)(1) bred, possessed, imported, exported, 6. Administration Section 7(a) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 ( 16 U.S.C. 3376(a) (3) The Secretary shall, in consultation with other relevant Federal and State agencies, promulgate any regulations necessary to implement section 3(e). . 7. Determination of budgetary effects The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation

Summary: Big Cat Public Safety Act This bill revises restrictions on the possession, exhibition, or breeding of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). For example, the bill permits wildlife sanctuaries to allow direct contact between the public and big cats.