I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 211 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 5, 2021 
Mr. MCCLINTOCK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Big Cat Public Safety 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2 of the Lacey Act 
Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (a) through (k) 
as subsections (b) through (l), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting before subsection (b) (as so re-
designated) the following: 
‘‘(a) BREED.—The term ‘breed’ means to facilitate 
propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or neg-
ligently), or to fail to prevent propagation or reproduc-
tion.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) CONSOLIDATED FARM AND RURAL DEVEL-
OPMENT
ACT.—Section 349(a)(3) of the Consoli-
dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1997(a)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 2(a)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘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)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
2(f)(2)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 2(g)(2)(A)’’. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITIONS. 
Section 3 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 
U.S.C. 3372) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)— 
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(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
the semicolon at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
or’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by strik-
ing ‘‘; or’’ and inserting a semicolon; and 
(iii) by striking subparagraph (C); 
and 
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘(1) 
through (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) through (3) or 
subsection (e)’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (e) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(e) CAPTIVE WILDLIFE OFFENSE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—It is unlawful for any per-
son to import, export, transport, sell, receive, ac-
quire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, 
or in a manner substantially affecting interstate or 
foreign commerce, or to breed or possess, any pro-
hibited 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 Depart-
ment of Agriculture, or a Federal facility reg-
istered with the Department of Agriculture that 
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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) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and de-
scribed 
in 
sections 
501(c)(3) 
and 
170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of such Code; 
‘‘(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 pos-
session of any prohibited wildlife species that 
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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 indi-
vidual animal of each prohibited wildlife 
species possessed by the entity or indi-
vidual 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.’’. 
SEC. 4. PENALTIES. 
(a) CIVIL PENALTIES.—Section 4(a)(1) of the Lacey 
Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3373(a)(1)) is 
amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(e),’’ after ‘‘(d),’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘, (e),’’ after ‘‘subsection (d)’’. 
(b) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.—Section 4(d) of the 
Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3373(d)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘(e),’’ 
after ‘‘(d),’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ‘‘(e),’’ 
after ‘‘(d),’’; 
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