SEC.
3.
EXPANSION
OF
WILDLIFE
ENFORCEMENT
NET-
WORKS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Wildlife enforcement networks are govern-
ment-led, regionally-focused mechanisms that in-
crease capacity and coordination efforts between law 
enforcement, environmental agencies, and other enti-
ties focused on countering wildlife trafficking of 
member countries. 
(2) Currently there are active wildlife enforce-
ment networks in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and 
Central America. The more mature wildlife enforce-
ment networks, such as the Southeast Asia wildlife 
enforcement network, have proven effective in dis-
mantling transnational wildlife trafficking networks 
and bringing to justice those individuals involved in 
the illegal trade of endangered and threatened spe-
cies. 
(3) Efforts are underway to establish additional 
wildlife enforcement networks in Central Africa, the 
Horn of Africa, South America, and Central and 
West Asia, among other regions. 
(b)
STATEMENT
OF
POLICY.—The
Secretary
of 
State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, the Director of the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service, and heads of other ap-
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propriate agencies should, in an effort to address regional 
threats to biodiversity and conservation, support strength-
ening existing wildlife enforcement networks and the es-
tablishment of new networks in other appropriate regions. 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that in the process of strengthening and expanding 
wildlife enforcement networks, the appropriate agencies 
should— 
(1) assess the existing capacity of wildlife en-
forcement network member countries to gather base-
line data that may be used for developing program 
activities for the wildlife enforcement network; 
(2) establish a central secretariat within each 
wildlife enforcement network that will coordinate the 
operational mechanisms of each such network; 
(3) establish a focal mechanism in each member 
country of a wildlife enforcement network, that in-
cludes representatives from environmental and wild-
life protection agencies, law enforcement agencies, fi-
nancial intelligence units, customs and border pro-
tection agencies, and the judiciary system, that will 
serve as a conduit to the larger wildlife enforcement 
network and the central secretariat; 
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(4) strengthen cooperation and the capacity of 
law enforcement agencies of the wildlife enforcement 
network; 
(5) facilitate the sharing of intelligence and rel-
evant case information within the agencies of a wild-
life enforcement network; 
(6) support the cooperation and coordination 
between different regional wildlife enforcement net-
works; 
(7) incorporate and utilize expertise from inter-
national bodies and civil society organizations that 
have appropriate subject matter expertise; 
(8) eventually create an institutionalized, sus-
tainable, and self-sufficient platform; and 
(9) recognize that lawful, well regulated hunting 
can contribute to sustainability and economic devel-
opment, and that enforcement policies should not 
discourage or impede this activity. 
SEC. 4. SUPPORTING THE PROFESSIONALIZATION OF THE 
WILDLIFE LAW ENFORCEMENT SECTOR. 
The Secretary of State, the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development, the 
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
and heads of other appropriate agencies, including the Na-
tional Park Service and the United States Forest Service, 
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should, in an effort to address local and regional threats 
to biodiversity and conservation and support the rule of 
law and good governance, promote the professionalization 
of the wildlife law enforcement sector and professional 
ranger training in partner countries through support and 
technical assistance for the following: 
(1) The creation and adoption of standards for 
professional ranger training and qualifications, in-
cluding in relevant international fora and multilat-
eral agreements. 
(2) Training and accreditation systems based 
on the standards described in paragraph (1) that 
produce professionally trained and qualified rangers 
and promote the overall professionalization of ranger 
forces, whether through existing United States insti-
tutions, such as International Law Enforcement 
Academies, or through partnerships with national or 
regional training institutions. 
(3) Legal reforms, where necessary, to provide 
rangers with authority to detain and arrest suspects, 
process crime scenes, present evidence in court, and 
defend themselves in life threatening situations. 
(4) The development and institutionalization of 
reward and promotion systems for rangers based on 
performance and set competencies. 
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(5) The development and institutionalization of 
national systems to provide insurance to rangers and 
their families and compensation for those rangers 
killed in the line of duty. 
(6) Cooperation and coordination between local 
law enforcement tasked with wildlife or park protec-
tion and local defense forces, where appropriate, in-
cluding training opportunities, logistical support, or 
provision of equipment. 
SEC. 5. DESIGNATION OF MAJOR WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING 
COUNTRIES AND AUTHORITY TO WITHHOLD 
CERTAIN ASSISTANCE. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than September 15 of each 
year, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce, 
shall submit to Congress a report that lists each foreign 
country determined to be a major source of wildlife traf-
ficking products or their derivatives, a major transit point 
of wildlife trafficking products or their derivatives, or a 
major consumer of wildlife trafficking products or their 
derivatives. 
(b) SPECIAL DESIGNATION.—In each report required 
under subsection (a), the Secretary of State, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of Interior and the Secretary of 
Commerce, shall— 
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