I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 917 
To prohibit the sale of kangaroo products, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 8, 2021 
Mr. CARBAJAL (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To prohibit the sale of kangaroo products, 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 ‘‘Kangaroo Protection 
Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITED ACTS WITH RESPECT TO KANGAROOS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:38 Mar 04, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H917.IH
H917
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘SEC. 50. PROHIBITED ACTS WITH RESPECT TO KAN-
GAROOS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—No person may knowingly— 
‘‘(1) bring into the United States for commer-
cial purposes, possess with the intent to sell, or sell 
a kangaroo (as defined by subsection (h)); or 
‘‘(2) introduce into interstate commerce, manu-
facture for introduction into interstate commerce, 
sell, trade, or advertise in interstate commerce, offer 
to sell, or transport or distribute in interstate com-
merce, any kangaroo product (as defined by sub-
section (h)). 
‘‘(b) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.—Any person who vio-
lates any provision of this section shall be subject to a 
criminal penalty of not more than— 
‘‘(1) one year in prison for each prohibited ac-
tion under subsection (a); or 
‘‘(2) $10,000 for each prohibited action under 
subsection (a). 
‘‘(c) CIVIL PENALTY.—Any person who violates any 
provision of this section may be assessed a civil penalty 
of not more than $10,000 for each prohibited action under 
subsection (a). 
‘‘(d) FORFEITURE.—Any kangaroo or kangaroo 
product (as defined by subsection (h)) found to be used 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:38 Mar 04, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H917.IH
H917
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
by a person in violation of subsection (a), shall be subject 
to forfeiture to the United States. 
‘‘(e) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of the Interior, 
in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary 
of Commerce, the Secretary of Agriculture, or any other 
agency the Secretary of the Interior determines necessary 
for consultation, may issue regulations appropriate to 
carry out this Act. 
‘‘(f) ENFORCEMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior, 
in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary 
of Commerce, the Secretary of Agriculture, or any other 
agency the Secretary of the Interior determines necessary 
for consultation, shall enforce this Act or any regulation 
implemented pursuant to this Act. 
‘‘(g) CITIZEN SUIT.—(1) Except as provided in para-
graph (3), any person may commence a civil suit on their 
own behalf— 
‘‘(A) to enjoin any person, including the 
United States and any other governmental in-
strumentality or agency (to the extent per-
mitted by the eleventh amendment to the Con-
stitution), who is alleged to be in violation of 
any provision of this section or regulation 
issued under the authority thereof; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:38 Mar 04, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H917.IH
H917
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(B) No action may be commenced under sub-
paragraph (1)(B) of this section prior to sixty days 
after written notice has been given to the Secretary. 
‘‘(4)(A) Any suit under this subsection may be 
brought in the judicial district in which the violation 
occurs. 
‘‘(B) In any such suit under this subsection in 
which the United States is not a party, the Attorney 
General, at the request of the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, may intervene on behalf of the United States 
as a matter of right. 
‘‘(5) The court, in issuing any final order in 
any suit brought pursuant to paragraph (1) of this 
subsection, may award costs of litigation (including 
reasonable attorney and expert witness fees) to any 
party, whenever the court determines such award is 
appropriate. 
‘‘(6) Any injunctive relief provided under this 
subsection shall not restrict any right which any per-
son (or class of persons) may have under any statute 
or common law to seek enforcement of any standard 
or limitation or to seek any other relief (including 
relief against the Secretary or a State agency). 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:38 Mar 04, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H917.IH
H917
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(1) KANGAROO.—The term ‘kangaroo’ means 
any dead animal of the species or a part of any dead 
animal of the species Osphranter rufus (commonly 
known as the ‘red kangaroo’), Macropus giganteus 
(commonly known as the ‘eastern grey kangaroo’), 
Macropus fuliginosus (commonly known as the 
‘western grey kangaroo’), or Osphranter robustus 
(commonly known as the ‘common wallaroo kan-
garoo’). 
‘‘(2) KANGAROO
PRODUCT.—The term ‘kan-
garoo product’ means any item that is composed in 
whole or in part of a kangaroo. 
‘‘(3) PERSON.—The term ‘person’ includes any 
individual, partnership, association, corporation, 
trust, or any officer, employee, agent, department, 
or instrumentality of the Federal Government or of 
any State or political subdivision thereof, or any 
other entity subject to the jurisdiction of the United 
States. 
‘‘(4) UNITED
STATES.—The term ‘United 
States’, when used in a geographical context, means 
each of the several States of the United States, the 
District of Columbia, and territories and possessions 
of the United States.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:38 Mar 04, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H917.IH
H917
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 49 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘50. Prohibited acts with respect to kangaroos.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:38 Mar 04, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H917.IH
H917
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS