I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7159 
To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to adjust provisions relating 
to captive wildlife offenses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 20, 2026 
Mr. GOSAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to adjust 
provisions relating to captive wildlife offenses. 
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 ‘‘Protecting Local Zoos 
Act of 2026’’. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO CAPTIVE WILDLIFE OFFENSES 
UNDER LACEY ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1981. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3(e) of the Lacey Act 
Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3372(e)) is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘in paragraph 
(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘in paragraphs (2) and (3)’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘an entity licensed to 
hold animals under a Class B license from 
the Department of Agriculture,’’ before 
‘‘an entity exhibiting animals’’; 
(ii) in clause (i)— 
(I) in subclause (I), by inserting 
‘‘, including an owner, executive, or 
volunteer,’’ after ‘‘or contractor’’; and 
(II) in subclause (II), by insert-
ing ‘‘or other veterinary or medical 
professional, such as a veterinary as-
sistant, veterinary technician, or non- 
veterinary specialist’’ after ‘‘veteri-
narian)’’; and 
(iii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘snow 
leopard (Uncia uncia),’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘or’’ 
at the end; 
(C) in subparagraph (E)(iii), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(F) a person described in subparagraph 
(A), (B), or (C) that is in possession of any 
prohibited wildlife species and— 
‘‘(i) registers each individual animal 
of each prohibited wildlife species pos-
sessed by the person with the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service; and 
‘‘(ii) beginning on the date of such 
registration, does not— 
‘‘(I) breed, acquire, or sell any 
prohibited wildlife species; 
‘‘(II) allow direct contact between 
the public and any prohibited wildlife 
species; and 
‘‘(III) exhibit to the public any 
prohibited wildlife species.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) EXPORT AND IMPORT TO FOREIGN ENTI-
TIES.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an entity or 
a facility described in paragraph (2)(A) that is in 
compliance with the requirements of that paragraph 
may export to or import from a foreign entity that 
is authorized to operate in the country within which 
it is located and is lawfully operating in such coun-
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try at the time of such export or import a prohibited 
wildlife species. 
‘‘(4) CANCELLATION OF MISTAKEN REGISTRA-
TION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A covered registered 
entity or individual may submit to the Secretary 
of the Interior, acting through the Director of 
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, an 
application to cancel the registration under 
paragraph (2)(E) of such covered registered en-
tity or individual. 
‘‘(B) 
APPLICATION
REQUIREMENT.—A 
covered registered entity or individual shall in-
clude in an application submitted under sub-
paragraph (A) evidence sufficient for the Sec-
retary of the Interior, acting through the Direc-
tor of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice, to determine that the covered registered en-
tity or individual qualifies for an exception from 
the application of paragraph (1) pursuant to 
subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (2) 
as of the date on which the covered registered 
entity or individual— 
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‘‘(i) registered with the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service under paragraph 
(2)(E); and 
‘‘(ii) submits such application. 
‘‘(C) GRANT OF APPLICATION.—If the Sec-
retary of the Interior, acting through the Direc-
tor of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice, makes an affirmative determination under 
subparagraph (B) with respect to an application 
submitted by a covered registered entity or indi-
vidual under subparagraph (A), the Director 
shall grant such application. 
‘‘(D) COVERED
REGISTERED
ENTITY
OR 
INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this paragraph, the 
term ‘covered registered entity or individual’ 
means an entity or individual described in para-
graph (2)(E) that— 
‘‘(i) is in compliance with the require-
ments of that paragraph; 
‘‘(ii) registered with the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service as described in 
that paragraph; and 
‘‘(iii) would have, on the date of such 
registration, qualified for an exception 
from the application of paragraph (1) pur-
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suant to subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of 
paragraph (2).’’. 
(b) DEFINITION
OF PROHIBITED WILDLIFE SPE-
CIES.—Section 2(h) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 
1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371(h)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The term’’ and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘prohibited wild-
life species’ does not include the snow leopard 
(Uncia uncia) or the clouded leopard (Neofelis 
nebulosa) or any hybrid of either such species.’’. 
Æ 
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