I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2308 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain interstate conduct 
relating to exotic animals and certain computer-assisted remote hunting, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 7, 2009 
Mr. COHEN (for himself, Mr. WHITFIELD, and Mr. SHERMAN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain 
interstate conduct relating to exotic animals and certain 
computer-assisted remote hunting, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Sportsmanship in 
Hunting Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. TRANSPORT OR POSSESSION OF EXOTIC ANIMALS 
FOR PURPOSES OF KILLING OR INJURING 
THEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 49. Exotic animals 
‘‘(a) CAPTIVE EXOTIC ANIMALS.—Whoever, in or af-
fecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly trans-
fers, transports, or possesses a confined exotic animal, for 
the purposes of allowing the killing or injuring of that ani-
mal for entertainment or for the collection of a trophy, 
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 
1 year, or both. 
‘‘(b) COMPUTER-ASSISTED
REMOTE
HUNTING.— 
Whoever, using any instrumentality of interstate or for-
eign commerce, knowingly makes available a computer-as-
sisted remote hunt shall be fined under this title or impris-
oned not more than 5 years, or both. 
‘‘(c) EXCEPTION.—Providing an instrumentality of 
commerce, such as equipment or access to the Internet, 
is not a violation of subsection (b) unless the provider has 
knowledge that the equipment or access is to be used for 
a computer-assisted remote hunt. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
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‘‘(1) the term ‘confined exotic animal’ means a 
mammal of a species not indigenous to the United 
States that has been held in captivity— 
‘‘(A) the majority of the animal’s life; or 
‘‘(B) a continuous period of 1 year; 
‘‘(2) the term ‘captivity’ does not include any 
period during which an animal lives as it would in 
the wild— 
‘‘(A) surviving primarily by foraging for 
naturally occurring food; 
‘‘(B) roaming at will over an open area of 
not less than 1,000 acres; and 
‘‘(C) having the opportunity to avoid hunt-
ers; 
‘‘(3) the term ‘computer-assisted remote hunt’ 
means any use of a computer or other device, equip-
ment, or software to allow a person remotely to con-
trol the aiming and discharge of a weapon so as to 
kill or injure an animal while not in the physical 
presence of the targeted animal; and 
‘‘(4) the term ‘instrumentality of interstate 
commerce’ means any written, wire, radio, television, 
or other form of communication in, or using a facil-
ity of, interstate commerce. 
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‘‘(e) CONSTRUCTION WITH OTHER LAW.—Nothing 
in this section limits the power of State and local authori-
ties to enact laws or regulations concerning computer-as-
sisted remote hunting facilities.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of chapter 3 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new item: 
‘‘49. Exotic animals.’’. 
Æ 
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