H. R. 2494—2 
of the Interior, and the Attorney General, as established pursu-
ant to Executive Order 13648. 
(3) COMMUNITY CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘community con-
servation’’ means an approach to conservation that recognizes 
the rights of local people to manage, or benefit directly and 
indirectly from wildlife and other natural resources in a long- 
term biologically viable manner and includes— 
(A) devolving management and governance to local 
communities to create positive conditions for resource use 
that takes into account current and future ecological 
requirements; and 
(B) building the capacity of communities for conserva-
tion and natural resource management. 
(4) COUNTRY OF CONCERN.—The term ‘‘country of concern’’ 
refers to a foreign country specially designated by the Secretary 
of State pursuant to subsection (b) of section 201 as a major 
source of wildlife trafficking products or their derivatives, a 
major transit point of wildlife trafficking products or their 
derivatives, or a major consumer of wildlife trafficking products, 
in which the government has actively engaged in or knowingly 
profited from the trafficking of endangered or threatened spe-
cies. 
(5) FOCUS COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘focus country’’ refers to 
a foreign country determined by the Secretary of State to be 
a major source of wildlife trafficking products or their deriva-
tives, a major transit point of wildlife trafficking products or 
their derivatives, or a major consumer of wildlife trafficking 
products. 
(6) DEFENSE ARTICLE; DEFENSE SERVICE; SIGNIFICANT MILI-
TARY
EQUIPMENT; TRAINING.—The terms ‘‘defense article’’, 
‘‘defense 
service’’, 
‘‘significant 
military 
equipment’’, 
and 
‘‘training’’ have the meanings given such terms in section 47 
of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2794). 
(7) IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN.—The term ‘‘Implementation 
Plan’’ means the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy 
for Combating Wildlife Trafficking released on February 11, 
2015, a modification of that plan, or a successor plan. 
(8) NATIONAL
STRATEGY.—The term ‘‘National Strategy’’ 
means the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking 
published on February 11, 2014, a modification of that strategy, 
or a successor strategy. 
(9) NATIONAL
WILDLIFE
SERVICES.—The term ‘‘national 
wildlife services’’ refers to the ministries and government bodies 
designated to manage matters pertaining to wildlife manage-
ment, including poaching or trafficking, in a focus country. 
(10) SECURITY FORCE.—The term ‘‘security force’’ means 
a military, law enforcement, gendarmerie, park ranger, or any 
other security force with a responsibility for protecting wildlife 
and natural habitats. 
(11) TASK FORCE.—The term ‘‘Task Force’’ means the Presi-
dential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, as established by 
Executive Order 13648 (78 Fed. Reg. 40621) and modified by 
section 201. 
(12) WILDLIFE
TRAFFICKING.—The term ‘‘wildlife traf-
ficking’’ refers to the poaching or other illegal taking of pro-
tected or managed species and the illegal trade in wildlife 
and their related parts and products.
H. R. 2494—3 
TITLE I—PURPOSES AND POLICY 
SEC. 101. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to support a collaborative, interagency approach to 
address wildlife trafficking; 
(2) to protect and conserve the remaining populations of 
wild elephants, rhinoceroses, and other species threatened by 
poaching and the illegal wildlife trade; 
(3) to disrupt regional and global transnational organized 
criminal networks and to prevent the illegal wildlife trade 
from being used as a source of financing for criminal groups 
that undermine United States and global security interests; 
(4) to prevent wildlife poaching and trafficking from being 
a means to make a living in focus countries; 
(5) to support the efforts of, and collaborate with, individ-
uals, communities, local organizations, and foreign governments 
to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking; 
(6) to assist focus countries in implementation of national 
wildlife anti-trafficking and poaching laws; and 
(7) to ensure that United States assistance to prevent and 
suppress illicit wildlife trafficking is carefully planned and 
coordinated, and that it is systematically and rationally 
prioritized on the basis of detailed analysis of the nature and 
severity of threats to wildlife and the willingness and ability 
of foreign partners to cooperate effectively toward these ends. 
SEC. 102. STATEMENT OF UNITED STATES POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States— 
(1) to take immediate actions to stop the illegal global 
trade in wildlife and wildlife products and associated 
transnational organized crime; 
(2) to provide technical and other forms of assistance to 
help focus countries halt the poaching of elephants, rhinoc-
eroses, and other imperiled species and end the illegal trade 
in wildlife and wildlife products, including by providing training 
and assistance in— 
(A) wildlife protection and management of wildlife 
populations; 
(B) anti-poaching and effective management of pro-
tected areas including community managed and privately- 
owned lands; 
(C) local engagement of security forces in anti-poaching 
responsibilities, where appropriate; 
(D) 
wildlife 
trafficking 
investigative 
techniques, 
including forensic tools; 
(E) transparency and corruption issues; 
(F) management, tracking, and inventory of confiscated 
wildlife contraband; 
(G) demand reduction strategies in countries that lack 
the means and resources to conduct them; and 
(H) bilateral and multilateral agreements and coopera-
tion; 
(3) to employ appropriate assets and resources of the United 
States Government in a coordinated manner to curtail poaching 
and disrupt and dismantle illegal wildlife trade networks and
H. R. 2494—4 
the financing of those networks in a manner appropriate for 
each focus country; 
(4) to build upon the National Strategy and Implementation 
Plan to further combat wildlife trafficking in a holistic manner 
and guide the response of the United States Government to 
ensure progress in the fight against wildlife trafficking; and 
(5) to recognize the ties of wildlife trafficking to broader 
forms of transnational organized criminal activities, including 
trafficking, and where applicable, to focus on those crimes 
in a coordinated, cross-cutting manner. 
TITLE II—REPORT ON MAJOR WILDLIFE 
TRAFFICKING COUNTRIES 
SEC. 201. REPORT. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Commerce, shall submit to Congress a report that 
lists each country determined by the Secretary of State to be a 
focus country within the meaning of this Act. 
(b) SPECIAL DESIGNATION.—In each report required under sub-
section (a), the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary 
of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce, shall identify each 
country of concern listed in the report the government of which 
has actively engaged in or knowingly profited from the trafficking 
of endangered or threatened species. 
(c) SUNSET.—This section shall terminate on the date that 
is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
TITLE III—FRAMEWORK FOR 
INTERAGENCY RESPONSE 
SEC. 301. PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING. 
(a) RESPONSIBILITIES.—In addition to the functions required 
by Executive Order 13648 (78 Fed. Reg. 40621), the Task Force 
shall be informed by the Secretary of State’s annual report required 
under section 201 and considering all available information, ensure 
that relevant United States Government agencies— 
(1) collaborate, to the greatest extent practicable, with the 
national wildlife services, or other relevant bodies of each focus 
country to prepare, not later than 90 days after the date of 
submission of the report required under section 201(a), a United 
States mission assessment of the threats to wildlife in that 
focus country and an assessment of the capacity of that country 
to address wildlife trafficking; 
(2) collaborate, to the greatest extent practicable, with rel-
evant ministries, national wildlife services, or other relevant 
bodies of each focus country to prepare, not later than 180 
days after preparation of the assessment referred to in para-
graph (1), a United States mission strategic plan that includes 
recommendations for addressing wildlife trafficking, taking into
H. R. 2494—5 
account any regional or national strategies for addressing wild-
life trafficking in a focus country developed before the prepara-
tion of such assessment; 
(3) coordinate efforts among United States Federal agencies 
and non-Federal partners, including missions, domestic and 
international organizations, the private sector, and other global 
partners, to implement the strategic plans required by para-
graph (2) in each focus country; 
(4) not less frequently than annually, consult and coordi-
nate with stakeholders qualified to provide advice, assistance, 
and information regarding effective support for anti-poaching 
activities, coordination of regional law enforcement efforts, 
development of and support for effective legal enforcement 
mechanisms, and development of strategies to reduce illicit 
trade and reduce consumer demand for illegally traded wildlife 
and wildlife products, and other relevant topics under this 
Act; and 
(5) coordinate or carry out other functions as are necessary 
to implement this Act. 
(b) DUPLICATION AND EFFICIENCY.—The Task Force shall— 
(1) ensure that the activities of the Federal agencies 
involved in carrying out efforts under this Act are coordinated 
and not duplicated; and 
(2) encourage efficiencies and coordination among the 
efforts of Federal agencies and interagency initiatives ongoing 
as of the date of the enactment of this Act to address trafficking 
activities, including trafficking of wildlife, humans, weapons, 
and narcotics, illegal trade, transnational organized crime, or 
other illegal activities. 
(c) CONSISTENCY WITH AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Task 
Force shall carry out its responsibilities under this Act in a manner 
consistent with the authorities and responsibilities of agencies rep-
resented on the Task Force. 
(d) TASK FORCE STRATEGIC REVIEW.—One year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Task 
Force shall submit a strategic assessment of its work and provide 
a briefing to the appropriate congressional committees that shall 
include— 
(1) a review and assessment of the Task Force’s 
implementation of this Act, identifying successes, failures, and 
gaps in its work, or that of agencies represented on the Task 
Force, including detailed descriptions of— 
(A) what approaches, initiatives, or programs have suc-
ceeded best in increasing the willingness and capacity of 
focus countries to suppress and prevent illegal wildlife 
trafficking, and what approaches, initiatives, or programs 
have not succeeded as well as hoped; and 
(B) which foreign governments subject to subsections 
(a) and (b) of section 201 have proven to be the most 
successful partners in suppressing and preventing illegal 
wildlife trafficking, which focus countries have not proven 
to be so, and what factors contributed to these results 
in each country discussed; 
(2) a description of each Task Force member agency’s prior-
ities and objectives for combating wildlife trafficking;