I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1187
To end the use of steel-jawed leghold traps on animals in the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 22, 2001
Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. HYDE, Ms. MCKIN-
NEY, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. DOYLE, Mr.
GALLEGLY, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. FRANK,
Mr. OLVER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of Cali-
fornia, Mrs. KELLY, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. ABERCROMBIE,
Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. BLUMENAUER,
Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. FILNER, Mr. STARK, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. LUTHER,
Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Ms. RIVERS, Mr.
ENGEL, Mr. HOLT, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr.
KILDEE, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mrs. MALONEY of
New York, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr.
SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. NADLER, Mr. SANDERS, Mrs.
ROUKEMA, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr. HORN, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr.
TIERNEY, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. BENTSEN, Mr.
CLAY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mrs.
TAUSCHER, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr.
DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. ROTHMAN, and Ms. SLAUGHTER) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Inter-
national Relations, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To end the use of steel-jawed leghold traps on animals in
the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DECLARATION OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to end the need-
less maiming and suffering inflicted upon animals through
the use of steel-jawed leghold traps by prohibiting the im-
port or export of, and the shipment in interstate commerce
of, such traps and of articles of fur from animals that
were trapped in such traps.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENALTIES.
(a) PROHIBITED ACTS.—It shall be unlawful for any
person—
(1) to import, export, or transport in interstate
commerce an article of fur, if any part or portion of
such article is derived from an animal that was
trapped in a conventional steel-jawed leghold trap;
(2) to import, export, deliver, carry, or trans-
port by any means whatever, in interstate commerce,
any conventional steel-jawed leghold trap;
(3) to sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any
conventional steel-jawed leghold trap that was deliv-
ered, carried, or transported in violation of para-
graph (2); or
(4) to violate any rule made by the Secretary
under this Act.
(b) PENALTIES.—Whoever knowingly violates sub-
section (a) shall, in addition to any other penalty that may
be imposed—
(1) for the first such violation, be imprisoned
for not more than 5 days or fined under title 18,
United States Code, or both; and
(2) for each subsequent violation, be imprisoned
for not more than two years or fined under title 18,
United States Code, or both.
SEC. 3. REWARDS.
(a) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary shall pay, to
any person who furnishes information which leads to a
conviction of a violation of any provision of this Act or
any rule made under this Act, an amount equal to one-
half of the fine paid pursuant to the conviction.
(b) EXCEPTION.—Any officer or employee of the
United States or of any State or local government who
furnishes information or renders service in the perform-
ance of his or her official duties is not eligible for payment
under this section.
SEC. 4. ENFORCEMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except with respect to violations
of this Act to which subsection (b) applies, this Act and
any rules made under this Act shall be enforced by the
Secretary, who may utilize by agreement, with or without
reimbursement, the personnel, services, and facilities of
any other Federal agency or any State agency for pur-
poses of enforcing this Act and such rules.
(b) IMPORT AND EXPORT VIOLATIONS.—
(1) IMPORT VIOLATIONS.—The importation of
articles in violation of section 2(a) shall be treated
as a violation of the customs laws of the United
States, and those provisions of law relating to viola-
tions of the customs laws of the United States shall
apply thereto.
(2) 
EXPORT
VIOLATIONS.—The 
authorities
under the Export Administration Act of 1979 (50
U.S.C. App. 2401 et seq.) (including penalties) shall
be used to enforce the provisions of this Act relating
to the export of articles in violation of section 2(a).
(c) ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES.—Any person hav-
ing authority to enforce this Act (except with respect to
violations to which subsection (b) applies), may, in exer-
cising such authority—
(1) detain for inspection, search, and seize any
package, crate, or other container, including its con-
tents, and all accompanying documents, if such indi-
vidual has reasonable cause to suspect that in such
package, crate, or other container are articles with
respect to which a violation of this Act (except with
respect to a violation to which subsection (b) ap-
plies) has occurred, is occurring, or is about to
occur;
(2) make arrests without a warrant for any vio-
lation of this Act (except with respect to a violation
to which subsection (b) applies) committed in his or
her presence or view, or if the individual has prob-
able cause to believe that the person to be arrested
has committed or is committing such a violation;
and
(3) execute and serve any arrest warrant,
search warrant, or other warrant or criminal process
issued by any judge or magistrate of any court of
competent jurisdiction for enforcement of this Act
(except with respect to violations to which subsection
(b) applies).
(d) FORFEITURE.—
(1) GENERAL RULE.—Except with respect to
exports to which the provisions of the Export Ad-
ministration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2401 et
seq.) apply, and imports to which the customs laws
of the United States apply, pursuant to subsection
(b), any article of fur or conventional steel-jawed
leghold trap taken, possessed, sold, purchased, of-
fered for sale or purchase, imported, exported, trans-
ported, delivered, received, carried, or shipped in vio-
lation of this Act or any rule made under this Act,
shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States.
Those provisions of law relating to—
(A) the seizure, summary and judicial for-
feiture, and condemnation of property for viola-
tions of the customs laws of the United States,
(B) the disposition of such property or the
proceeds from the sale thereof,
(C) the remission or mitigation of such for-
feitures, and
(D) the compromise of claims,
shall apply to seizures and forfeitures incurred, or
alleged to have been incurred, under the provisions
of this subsection, insofar as applicable and not in-
consistent with this Act.
(2) ENFORCEMENT.—Such duties as are im-
posed upon the customs officer or any other person
with respect to the seizure and forfeiture of property
under the customs laws of the United States may be
performed with respect to seizures and forfeitures of
property under this subsection by the Secretary or
such officers and employees as may be authorized or
designated for that purpose by the Secretary, or,
upon the request of the Secretary, by any other
agency that has authority to manage and dispose of
seized property.
(e) INJUNCTIONS.—The Attorney General of the
United States may seek to enjoin any person who is al-
leged to be in violation of this Act or any rule made under
this Act.
(f) COOPERATION.—The Secretary of Commerce, the
Secretary of the Treasury, and the head of any other de-
partment or agency with enforcement responsibilities
under this Act shall cooperate with the Secretary in ensur-
ing that this Act, and rules made under this Act, are en-
forced in the most effective and efficient manner.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘article of fur’’ means—
(A) any furskin (as such term is used
under headnote 1 of chapter 43 of the Har-
monized Tariff Schedule of the United States),
including any raw furskin classified under head-
ing 4301 of such Schedule; or
(B) any article, however produced, that
consists in whole or part of any such furskin.
(2) The term ‘‘conventional steel-jawed leghold
trap’’ means any spring-powered pan- or sear-acti-
vated device with two opposing steel jaws, whether
the jaws are smooth, toothed, padded, or offset,
which is designed to capture an animal by snapping
closed upon the animal’s limb or part thereof.
(3) The term ‘‘customs laws of the United
States’’ means any other law or regulation enforced
or administered by the United States Customs Serv-
ice.
(4) The term ‘‘import’’ means to land on, bring
into, or introduce into, any place subject to the ju-
risdiction of the United States, whether or not such
landing, bringing, or introduction constitutes an
entry into the customs territory of the United
States.
(5) The term ‘‘interstate commerce’’ has the
meaning given such term in section 10 of title 18,
United States Code.
(6) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 6. RULEMAKING.
The Secretary may make rules to carry out this Act.
SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect one year after the date of
its enactment.
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