Combating Online Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1546 | Sponsor: Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" (R-GA)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Combating Online Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2021
This bill reauthorizes through October 7, 2026, and revises the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking. The task force must develop recommendations and establish a working group to address wildlife trafficking online and on social media.
In addition, the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development must create a strategy for engaging with internet and social media companies to address wildlife trafficking on their platforms.

To amend the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking 
     Act of 2016 to direct the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife 
Trafficking to develop recommendations to address wildlife trafficking 
  on the internet and on social media, and to direct the Secretary of 
      State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
  International Development to develop a strategy to address wildlife 
    trafficking on the internet and on social media, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be referred to as the ``Combating Online Wildlife 
Trafficking Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. COMBATING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING.

    (a) Task Force.--The Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife 
Trafficking Act of 2016 (16 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 301 (16 U.S.C. 7631)--
                    (A) in subsection (d)--
                            (i) in paragraph (4) by striking ``and'' at 
                        the end;
                            (ii) in paragraph (5) by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) recommendations for how the Task Force can expand 
        cooperative exchanges with technology and social media 
        companies to combat wildlife trafficking on the internet, 
        including recommendations for--
                    ``(A) identifying how wildlife is trafficked on 
                internet sites and platforms;
                    ``(B) methods for technology companies to assist 
                Federal agencies and international partners to combat 
                wildlife trafficking;
                    ``(C) methods to improve public-private 
                relationships with technology and internet companies to 
                combat wildlife trafficking; and
                    ``(D) identifying correlations between wildlife 
                trafficking and the spread of zoonotic diseases.'';
                    (B) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection 
                (f); and
                    (C) by inserting after subsection (d) the 
                following:
    ``(e) Technology and Social Media Working Group.--
            ``(1) Membership.--The Task Force shall form a Technology 
        and Social Media Working Group, which shall be composed of such 
        members of the Task Force as the Task Force determines 
        appropriate and a representative of the Chairman of the Federal 
        Communications Commission, as designated by such Chairman.
            ``(2) Purpose.--Such Technology and Social Media Working 
        Group shall work to address ongoing concerns with wildlife 
        trafficking on the internet.
            ``(3) Meetings.--Such Technology and Social Media Working 
        Group shall convene at least once each year.'';
                    (D) in subsection (f) (as redesignated in 
                subparagraph (B)), by striking ``shall terminate 5 
                years after the date of the enactment of this Act'' and 
                inserting ``shall terminate on October 7, 2026''; and
            (2) in section 402 (16 U.S.C. 7642), by adding at the end 
        the following:
    ``(c) Internet and Social Media.--The Secretary of State and the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, in collaboration with other relevant United States 
agencies, nongovernmental partners, private sector companies, and 
international bodies, shall develop a strategy for engaging and 
partnering with internet and social media companies to combat the 
spread of wildlife trafficking on the internet.''.
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