119-hr3538

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3538 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3538

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Wildlife 
 Confiscations Network, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 21, 2025

 Mr. Garbarino (for himself and Mr. Quigley) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Wildlife 
 Confiscations Network, 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 cited as the ``Wildlife Confiscations Network Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Wildlife trafficking is a continued and growing threat 
 to our national security, hinders sustainable economic 
 development, and undermines our laws.

    (2) The connections between trafficking in illegal wildlife 
 and natural resources with the financing of groups involved in 
 transnational organized crime pose additional threats to the 
 United States.

    (3) President Donald J. Trump's Executive Order No. 13773 
 demonstrated continued support for Enforcing Federal Law with 
 Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing 
 International Trafficking.

    (4) The Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 et 
 seq.) prohibits the importation, exportation, transportation, 
 sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase of any fish or wildlife 
 or plant taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of 
 any law, treaty, or regulation of the United States or any 
 Indian tribal law, or foreign law.

    (5) Congress remains strongly committed to combating 
 wildlife trafficking and transnational organized crime.

    (6) The United States border is secured by Federal agents 
 and inspectors responsible for identification, seizure, 
 confiscation and holding of illegal imports, including a 
 diverse array of live wild animals, notably at U.S. ports of 
 entry or exit with an increased burden seen in Los Angeles, 
 Miami, and across the Southern border.

    (7) Customs and wildlife enforcement officers at ports of 
 entry have limited holding capacity, care experience, and 
 transportation options for interdicted live wildlife.

    (8) Numerous species of wildlife require extensive 
 quarantine protocols to protect domestic livestock and 
 wildlife, beyond the capacity of our ports and borders, that 
 can be administered by facilities within the Wildlife 
 Confiscations Network.

    (9) When illegally imported live wild animals and plants 
 are seized at U.S. ports of entry, it is critical for law 
 enforcement to obtain forensic documentation, maintain 
 evidentiary integrity, and ensure the health, wellbeing, and 
 proper care of all seized wildlife and plants in government 
 custody.

    (10) From 2015 to 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
 had 834 cases involving live wildlife interdiction, which 
 included 48,793 individual live animals, an average of nearly 
 30 per day, requiring placement and care.

    (11) In 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 
 Association of Zoos and Aquariums formed a cooperative 
 agreement to implement a pilot network in southern California 
 to lessen the logistical burden by serving as a point of 
 contact to coordinate placement and care of seized live animals 
 while maintaining legal chain of custody.

    (12) The Wildlife Confiscations Network provides a 
 cooperative and coordinated response for the care and wellbeing 
 of wildlife confiscated from illegal trade at United States 
 border crossings and points of entry in Southern California 
 from the point of seizure to placement or repatriation and, in 
 just 2 years, has successfully placed over 4,100 individual 
 animals into care.

    (13) Confiscation of trafficked plants and animals is 
 critical to preventing their re-entry into illegal trade, 
 empowering law enforcement to document and maintain evidence of 
 and effectively combat illegal wildlife trafficking.

    (14) The Wildlife Confiscations Network clearly aligns with 
 OMB Circular A-76 by supporting wildlife law enforcement, an 
 inherently governmental function, and removing the placement 
 and care of confiscated live wildlife from government 
 responsibility. It must be extended and expanded nationwide to 
 allow law enforcement officers across the country to focus on 
 their mission and mandate in combating wildlife crime.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) CITES species.--The term ``CITES species'' means an 
 animal species that is listed in one of the Appendices of the 
 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
 Fauna and Flora.

    (2) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the committee 
 established under 

section 4

    (b)

    (3) .

    (3) Confiscated animal.--The term ``confiscated animal'' 
 means an individual of a CITES species or a threatened or 
 endangered species that is--
        (A) seized at or en route to or from a port or 
 border of the United States; and
        (B) placed at a qualified animal care facility for 
 provision of general care and welfare to such 
 individual.

    (4) Network.--The term ``Network'' means the Wildlife 
 Confiscations Network established under 

section 4

    (a) .

    (5) Qualified animal care facility.--The term ``qualified 
 animal care facility'' means a zoological facility, aquarium 
 facility, wildlife sanctuary, animal rescue organization, 
 animal rehabilitation organization, nongovernmental 
 organization, university that has been reviewed by the 
 Committee and--
        (A) that, as of the date of the enactment of this 
 Act, provides care to an individual of a CITES species 
 or a threatened or endangered species; or
        (B) has expertise in the care of wildlife and has 
 received and provided care for a confiscated animal 
 within the 5 years preceding the date of the enactment 
 of this Act.

    (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
 States Fish and Wildlife Service.

    (7) Threatened or endangered species.--The term 
 ``threatened or endangered species'' means an animal species 
 that is listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)--
        (A) as a threatened species; or
        (B) as an endangered species.

SEC. 4. WILDLIFE CONFISCATIONS NETWORK.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a voluntary, 
cooperative program, in partnership with a professional accrediting 
zoological association with existing capacity and expertise in wildlife 
confiscations, to assist Federal wildlife law enforcement agencies with 
the placement and care of confiscated animals, to be known as the 
``Wildlife Confiscations Network''.

    (b) Functions.--The Network shall--

    (1) establish a cooperative and coordinated response 
 protocol for the care and welfare of confiscated animals;

    (2) create and maintain a database of qualified animal care 
 facilities to provide immediate triage needs and long-term 
 housing and care for confiscated animals;

    (3) establish a committee within the Network to review and 
 approve or reject applications for inclusion in the Network 
 submitted under subsection
            (c) by entities listed in paragraph

    (1) of that subsection; and

    (4) act as the single point of contact for Federal wildlife 
 law enforcement agencies to assist in the placement and care of 
 confiscated animals in qualified zoological facilities.
            (c) Membership.--

    (1) In general.--Each of the following entities may submit 
 to the Committee an application to join the Network:
        (A) Wildlife sanctuaries.
        (B) Aquarium facilities.
            (C) Zoological facilities.
            (D) Animal rescue organizations.
        (E) Animal rehabilitation organizations.
        (F) Universities.
        (G) Nongovernmental organizations.

    (2) Contents of application.--An application submitted 
 under paragraph

    (1) by an entity listed in that paragraph shall 
 contain information sufficient for the Committee to determine 
 whether such entity--
        (A) has, as determined by the Committee, the 
 necessary credentials, including all necessary local, 
 State, and Federal permits and licenses; and
        (B) is an effective, responsible, and appropriate 
 entity capable of assisting Federal wildlife law 
 enforcement agencies in the placement and care of 
 confiscated animals.

    (3) Determination.--The Committee shall review each 
 application submitted under paragraph

    (1) and approve or reject 
 each such application.
            (d) Committee.--

    (1) Membership.--The Committee shall include 
 representatives from each of the following entities, provided 
 they are members of the Network:
        (A) The United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
        (B) The professional accrediting zoological 
 association partner administering the Network as 
 established under 

section 4

    (a) .
            (C) Zoological facility.
            (D) Aquarium facility.
        (E) Wildlife sanctuary.
        (F) Nongovernmental organization.
        (G) Wildlife rehabilitation facility, wildlife 
 rescue organization, or other animal holding facility.

    (2) Initial members.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
 community stakeholders, including public and private entities 
 that are actively involved in the care, rescue, and 
 rehabilitation of any threatened or endangered species, and 
 with advisement from the partnered professional accrediting 
 zoological association, shall appoint each initial member to 
 the Committee in accordance with paragraph

    (1) .

    (3) Subsequent members.--Except for the appointment of the 
 initial members of the Committee under paragraph

    (2) , each 
 member of the Committee shall be elected by a majority vote of 
 the members of the Committee through a call for service and 
 application process implemented by the Committee.

    (4) Term of membership.--
        (A) Initial members.--Of the initial members 
 appointed to the Committee by the Secretary--
            (i) 2 members shall be appointed for a term 
 of 1 year;
            (ii) 2 members shall be appointed for a 
 term of 2 years; and
            (iii) 3 members shall be appointed for a 
 term of 3 years.
        (B) Subsequent members.--Each member of the 
 Committee elected under paragraph

    (3) shall serve on 
 the Committee for a term of 3 years.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

 To carry out this section, $5,000,000 is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 
2030.
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