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

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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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