The proposed bill, General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5012, aims to prohibit the practice of shark finning in the state, with an effective date of October 1, 2025. The bill defines "shark" as any species within the subclass Elasmobranchii, excluding species in the order Batoidea or smooth-hounds, and defines "shark fin" as any fin or tail that has been separated from a shark. Under the new law, individuals are prohibited from possessing, selling, trading, or distributing shark fins, with specific exceptions. These exceptions include licensed individuals who may separate fins or tails from lawfully landed sharks for personal consumption or taxidermy, provided that the separated fins or tails are destroyed immediately unless used for these purposes.

Additionally, the bill allows the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to issue permits for the possession of shark fins for scientific research or educational purposes. Violations of the prohibition on shark fins will be classified as an infraction, allowing for fines to be paid by mail or the option to plead not guilty. The bill introduces new legal language to current law while deleting any previous provisions that may conflict with these new regulations.