[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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