The following is a list of bills that have been introduced or will be introduced. This list is not all inclusive. The bills pertain to the ownership of exotic and wild animals for the 2025 Legislative Session. It is updated as of 1/2025.
HAWAII HB 47 RELATING TO AQUACULTURE.
Import and movement of aquatic wildlife
HAWAII HB 49 RELATING TO WILDLIFE.
Ban on cetaceans in captivity
HAWAII SB 16 RELATING TO AQUARIUM FISH PERMITS.
Exempt aquaculture research from the aquarium fish permit
HAWAII SB 177 RELATING TO AQUACULTURE
Create assessment and approval process to import and move aquatic livestock
HAWAII SB 519 RELATING TO AQUATIC LIFE
Redefines aquarium purpose
HAWAII SB 839 RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
Adds separate penalty for violating §188-31 Permits to take aquatic life for aquarium purposes of misdemeanor of fine at least $200 for 1stoffense, $400 for 2nd offense, and $1000 for each subsequent offense
HAWAII SB 1021 RELATING TO WILDLIFE
BANS keeping cetaceans in captivity for any purpose including display, performance, or entertainment purposes
IOWA HF24 A bill for an act relating to public contact with dangerous wild animals, and making penalties applicable.
- Adds to dangerous wild animals list any selachimorpha of the neoselachii clade (sharks that can grow more than 23” long or documented history of biting humans)
- For grandfathered animals owned in 2007: adds ban on letting members of the public from having direct contact
- Adds that those exempt from law are not exempt from public contact ban
- Adds that allowing public contact with dangerous wild animals is criminal penalty of aggravated misdemeanor
- BANS allowing members of the public to come into direct contact with dangerous wild animal
MASSACHUSETTS HD894 An Act to protect nonhuman primate infants in research institutions and product testing facilities
BANS research institutions or product testing facilities using infant NHPs in experiments from removing or separately housing the infants from their mothers for research, experimentation, or product testing
MASSACHUSETTS HD2015 An Act relative to wildlife rehabilitators
Adds the aid or care of sick, injured, debilitated and orphaned wildlife by wildlife rehabilitators to those not considered to be practicing veterinary medicine
MASSACHUSETTS SD1434 An Act to protect nonhuman primate infants in research institutions and product testing facilities
BANS research institutions or product testing facilities using infant NHPs in experiments from removing or separately housing the infants from their mothers for research, experimentation, or product testing
Revises game bird farm exemption and deadlines
Revises regarding roadside menagerie, wild animal menagerie, wildlife sanctuary, zoo licenses and controlled exotic wildlife
Revises definition of wildlife to include designated invertebrates
Removes listed fees for various permits and allows the Commission to prescribe them
Allows raccoons and gray squirrels to be kept as companion animals without permit if wildlife rehabilitation facility determines it cannot survive in the wild and is up to date on vaccines
Creates offense of reckless trespassing involving wild animals
Exempts from the ban on importing woodchuck from state where rabies other than raccoon variant is endemic if a county or municipality is replacing one that died to celebrate Groundhog Day
Redefines farmed elk from elk family (cervus elaphus) TO North American elk genus and species (cervus canadensis)
PREFILED
BANS participation of covered animal in traveling animal act
PREFILED
The following is a list of bills that have been introduced or will be introduced. This list is not all inclusive. The bills pertain to the ownership of exotic and wild animals for the 2024 Legislative Session. It is updated as of 12/28/24.
Expands ban on keeping, possessing, importing, selling, bartering, trading, and breeding green iguanas to all iguanas
DEAD
Requires department to create assessment and approval process for import and transport of aquatic livestock
DEAD
Requires Plant and Animal Declaration Form for importation to be distributed, completed and submitted electronically
DEAD
Switches aquaculture program from department of agriculture's plant quarantine branch to animal industry division
DEAD
Allows department to create rules regarding preventing or responding to new or previously benign aquatic nuisance species or due to new technology or data
DEAD
Requires approving or denying a permit for activities related to science, education, management, or propagation of aquatic resources within 90 days
DEAD
Enacts “Protecting Aquatic Mammals From Living in Pools or Restraints (PROTECT FLIPR): A Cetacean Display Ban Act" that bans exhibiting captive cetaceans
DEAD
Bans taking aquatic life for commercial aquarium purposes including for pets, scientific study, public exhibit or display or sale except for bait, consumption or from fish ponds
DEAD
Bans use of captive marine mammals in performances for entertainment at meeting, competition, exhibit, pastime, practice, display or event except research or rehabilitation
DEAD
Requires University of Hawaii to develop 5 year plan to grow the aquaculture industry
DEAD
Creates Aquaculture Advisory Committee
DEAD
Allows University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources to establish aquaculture disease diagnostic laboratory
DEAD
Adds new penalty for violating law requiring aquarium permit to take fish for aquarium purposes - $200 1st offense, $400 for 2nd, $1000 per additional with separate offense per specimen
DEAD
Transfers the aquaculture program from Department of Agriculture to Agribusiness Development Corporation
DEAD
Bans take of parrotfish from state waters
DEAD
Allows State of Hawaii Plant and Animal Declaration Form to be electronic instead of paper
Signed into law 7/3/24 – Act 196 – Effective Immediately
Exempts aquaculture research from the aquarium fish requirements
DEAD
Limits the time to approve or deny an aquaculture license to 90 days of submission
DEAD
DEAD
Creates an aquaculture advisory committee to strengthen aquaculture in the state
DEAD
Amends Herptiles-Herp Act (shell bill)
DEAD
Amends Endangered Species Protection Act (shell bill)
DEAD
Adds hermit crabs and goldfish to those animals for which the sale, barter and giving away as a pet or novelty if dyed is banned
DEAD
Adds all exotic animals to the ban on traveling acts
DEAD
Adds serval, caracal, kangaroo, wallaby to the dangerous animal list along with hybrids, intergrades, and crosses of listed animals
DEAD
Amends Herptiles Act by allowing taking snapping turtles by trap notwithstanding any rule
DEAD
Signed into law 5/9/24 – Chapter 620 – Effective 7/1/24
Bans performance of covered animals in traveling animal acts
Signed into law 5/9/24 – Chapter 597 – Effective 10/1/24
Excludes aid or care of sick, injured, debilitated and orphaned wildlife by wildlife rehabilitator from practicing veterinary medicine
See Study Order H 4680
Creates habitat conservation plan for piping plover
See Study Order H 4668
Bans participation of covered animal in traveling animal acts
CARRIED INTO 2024 – Passed Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development 2/8 – House Ways & Means
Bans participation of covered animal in traveling animal acts
Accompanied by H3245
Bans participation of covered animal in traveling animal acts
Accompanied by H3245
Various revisions related to farmed white-tailed deer
DEAD
Allows keeping foxes, skunks, small tailed monkeys, raccoons, red tailed kangaroos, and otters as companion animals without a permit
DEAD
DEAD
Requires pet dealers selling unweaned birds to disclose such fact to buyer, provide hand-feeding training unless already experienced, and buyer agrees in writing to provide bird for inspection and weighing weekly until weened
DEAD
Requires attorney general to file injunction against circus from performing in state for 2 years IF within last 2 years: 1) it or owner, agent, employee, or representative were cited by USDA for deficiency in care or handling of animals, received official notice of warning, or entered into a stipulation, consent decree, or settlement with USDA relating to care or handling OR 2) guilty of state animal cruelty or neglect law or pled guilty to another charge instead or charge was not dismissed on merits
DEAD
DEAD
BANS import, export, shipment, receipt, possession, process, sale, offer for sale, and transport of priority species at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey airport or port authority
DEAD
Bans import, export, transport, procession, sale, offer for sale, purchase, trade, barter, distribution or possession of part of product of an African elephant, African leopard, African lion, black rhino, white rhino, African giraffe
DEAD
Prohibits using psychoactive drug to animal in zoos for it to procreate with another animal
DEAD
Bans issuing permit or license for a circus or traveling animal act to exhibit wild animals except AZA and wildlife sanctuaries
DEAD
Adds new animals to the wild and exotic animal list which are banned to possess, harbor sell, barter, transfer exchange and import as pets
DEAD
Bans primates in any type of entertainment – penalty is civil penalty up to $1000
DEAD
Bans import, possession to sell, and sale of parts and products of the skin or body of a kangaroo for commercial purposes or to direct another person to do so
DEAD
Replaces ban on take of non-native big game mammals in containers on less than 10 acres with a ban on take in any cage or container along with in fenced areas
DEAD
Requires creating museum and cultural organization education grant program to award grants to establish or improve education programs in museums and cultural organizations to improve student performance in school
DEAD
Adds trade, barter and possession with intent to sell, trade or barter to activities prohibited with species listed in 11-0536; adds giraffe
DEAD
Bans commercial sale and possession with intent to sell of horseshoe crabs and eggs
A - Passed House and Senate 6/7
Allows department of environmental conservation to add species to the prohibited and regulated invasive species list on an emergency basis if reviewed by the department of agriculture and markets and council
DEAD
Excludes free contact and protected contact with elephants at nonprofit entities from animal cruelty
DEAD
Unknown (shell bill)
DEAD
Grants the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry authority over all state policies regarding CWD and cervids
DEAD
Allows owner of licensed Cervidae facility to be reimbursed for disposal of farmed cervids up to 25% of the value
DEAD
DEAD
Changes definition of exotic wildlife to include all nonindigenous animals including those listed but excluding those listed as exempt - also exempts hedgehogs and sugar gliders
DEAD
DEAD
Bans possession, menagerie, and dealer permittees from permitting the public to feed or have direct contact with exotic wildlife or wildlife other than ruminants
DEAD
Issues grants for wildlife rehabilitation, improving their facilities, or a related purpose
DEAD
Prohibits possession of live captive wildlife except for those entities granted permit, grandfathered registered animals, and those exempt from permit
DEAD
Increases penalty for owning or training a cock (game birds) for fighting, fighting one or allowing such act on one’s premises from Class A misdemeanor to Class E felony
DEAD
Requires rabies certificate for domestic dog or wolf hybrid to include signature of veterinarian, owner name and address, species, sex, age, color, and primary breed and vaccination date and expiration
DEAD
Bans purchase, sale and possession of parts made wholly or partially from kangaroo
DEAD
Bans selling cats, dogs, and wolf hybrids at pet shops
DEAD
Creates big game violation which includes the big game, threatened or endangered species, and trade in covered animal parts or products already covered plus criminal suspensions, interference with hunting, fishing, or trapping, and illegal commercial importation or possession of wild animals
DEAD
DEAD
DEAD
Bans 1) using electricity, martingales, or block and tackle to physical punish an elephant that results in damage, scarring, or breaking of skin or inserting instruments into bodily orifice; 2) using bullhook, ankus, baseball bat, axe handle, pitchfork, or other device designed for fear or pain to train or control an elephant; or 3) brandishing, exhibiting, or displaying any device in #2 in the presence of an elephant
Signed into law 4/2/24 – Chapter 333 – Effective 7/1/24
Bans octopus aquaculture in the state
Signed into law 3/13/24 – Chapter 45 – Effective 6/6/24
Bans display of wild or exotic animals on public or private property except for educational purposes or AZA or association of sanctuaries
DEAD
DEAD
Bans covered animals in traveling animal acts
DEAD
Removes primates from list of animals that the dangerous wild animals list may include
DEAD
Exempts from needing private game farm license Japanese quail kept as pets for noncommercial purposes along with sales up to 3 or less a year
DEAD
Exempts from needing private game farm license Japanese quail kept as pets for noncommercial purposes along with sales up to 3 or less a year
DEAD
Exempts domesticated poultry (nonnative quail and partridges kept for agriculture purposes = meat or egg production) from being considered wild birds and the private game preserve license
DEAD
Adds ZAA zoos and aquariums to the exemption for captive wildlife
DEAD
UAPPEAL
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