Bill > A01616

This bill enacts the "Big Five African Trophies Act", which comprehensively bans the import, export, transportation, processing, selling, purchasing, trading, and possession of parts or products from six specific African wildlife species: African Elephant, African Leopard, African Lion, Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, and African Giraffe. The bill provides limited exceptions, such as allowing existing possessions prior to the law's effective date if owners obtain a certificate of possession from the Secretary of State, and permitting parts to be held in state-chartered museums or transferred to legal heirs under strict conditions. Law enforcement officials are granted the authority to search for, seize, and hold these wildlife parts, with seized items to be either offered to scientific institutions or destroyed upon conviction. Violators can face criminal penalties, including potential imprisonment of up to two years, and any seized items will be forfeited and destroyed. The law is set to take effect one year after becoming law, giving stakeholders time to adjust to the new regulations. The primary aim of this legislation appears to be protecting endangered African wildlife species by eliminating the market for their parts and preventing their commercial exploitation.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1616