Bill > HR4108

This bill amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act to prohibit the possession and use of body-gripping traps within the National Wildlife Refuge System, with several important exceptions. A body-gripping trap is defined as any device intended to kill or capture wildlife by physically restraining the animal, including steel-jaw leghold traps, kill-type traps, and snare traps. Federal agencies can still use such traps under specific circumstances, such as controlling invasive species or protecting threatened or endangered species, but only after thoroughly exploring and documenting alternative non-lethal methods. The bill provides exceptions for Native American tribes using traps for subsistence purposes and for trapping in Alaska. Violations can result in civil fines up to $500 per trap or trap use, potential imprisonment for up to 180 days, and mandatory forfeiture of traps and any captured wildlife. The bill also requires the Secretary of the Interior to annually adjust fines for inflation and issue implementing regulations within 120 days of enactment. The goal is to reduce cruel trapping practices in wildlife refuges while maintaining some flexibility for necessary wildlife management and tribal subsistence needs.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4108/all-info