H.R. 3456

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit keeping elephants in captivity at zoological parks or safari parks, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · May 15, 2025 · Sponsor: Ms. Malliotakis · Committee: Committee on Agriculture

Table of contents

• H.R. 3456
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Findings; purpose
  • SEC. 3. Prohibition on elephant captivity
  • SEC. 4. Implementation and support

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the or the .

SEC. 2. Findings; purpose

• (a) Findings
  • Congress finds the following:
    • Elephants live in a matriarchal hierarchy where a lead female leads a large herd in the wild and migrates, traveling hundreds of miles every year. African and Asian elephants have been demonstrated to possess, amongst other things, intentional communication and learning, memory, and categorization abilities. An Emory University experiment showed that a female elephant seemed to recognize herself in a mirror, a result attributed to self-awareness only seen otherwise in humans, dolphins, and chimpanzees.
    • Captivity does not provide for the needs of normal elephant behavior and reproduction. As a result, captive elephants suffer both physical and emotional trauma including hernias, arthritis, mental degradation, and high calf mortality. The average lifespan of a captive elephant is 17 years; in the wild, elephants can live for 50 years or more.
    • It is estimated that the cost of caring for an elephant in captivity can be up to $100,000 per year. In 2004, the Detroit Zoo became the first major American zoo to shut down its elephant exhibit on ethical grounds. In 2006, the Bronx Zoo announced that it would close its exhibit once its three elephants died. Since the early 1990s, more than 22 zoos have shut down their elephant exhibits or announced that they were phasing them out, including those in Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago.
    • The United Kingdom phased out all circuses featuring wild animal performances by 2020 and announced its intention to ban the captivity of elephants in zoos and safari parks. Dozens of other countries around the world have similar prohibitions, including Austria, Greece, Israel, Mexico, Peru, and Singapore. India bans the keeping of elephants in circuses and zoos.
• (b) Purpose
  • The purpose of this Act is to ban the display, husbandry, and breeding of African elephants and Asian elephants in zoological parks and safari parks in the United States and transfer existing African elephants and Asian elephants in zoological parks and safari parks to authorized wildlife sanctuaries.

SEC. 3. Prohibition on elephant captivity

• The Animal Welfare Act () is amended by adding at the end the following: 7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.
  • (a) In general
    • An exhibitor that is a safari park or zoological park may not exhibit, house, manage, or breed an African elephant or an Asian elephant after the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, except to complete a transfer of an African elephant or an Asian elephant pursuant to subsection (b).
  • (b) Transfer to authorized wildlife sanctuaries
    • The Secretary shall require each exhibitor that is a safari park or zoological park that exhibits, houses, manages, or breeds an African elephant or an Asian elephant as of the date of the enactment of this section to transfer such African elephant or Asian elephant to an authorized wildlife sanctuary not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this section.
  • (c) Definitions
    • In this section:
      • The term African elephant has the meaning given the term in section 2305 of the African Elephant Conservation Act (). 16 U.S.C. 4244
      • The term authorized wildlife sanctuary means a nonprofit facility that—
      • The term safari park means a facility, whether publicly or privately owned, that—
      • The term — zoological park

SEC. 4. Implementation and support

• (a) Feasibility study
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a study to assess the feasibility of transferring African elephants and Asian elephants to authorized wildlife sanctuaries, including capacity, costs, and logistics.
• (b) Grant program
  • The Secretary may establish a grant program to support the accommodation by authorized wildlife sanctuaries of African elephants and Asian elephants transferred to such authorized wildlife sanctuaries pursuant to section 30 of the Animal Welfare Act (as added by this Act).
• (c) Public education
  • The Secretary shall develop materials to educate the public about the welfare benefits of prohibiting the captivity of African elephants and Asian elephants.
• (d) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term African elephant has the meaning given the term in section 2305 of the African Elephant Conservation Act (). 16 U.S.C. 4244
    • The term authorized wildlife sanctuary has the meaning given the term in section 30 of the Animal Welfare Act (as added by this Act).
    • The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.