Sponsors (6)
The bill reduces zoonotic spillover risk by banning live nonhuman primate imports but imposes economic costs on legal primate importers and some fiscal/administrative burdens on taxpayers and enforcement agencies.
The general public and importers face reduced risk of zoonotic disease because banning live nonhuman primate imports cuts a known pathway for disease spillover.
Zoos, registered primate dealers, and other legal importers will lose revenue and face higher compliance costs from the import ban and new certification/regulatory requirements.
Taxpayers may incur additional costs for enforcement (seizures, forfeitures), rulemaking, and care or disposition of seized primates.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Makes importing live nonhuman primates into the U.S. illegal except for AZA-accredited placements or certified non-research imports; creates penalties and forfeiture authority.
Introduced April 23, 2026 by W. Greg Steube · Last progress April 23, 2026
Prohibits the importation of live nonhuman primates into the United States, with two narrow exceptions: imports for placement with Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited facilities, and imports accompanied by a certification that the animal will not be transferred, sold, leased, used in experiments/testing, or bred for such experiments. Customs must deny clearance for prohibited shipments; civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation and forfeiture of unlawfully imported primates are authorized. The Treasury Secretary must issue implementing regulations after public notice-and-comment within one year.