Sponsors (8)
The bill strengthens protections for threatened and imperiled species and helps disrupt illicit wildlife-trade networks, but does so at the cost of reduced hunting- and trade-related income for some communities and businesses and added administrative burdens and reduced state flexibility for regulators.
Rural communities, coastal populations, and imperiled wildlife: the bill bans trophy taking in U.S. and territorial waters and tightens limits on international trophy trade, giving stronger legal protections to threatened species and reducing extinction and overharvest risk.
Local and state governments and communities: by restricting legal trade that can mask illicit markets, the bill can reduce revenue streams for transnational criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking and associated crimes.
State and local regulators and regulated parties: the bill clarifies the definition of 'trophy,' making permitting and enforcement under the Endangered Species Act more consistent and predictable for agencies and applicants.
Hunters, outfitters, and communities that rely on hunting tourism (including some tribal and rural economies): losing the ability to legally take or import trophies of threatened species will reduce recreation options and income from hunting-related activities.
Collectors and wildlife dealers: removal of the antique exemption for imported threatened-species trophies reduces legal marketplace options and may lower revenue for businesses and private collectors.
Federal and state agencies: stronger prohibitions and tightened permitting will increase administrative and enforcement workload and compliance costs for the Fish and Wildlife Service and Interior, and federal limits on permits may reduce state regulatory flexibility and complicate cross-jurisdiction coordination.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits killing and importing trophies of species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and narrows permits and antique exemptions for such trophies.
Introduced March 6, 2025 by Ted Lieu · Last progress March 6, 2025
Prohibits taking (killing) and importing trophies of fish and wildlife that are listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act, narrows the federal permit authority that previously could allow some otherwise-prohibited activities, and tightens the antique exemption so it no longer covers trophy imports of threatened species. It also adds a statutory definition of “trophy” covering whole dead animals or readily recognizable parts or derivatives obtained under a hunting license or similar authorization. The change shifts the ESA's protections for threatened species to more closely match protections already applied to endangered species, affecting hunters, outfitters, taxidermists, importers, state wildlife agencies, tribal communities, and federal enforcement and permitting processes. No new funding or effective date is specified in the text provided.