Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026

Summary

Changes to the Lacey Act require certain holders of prohibited wildlife to register each individual animal with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and subject registered holders to post-registration restrictions (no breeding, acquisition, sale, public direct contact, or public exhibition). The bill also permits compliant U.S. entities to import or export prohibited wildlife to/from foreign entities lawfully operating in their country and removes snow leopards and clouded leopards (and hybrids) from the statutory list of "prohibited wildlife species." The Secretary of the Interior (through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) administers registration, cancellation decisions, and related actions.

• Requires persons who possess certain prohibited wildlife to register each individual animal with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Registered holders face post-registration prohibitions: no breeding, no acquisition, no sale, no public direct contact, and no public exhibition of the registered animals.
• Allows compliant U.S. facilities to import/export otherwise prohibited species to or from foreign entities lawfully operating in their country.
• Creates a formal process for cancellation of registrations, including application requirements and an affirmative determination by the Secretary/FWS Director.
• Amends the statutory definition of "prohibited wildlife species" to explicitly exclude snow leopards, clouded leopards, and hybrids of either.
• Assigns registration, cancellation, and related authority to the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Makes multiple textual changes and cross-reference updates to the existing Lacey Act provisions.
• Does not appropriate funds or specify an effective date in the provided text; implementation depends on FWS administration and resources.