Sponsors (14)
The bill reduces lethal trapping on national wildlife refuges—improving safety and conservation while preserving tribal subsistence—at the expense of criminal penalties and potential economic losses for trappers and added challenges/costs for refuge wildlife control, with uneven coverage due to an Alaska exemption.
Visitors to National Wildlife Refuges and non-target wildlife will face fewer lethal traps, reducing accidental injury or death.
Refuge ecosystems and non-target species may see improved conservation outcomes from removing lethal trapping methods.
Federally recognized tribes keep a subsistence exception, preserving tribal subsistence practices on refuges.
Hunters, trappers, and some refuge managers could face fines (up to $500 per trap/use) and up to 180 days imprisonment for violations.
Restrictions on body‑gripping traps could make controlling certain invasive or damaging wildlife harder or more costly for refuge managers.
Forfeiture of traps and pelts may cause economic losses for individuals who inadvertently violate the rule or who rely on fur for income.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits possession or use of body‑gripping traps on National Wildlife Refuge System lands, with narrow exceptions and set penalties.
Introduced June 24, 2025 by Jerrold Lewis Nadler · Last progress June 24, 2025
Bans possession and use of “body‑gripping” traps anywhere in the National Wildlife Refuge System, while allowing narrow exceptions for federal invasive‑species work, protections for certain listed or sensitive species after nonlethal methods are tried, dismantling activities, refuges in Alaska, and subsistence use by members of federally recognized Indian Tribes. Violators face civil fines (adjusted annually for inflation), possible jail time up to 180 days, forfeiture of traps and wildlife taken, and must pay court costs; the ban takes effect 120 days after enactment and implementing regulations must be issued within that same period but the law is enforceable even if regulations are delayed. The text defines key terms (including “body‑gripping trap” and “invasive species”), sets penalty and forfeiture rules under federal law, and directs the Department of the Interior to issue regulations to implement the prohibition promptly.