ZAA STATE & FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY UPDATE

January 10, 2025

The new legislative year is now well-underway with the US Congress and twenty five (25) states back in session. The vast majority of the remaining states will open their sessions in the next several weeks. Below is a quick summary of legislation of note so far.

STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

In many, but not all, states, bills that were pending but not enacted before the end of the previous session are now dead and do not carry over to the legislative session. As a result many of the bills that were included in previous updates have been removed and we are now tracking new bills.

Notable New Bills

VIRGINIA

  • VA SB 1125

    https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1125

    Prohibits propagation of wildlife without a permit, as well as premature separation of young wildlife and hybridization of species. AZA is identified as a resource and authority on separation practices and AZA facilities are exempt from the prohibition of hybridization.

  • VA HB 1768

    https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB1768

    Prohibits the possession, sale, transfer, or breeding of nonhuman primates. Contains exemptions for certain institutions, including federal Class C exhibitors, although that exemption has conditions attached to it:

    1. has not been, and has not employed any person who has been, convicted of or fined for an offense involving the abuse or neglect of any animal;

    2. has not had its license or permit revoked or suspended and has not received any official warning letter, or entered into any stipulations, consent decrees, or settlements with the USDA within the past three years;

    3. has not been cited by the USDA for any noncompliant item within the past three years for any violation for a failure to allow a facility inspection or interference with a facility inspection;

    4. maintains liability insurance that is equal to or greater than $250,000,or each occurrence of property damage, bodily injury, or death caused by any primate; and

    5. has a written plan, filed with the local animal control authority, for the quick and safe recapture of any primate that escapes.

    None of those conditions are attached to any of the other exempt facilities.

WASHINGTON

 

MICHIGAN

 

NEW YORK

FEDERAL LEGISLATION

            Any bills that were pending in the 118th Congress without final passage are now dead. There is no carry over.

New Bills

FEDERAL REGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS

USDA/APHIS

On January 10, 2025 the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) posted its FY2024 enforcement activity summary data, which provides information about enforcement efforts in the areas of biotechnology, agricultural quarantine inspection, animal and plant health, and animal welfare and horse protection.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/mission/enforcement-summaries

USFWS

Giraffe ESA Listing

On November 21, 2024 the US Fish and Wildlife Service published a proposed rule to several giraffe species under the EEndangered Species Act. Specifically the Service proposes listing three subspecies of northern giraffe from west, central and east Africa as endangered and two giraffe species from east Africa as threatened with tailored protections through a 4(d) rule. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/11/21/2024-26395/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-listing-the-giraffe

The proposal is open for public comment until February 19, 2025. Comments can be submitted here: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FWS-HQ-ES-2024-0157/document?withinCommentPeriod=true

CITES Conference

On December 26, 2024, the US Fish and Wildlife Service published its notice and request for public comments regarding the November 2025 conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The notice and proposed US positions on various proposals can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/26/2024-30698/conference-of-the-parties-to-the-convention-on-international-trade-in-endangered-species-of-wild

Public comments are being accepted until January 27, 2025, and can be submitted here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0033-0048

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