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- Dec 20, 2009
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More Ivory Ban Bills Across the US
Theres a lot going on and many opportunities for you to get involved at both state and federal levels to fight ivory bans.
New Activity in the States
Florida - SB1120 has been introduced to ban any species of elephant and mammoth and prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, and distribution of ivory articles. In addition there would be an allowance for possible licensing for less than 20% ivory antiques, passing on to your heirs, museums, and musical instruments made before 1979.
Illinois - SB1858 will make it illegal to sell any ivory or ivory containing product. This bill makes no allowances or exemptions for mammoth ivory, musical instruments, or antiques. The only possible exemption will be for bona fide educational or scientific purposes. No hearing scheduled at this time.
Vermont - H297 - Other than the bill number, we don't know much about it. It is safe to assume this ban is like all of the other ones that the Humane Society of the US is pushing around the country.
New York has an amendment pending to their already- in- effect ivory ban. SB 2887 would prohibit the purchase and sale of ivory articles and rhinoceros horns, with limited exceptions, and increase the criminal and civil penalties for the illegal sale of these articles.
Hawaii - Two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate are pending. We have gotten word that these bills have been postponed for further consideration (Thank you to everyone who wrote and called in!) though scheduling could change at any time.
Still Pending in the following states, please keep writing and calling-
Connecticut there are four separate ivory ban bills pending at the same time in Connecticut. Thank you for everyone who said they would be willing to testify against these bills. We do not yet know when a hearing will be scheduled. Connecticuts legislative process does not require them to publish the specifics of a bill before a hearing, so we need to assume one or more of these bills will be a complete ban on all ivory including mammoths similar to what was passed in New Jersey. When the time comes, the people who said they would testify will be contacted directly.
Maryland HB713 is scheduled for hearing on March 4 at 1:00pm. This legislation is ambiguous about whether it applies to mammoth ivory, contains no commercial use exemptions for musical instruments, antiques or other items, criminalizes possession with intent to sell, and makes ivory sales a felony for second offenses if value exceeds $250.00.
Washington Bills are pending before both the House (HB1131) and Senate (SB5241). Constituents successfully gained exemptions in the House bill that eliminated mammoth from the definition of ivory, created some exemptions and reduced some of the penalties from the original bill. It remains to be seen how the Senate will react, whether the amendments from the House will make it into final legislation, and even if they do, how this ban would be enforced.
Iowa SF 30 is pending that would ban ivory from mammoths along with elephant ivory. This bill was recently reassigned to a subcommittee on Natural Resources and Environment.
Oklahoma HB1787 Would ban sales and possession with intent to sell of all ivory species including mammoth. Permit scheme similar to New York with very limited exemptions for antiques (less than 20% ivory) and musical instruments.
California AB96 Modifies existing California law to ban sale and possession with intent to sell of all species of ivory, including mammoth ivory. Exemptions for musical instruments with less than 20% ivory and made before 1975, and antiques less than 5% ivory by volume at least 100 years old. Jail time, fines up to $50,000, and administrative penalties up to $10,000 are potential penalties.
Federal Regulation and Legislation
African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act Re-Introduced in Congress - Alaskan Congressman Don Young has introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN) to roll-back and further halt onerous constraints on lawfully possessed ivory products, including musical instruments, firearms, knives, and museum pieces that include ivory parts. The African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2015, HR 697, would effectively end the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's draconian and unilateral moratorium on the sale and trade of lawfully possessed ivory, while also making significant efforts to assist anti-poaching efforts in countries with elephant populations.
This bill still needs more co-sponsors! Please contact your Member of Congress and urge him or her to co-sponsor this bill.
Write your member of Congress to get them to co-sponsor this legislation!
The bill would specifically allow:
● Lawfully possessed, raw or worked ivory to be imported or exported for museum displays and personal use;
● The Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to place a U.S. Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officer in each African country with significant elephant populations;
● The Secretary of the Interior to certify any country found to be a significant transit or destination point under the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen's Protective Act. This would allow the US to embargo wildlife products from Asian countries that are fueling African elephant poaching;
● The continued importation of sport-hunted elephant trophies from populations listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species;
● For the re-authorization of appropriations of not more than $5 million for each of the years 2016-2020, and for these funds to be prioritized for projects designed to facilitate the acquisition of equipment and training of wildlife officials in ivory producing countries for anti-poaching efforts.
Activity at USFWS
We continue to monitor the Fish and Wildlife Service . At the time of this writing there still has been no movement but we expect new regulation changes will be published for comment in the next 6 weeks or so.
As always, you can find your legislators and different ways to contact people about any of the above bills through our website, www.ElephantProtection.org.
You can learn more about these bans, and how to fight them here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...vory-for-knives-or-buy-sell-knives-with-ivory
Theres a lot going on and many opportunities for you to get involved at both state and federal levels to fight ivory bans.
New Activity in the States
Florida - SB1120 has been introduced to ban any species of elephant and mammoth and prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, and distribution of ivory articles. In addition there would be an allowance for possible licensing for less than 20% ivory antiques, passing on to your heirs, museums, and musical instruments made before 1979.
Illinois - SB1858 will make it illegal to sell any ivory or ivory containing product. This bill makes no allowances or exemptions for mammoth ivory, musical instruments, or antiques. The only possible exemption will be for bona fide educational or scientific purposes. No hearing scheduled at this time.
Vermont - H297 - Other than the bill number, we don't know much about it. It is safe to assume this ban is like all of the other ones that the Humane Society of the US is pushing around the country.
New York has an amendment pending to their already- in- effect ivory ban. SB 2887 would prohibit the purchase and sale of ivory articles and rhinoceros horns, with limited exceptions, and increase the criminal and civil penalties for the illegal sale of these articles.
Hawaii - Two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate are pending. We have gotten word that these bills have been postponed for further consideration (Thank you to everyone who wrote and called in!) though scheduling could change at any time.
Still Pending in the following states, please keep writing and calling-
Connecticut there are four separate ivory ban bills pending at the same time in Connecticut. Thank you for everyone who said they would be willing to testify against these bills. We do not yet know when a hearing will be scheduled. Connecticuts legislative process does not require them to publish the specifics of a bill before a hearing, so we need to assume one or more of these bills will be a complete ban on all ivory including mammoths similar to what was passed in New Jersey. When the time comes, the people who said they would testify will be contacted directly.
Maryland HB713 is scheduled for hearing on March 4 at 1:00pm. This legislation is ambiguous about whether it applies to mammoth ivory, contains no commercial use exemptions for musical instruments, antiques or other items, criminalizes possession with intent to sell, and makes ivory sales a felony for second offenses if value exceeds $250.00.
Washington Bills are pending before both the House (HB1131) and Senate (SB5241). Constituents successfully gained exemptions in the House bill that eliminated mammoth from the definition of ivory, created some exemptions and reduced some of the penalties from the original bill. It remains to be seen how the Senate will react, whether the amendments from the House will make it into final legislation, and even if they do, how this ban would be enforced.
Iowa SF 30 is pending that would ban ivory from mammoths along with elephant ivory. This bill was recently reassigned to a subcommittee on Natural Resources and Environment.
Oklahoma HB1787 Would ban sales and possession with intent to sell of all ivory species including mammoth. Permit scheme similar to New York with very limited exemptions for antiques (less than 20% ivory) and musical instruments.
California AB96 Modifies existing California law to ban sale and possession with intent to sell of all species of ivory, including mammoth ivory. Exemptions for musical instruments with less than 20% ivory and made before 1975, and antiques less than 5% ivory by volume at least 100 years old. Jail time, fines up to $50,000, and administrative penalties up to $10,000 are potential penalties.
Federal Regulation and Legislation
African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act Re-Introduced in Congress - Alaskan Congressman Don Young has introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN) to roll-back and further halt onerous constraints on lawfully possessed ivory products, including musical instruments, firearms, knives, and museum pieces that include ivory parts. The African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2015, HR 697, would effectively end the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's draconian and unilateral moratorium on the sale and trade of lawfully possessed ivory, while also making significant efforts to assist anti-poaching efforts in countries with elephant populations.
This bill still needs more co-sponsors! Please contact your Member of Congress and urge him or her to co-sponsor this bill.
Write your member of Congress to get them to co-sponsor this legislation!
The bill would specifically allow:
● Lawfully possessed, raw or worked ivory to be imported or exported for museum displays and personal use;
● The Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to place a U.S. Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officer in each African country with significant elephant populations;
● The Secretary of the Interior to certify any country found to be a significant transit or destination point under the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen's Protective Act. This would allow the US to embargo wildlife products from Asian countries that are fueling African elephant poaching;
● The continued importation of sport-hunted elephant trophies from populations listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species;
● For the re-authorization of appropriations of not more than $5 million for each of the years 2016-2020, and for these funds to be prioritized for projects designed to facilitate the acquisition of equipment and training of wildlife officials in ivory producing countries for anti-poaching efforts.
Activity at USFWS
We continue to monitor the Fish and Wildlife Service . At the time of this writing there still has been no movement but we expect new regulation changes will be published for comment in the next 6 weeks or so.
As always, you can find your legislators and different ways to contact people about any of the above bills through our website, www.ElephantProtection.org.
You can learn more about these bans, and how to fight them here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...vory-for-knives-or-buy-sell-knives-with-ivory
