To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

This bill changes the Marine Mammal Protection Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits to import polar bear parts, other than internal organs, from bears taken in sport hunts in Canada. To qualify, the applicant must show proof that they legally harvested the bear before February 18, 1997, or before May 15, 2008, from a polar bear population whose trophies could be imported before that date under federal rules. The Secretary would issue these permits after a 30-day period ends and without applying certain other requirements of the Act.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Nicholas J. Begich III Republican sponsor
• 2 cosponsors