,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fbf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #i1 #bjba,mr4
 ,rubio 7for himself and ,mr4 ,schatz7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,environment and ,public  
,works  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ah1 
,united ,states ,code1 to enhance       
protections against the importation1 and
 transport between ,states1 of injurious
 species1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,lacey ,act ,amendments of #bjba4   
#b4 ,amendments  7a7 ,in general        
,section #db of title #ah1 ,united      
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in     
subsection 7a77#a7-- 7,a7 in the first  
sentence1 by striking shipment between  
the continental ,united ,states and     
inserting transport between the ,states2
 and  7,b7 by inserting after the first 
sentence the following3 ,notwithstanding
 any other provision of law1 the        
,secretary of the ,interior may         

prescribe by regulation an emergency    
designation prohibiting the importation 
of any species of wild mammals1 wild    
birds1 fish 7including mollusks and     
crustacea71 amphibians1 or reptiles1 or 
the offspring or eggs of any such       
species1 as injurious to human beings1  
to the interests of agriculture1        
horticulture1 forestry1 or to wildlife  
or the wildlife resources of the ,united
 ,states1 for not more than #c years1   
under this subsection1 if the ,secretary
 of the ,interior determines that such  
regulation is necessary to address an   
imminent threat to human beings1 to the 
interests of agriculture1 horticulture1 
forestry1 or to wildlife or the wildlife
 resources of the ,united ,states4 ,an  
emergency designation prescribed under  
this subsection shall take effect       
immediately upon publication in the     
,federal ,register1 unless the          
,secretary of the ,interior prescribes  
an effective date that is not later than
 #fj days after the date of publication4

 ,during the period during which an     
emergency designation prescribed under  
this subsection for a species is in     
effect1 the ,secretary of the ,interior 
shall evaluate whether the species      
should be designated as an injurious    
wildlife species under the first        
sentence of this paragraph42 and  7#b7  
by adding at the end the following3  7d7
 ,presumptive prohibition on importation
  7#a7 ,in general ,importation into the
 ,united ,states of any species of wild 
mammals1 wild birds1 fish 7including    
mollusks and crustacea71 amphibians1 or 
reptiles1 or the offspring or eggs of   
any such species1 that is not native to 
the ,united ,states and1 as of the date 
of enactment of the ,lacey ,act         
,amendments of #bjba1 is not prohibited 
under subsection 7a77#a71 is prohibited1
 unless-- 7,a7 during the #a-year period
 preceding the date of enactment of the 
,lacey ,act ,amendments of #bjba1 the   
species was1 in more than minimal       
quantities-- 7i7 imported into the      

,united ,states2 or  7ii7 transported   
between the ,states1 any territory of   
the ,united ,states1 the ,district of   
,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto 
,rico1 or any possession of the ,united 
,states2 or  7,b7 the ,secretary of the 
,interior determines1 after an          
opportunity for public comment1 that the
 species does not pose a significant    
risk of invasiveness to the ,united     
,states and publishes a notice in the   
,federal ,register of the determination4
  7#b7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in
 paragraph 7#a7 shall be construed to   
limit the authority of the ,secretary of
 the ,interior under subsection 7a77#a74
  4  7b7 ,conforming amendments ,section
 #db7;a7 of title #ah1 ,united ,states  
,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph   
7#b71 by inserting and subsection 7d7   
after this subsection2  7#b7 in         
paragraph 7#c7-- 7,a7 by striking the   
foregoing and inserting paragraph 7#a7  
or subsection 7d72 and  7,b7 by striking
 this ,act each place the term appears  

and inserting this section2  7#c7 in    
paragraph 7#d71 by inserting or         
subsection 7d7 after this subsection2   
and  7#d7 in paragraph 7#e7-- 7,a7 by   
inserting and subsection 7d7 after this 
subsection2 and  7,b7 by striking       
hereunder and inserting under such      
provisions4  7c7 ,regulations2 effective
 date  7#a7 ,regulations ,not later than
 #a year after the date of enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of the        
,interior shall promulgate regulations  
to define the term minimal quantities   
for purposes of subsection 7d77#a77;,a7 
of section #db of title #ah1 ,united    
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a77#b74  7#b7 ,effective date          
,subsection 7d7 of section #db of title 
#ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by 
subsection 7a77#b71 shall take effect on
 the date that is #a year after the date
 of enactment of this ,act4