H.R. 1437 — Introduced in House

I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1437 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 8, 2023Mr. Rose (for himself and Mr. Soto) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To authorize livestock producers and their employees to take black vultures in order to prevent death, injury, or destruction to livestock, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Black Vulture Relief Act of 2023. 2. Authorization for livestock producers and their employees to take certain black vultures (a) In general Notwithstanding any provision of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), a covered person may— (1) take or attempt to take a black vulture that is causing, or that the covered person has a reasonable belief will cause, death, injury, or destruction to livestock; or (2) in the course of taking or attempting to take a black vulture described in paragraph (1), cause injury to such black vulture. (b) Reporting requirements Not later than January 31 of each year, a covered person that takes a black vulture pursuant to subsection (a) in the preceding 12-month period shall complete and submit to the appropriate United States Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office (as determined by the geographic jurisdictions described in section 2.2 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations) an annual report using the form developed under subsection (c). (c) Issuance of form The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, make available on the agency website such reporting form as the Director determines appropriate for the purposes of taking reports under subsection (b). Such form may not be more onerous to complete than similar forms for permitted take under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.) required as of the date of the enactment of this section. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Black vulture The term black vulture means a bird of the species Coragyps atratus. (2) Covered person The term covered person means— (A) a livestock producer; or (B) an employee of a livestock producer when such employee is actively engaged in livestock production. (3) Livestock The term livestock has the meaning given such term in section 602 of the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 (7 U.S.C. 1471). (4) Livestock producer The term livestock producer has the meaning given such term in section 602 of the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 (7 U.S.C. 1471). (5) Take The term take means to capture, kill, disperse, or transport.