# Plain Language Summary: Bear Protection Act of 2023

This bill makes it illegal to buy, sell, trade, or transport bear body parts and products made from them across state lines or into and out of the United States. Specifically, it targets bear viscera—which includes organs and body fluids like gallbladders and bile—and anything labeled as containing these materials. The ban applies to everyone: individuals, businesses, and even government agencies, with one exception for law enforcement officials conducting wildlife protection operations.

The motivation behind this bill comes from serious concerns about bear populations worldwide. In Asia, thousands of bears are kept in small cages specifically to extract their bile for use in traditional medicines and cosmetics, which has devastated bear populations there. The bill notes that American black bears have also been illegally poached for their body parts. While most American bear populations are currently stable, lawmakers worry that if demand for bear viscera increases, it could trigger a surge in poaching that threatens certain populations. By cutting off the commercial market in the United States, the bill aims to reduce this demand and protect bears globally.

If someone violates this law, they face real consequences. Criminal violations can result in up to one year in prison and fines. Civil penalties can reach $25,000 per violation. Any bear products seized will be forfeited to the government. The bill also directs the federal government to work with other countries to discourage the international trade in bear parts. However, the law includes important exceptions: states can still manage their own bear populations and allow legal hunting, and Native American tribes can continue using bear parts in traditional ceremonies and rituals.

Bear Protection Act of 2023

McCaul, Michael T.

Bear Protection Act of 2023 This bill makes it unlawful for a person to knowingly import, export, sell, purchase, possess, transport, deliver, or receive bear viscera or related products except for limited acts carried out solely to enforce wildlife protection laws. Bear viscera means a bear's body fluids or internal organs, including the gallbladder and its contents. The term excludes a bear's blood or brains.