02/11/2022
The reptile hobby has been under attack for years, but this time around is specifically unique. We have had a lot of people reaching out asking what they can do, so here are some steps to be proactive against this! For a sample letter, visit usark.org.
What To Do
The bill passed the House on 2/4. Attention must move to the Senate. Remember to be civil and professional at all times.Please personalize/edit your letters, if possible. We have a sample letter and Talking Points below. You can also copy/paste some of our Talking Points (below letter) instead of the sample letter or when sending follow-up emails.
1. Call your Senators;
2. Email your Senators;
3. Fax and mail letters to your Senators;
4. SHARE this and encourage others to complete the Alert!!!
Find and contact your two (2) U.S. Senators:
Go to this link: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
Choose your State.
Click “Contact” under a Senator’s name.
Fill out the contact form. (You may need to click a second link such as SHARE, CONTACT, or EMAIL.)
Repeat for your second Senator.
You can find phone, fax, and mailing address details for Senators on their websites (after clicking “Contact”).
local threats and balance the relative costs and benefits of prohibiting species.
Subject line:
NO to Lacey Act Amendments in America COMPETES Act
Sample letter (also lots of Talking Points below)
I implore you to stop the Lacey Act amendments found in the America COMPETES Act (Section 71102) as your constituent, dedicated advocate for ecological conservation, and pet owner. The lack of forethought involved makes these amendments rife with unintended consequences and government overreach. The Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S1260) and America COMPETES Act (HR4521) will meet to be reconciled. These Lacey Act amendments are not pertinent to the intent of these bills and must be removed!
Not only would these amendments be devastating to thousands of businesses of all sizes (which is absolutely contrary to the purpose of the COMPETES Act), but millions of pet owners would be harmed. As seen previously when listing species as injurious under the Lacey Act, a heavy-handed brush is used to paint species as injurious that may only be an issue for one or two states, and hardly any large percentage of the U.S.
I cannot elaborate enough on the need to regulate injurious species at the state and local levels, not nationwide by a federal agency. Individual states are best positioned to assess local threats and balance the relative costs and benefits of prohibiting species.
If these amendments pass, the Lacey Act will leave pet owners everywhere unable to move across state lines with their family pets. This restriction would include prohibitions of interstate travel for veterinary care, for educational programs, and for relocation of family. The impact will be disproportionately felt by military service members, who are often relocated multiple times during a pet’s lifetime.
The federal and appellate courts have already decided that a ban on interstate transportation with injurious species is not based on the original intent of Congress, but a gradual overreach by the federal agency. This upholds that banning interstate transportation is overreaching and that only the localities, or states, with legitimate range matches should consider regulations regarding these species.
The interstate transport ban under the Lacey Act is not my only concern. The opportunity for injustice and oppressiveness resulting from the section titled Presumptive Prohibition on Importation is especially disturbing!
Rather than this new knee-jerk and supreme authority provided to the federal agency, any expansion of the Lacey Act to create interstate movement bans and a ‘white list/black list’ scenario should include reforms to the injurious listing process, including proof of widespread impact based on sound, peer-reviewed science, and definitely not the biased, pseudo-science witnessed previously.
These Lacey Act amendments are far-reaching and, frankly, un-American. Please realize that the Lacey Act amendments found within the America COMPETES Act are illogical and unjust. Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter. Have a good day.
