Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2018
A BILL
To support wildlife conservation, improve anti-trafficking enforcement, provide dedicated funding for wildlife conservation at no expense to taxpayers, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Purposes
Sec. 3 Definitions
Sec. 4 Wildlife trafficking whistleblowers
Sec. 5 Authorization of International Wildlife Conservation Program
Sec. 6 USFWS officers abroad
Sec. 7 Amendment of Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004
“(_) Freshwater turtle
“(A) In general—The term freshwater turtle means any member of the family Carettochelyidae, Chelidae, Chelydridae, Dermatemydidae, Emydidae, Geoemydidae, Kinosternidae, Pelomedusidae, Platysternidae, Podocnemididae, or Trionychidae.
“(B) Inclusions—The term freshwater turtle includes—
“(i) any part, product, egg, or offspring of a turtle described in subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) a carcass of such a turtle.”
“(_) Territory of the United States—The term territory of the United States means each of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States.
“(_) Tortoise
“(A) In general—The term tortoise means any member of the family Testudinidae.
“(B) Inclusions—The term tortoise includes—
“(i) any part, product, egg, or offspring of a tortoise described in subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) a carcass of such a tortoise.”
“(4) any amounts received by the United States for any violation of law pertaining to marine turtles, freshwater turtles, or tortoises under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.), or regulations implementing those Acts, including such amounts received as—
“(A) fines or penalties;
“(B) proceeds from sales of forfeited property, assets, or cargo; or
“(C) restitution to the Federal Government.”
“(b) Allocation—Of the amount authorized by subsection (a) for each fiscal year—
“(1) an amount not exceeding $1,510,000 is authorized only for use by the Secretary for marine turtle conservation purposes under this Act; and
“(2) of the amount appropriated in excess of $1,510,000, not less than 40 percent is authorized only for use by the Secretary for freshwater turtle and tortoise conservation purposes under this Act.”
Sec. 8 Funding for marine mammal conservation
Sec. 9 Funding for shark conservation
Sec. 10 Wildlife trafficking violations as predicate offenses under Travel Act and racketeering statute
“(f) The Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary of the Interior any amounts received by the United States as civil penalties, fines, forfeitures of property or assets, or restitution to the Federal Government for any violation under this section that involves an unlawful activity described in subsection (b)(i)(4).”
“(n) The Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary of the Interior any amounts received by the United States as civil penalties, fines, forfeitures of property or assets, or restitution to the Federal Government for any violation of section 1962 that is based on racketeering activity described in section 1961(1)(H).”
Sec. 11 Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing as predicate offenses under money laundering statute
“(H) any act that is a violation of subparagraph (Q) of paragraph (1) of section 307 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1857(1)(Q)), if the fish involved in the violation and relevant conduct, as applicable, have a total value of more than $10,000.”
Sec. 12 Funds from wildlife trafficking violations of money laundering statute
“(j) The Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary of the Interior any amounts received by the United States as civil penalties, fines, forfeitures of property or assets, or restitution to the Federal Government for any violation under this section that involves an unlawful activity described in subsection (c)(7)(G).”
Sec. 13 Uses of transferred funds for conservation
Sec. 14 Technical and conforming amendments
“(iii) 1952(e), 1956(j), and 1963(n) of title 18, United States Code; and”