To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6251 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6251

To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation 
 of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date 
  the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the 
                    Endangered Species Act of 1973.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 21, 2025

  Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation 
 of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date 
  the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the 
                    Endangered Species Act of 1973.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PERMITS FOR IMPORTATION OF POLAR BEAR TROPHIES TAKEN IN 
              SPORT HUNTS IN CANADA.

    Section 104(c)(5)(D) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 
(16 U.S.C. 1374(c)(5)(D)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(D)(i) The Secretary of the Interior shall, expeditiously 
        after the expiration of the applicable 30-day period under 
        subsection (d)(2), issue a permit for the importation of any 
        polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar 
        bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who submits, 
        with the permit application, proof that the polar bear--
                    ``(I) was legally harvested by the person before 
                February 18, 1997; or
                    ``(II) was legally harvested by the person before 
                May 15, 2008, from a polar bear population from which a 
                sport-hunted trophy could be imported before that date 
                in accordance with section 18.30(i) of title 50, Code 
                of Federal Regulations.
            ``(ii) The Secretary shall issue permits under clause 
        (i)(I) without regard to subparagraphs (A) and (C)(ii) of this 
        paragraph, subsection (d)(3), and sections 101 and 102.
            ``(iii) The Secretary shall issue permits under clause 
        (i)(II) without regard to subparagraph (C)(ii) of this 
        paragraph, subsection (d)(3), and sections 101 and 102.''.
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