I need your help! Making an S. 373 FAQ

[USARK.Jonathan.Brady]

Hi,
I'm reaching out to the users of various forums to find out what your questions are concerning S. 373. I am going to compile these questions and create an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to be distributed by USARK.

If you have any questions about S. 373 regarding the implications and legalities of the bill, please post them here.

Thanks!
Jonathan Brady

[RayRay]

In order to get more people on board with this, I will ask how this ban negatively impacts all snake owners/breeders, not just keepers of those species targeted?

[USARK.Jonathan.Brady]

That's actually a REALLY good question. Thank you!

I've received numerous questions on other forums to clarify what I'm looking for. Here's a reply I posted on another forum to help.



I'm looking for "talking points" and education points on the topic of S. 373. I'm still working on the FAQ, but this is taken from it, in its current state:

What are some of the potential penalties of violating the Lacey Act?
- For animals whose value is $350 or less, violators may be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary of not more than $10,000 for each violation, in each territory including the original territory. For example, if a person transports 5 Burmese pythons from North Carolina to Florida, they could be subject to 20 violations (4 states X 5 animals) up to $10,000 each, or $200,000.
- In the case of transactions for animals whose value is $350 or more, violators shall be fined under a criminal penalty no more than $20,000 for each violation, and/or 5-year imprisonment, in each territory including the original territory. Using the example above, the maximum financial penalty is $400,000 and the maximum prison sentence is 100 years.
- In the case of transport for animals whose value is $350 or more, violators shall be fined under a criminal penalty no more than $10,000 for each violation, and/or 1-year imprisonment, in each territory including the original territory. Using the example above, the maximum financial penalty is $200,000 and the maximum prison sentence is 20 years.
- Forfeiture of the animals listed in the Lacey Act, which were transported in violation of the act.
- Seizure of the vessel used to transport the animals (car, boat, airplane, etc.)

I'm not asking for all of the info in the answer, just the questions. If you'd like to volunteer the answer WITH the question, feel free!

The reason I decided to put this together is because there are SO many people who are misinformed about this piece of legislation. These people are willing to fight for their (and our) rights, but often their efforts are for nothing as they don't know what they're fighting against. For example, some people are writing letters, emails, and making phone calls asking their elected officials not to BAN the private ownership of their animals. That's not what S. 373 does, so asking their elected officials to do that is pointless and a waste of their well-intentioned efforts. Does that help to illustrate what I'm trying to do?



jb

[RayRay]

Originally Posted by USARK.Jonathan.Brady

That's actually a REALLY good question. Thank you!
I've received numerous questions on other forums to clarify what I'm looking for. Here's a reply I posted on another forum to help.
I'm looking for "talking points" and education points on the topic of S. 373. I'm still working on the FAQ, but this is taken from it, in its current state:
I'm not asking for all of the info in the answer, just the questions. If you'd like to volunteer the answer WITH the question, feel free!
The reason I decided to put this together is because there are SO many people who are misinformed about this piece of legislation. These people are willing to fight for their (and our) rights, but often their efforts are for nothing as they don't know what they're fighting against. For example, some people are writing letters, emails, and making phone calls asking their elected officials not to BAN the private ownership of their animals. That's not what S. 373 does, so asking their elected officials to do that is pointless and a waste of their well-intentioned efforts. Does that help to illustrate what I'm trying to do?
jb

Yeah. A lot of people think this affects private ownership. I'll keep an eye out for the answer to my question in the completed FAQ.