SENATE BILL No. 146

 

 

February 18, 2015, Introduced by Senator HUNE and referred to the Committee on Agriculture.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 2000 PA 274, entitled

 

"Large carnivore act,"

 

by amending section 22 (MCL 287.1122), as amended by 2013 PA 8.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 22. (1) Sections 4, 5, and 6 do not apply to any of the

 

following:

 

     (a) An animal control shelter or animal protection shelter

 

temporarily in possession of a large carnivore for not more than 45

 

days.

 

     (b) A person licensed or approved by the department of natural

 

resources of this state or by the United States fish and wildlife

 

service of the United States department of the interior. This

 

subdivision does not apply to a person in possession of 1 or more


 

black bears under the authority of a permit to hold wildlife in

 

captivity issued by the department of natural resources.

 

     (c) A zoological park approved or accredited by the American

 

zoo and aquarium association.

 

     (d) A person approved by the association of sanctuaries or the

 

American sanctuary association.

 

     (c) (e) A law enforcement officer acting under the authority

 

of this act.

 

     (d) (f) A veterinarian temporarily in possession of a large

 

carnivore to provide veterinary care for or humanely euthanize the

 

large carnivore.

 

     (2) Sections 4, 5, 6(1)(d) to (5)(d), 8, and 14(3) do not

 

apply to a person who is not a resident of this state and who is in

 

this state only for the purpose of travel between locations outside

 

of this state.

 

     (3) Subject to subsection (2), this act does Sections 3, 4,

 

and 6 do not apply to a person who meets all of the following

 

requirements:

 

     (a) Is conducting a for-profit or nonprofit business, if the

 

primary purpose of that business is the presentation of animals

 

including large carnivores to the public for education, or

 

exhibition, or conservation purposes.

 

     (b) Is a class A licensee or class C licensee that possesses

 

and maintains a class A license or class C license under 9 CFR

 

parts 1 and 2 . and is 1 of the following:

 

     (i) A zoological park approved or accredited by the American

 

zoo and aquarium association or by the zoological association of


 

America.

 

     (ii) A person approved by the American sanctuary association.

 

     (c) Meets or exceeds all standards, including but not limited

 

to standards for training, housing, care, and transport of large

 

carnivores, required of a class A licensee or class C licensee

 

under 9 CFR parts 1 and 2.

 

     (d) Except as provided in subsection (4), does not allow a

 

patron to do any of the following:

 

     (i) Come into direct contact with a large carnivore.

 

     (ii) Come into close enough contact with a large carnivore over

 

20 weeks of age so as to place the patron in jeopardy of being

 

harmed by the large carnivore.

 

     (e) Does not sell large carnivores, except to another person

 

that meets the requirements of this subsection.

 

     (f) Does not breed Only breeds large carnivores if approved or

 

accredited by the American zoo and aquarium association or by the

 

zoological association of America.

 

     (4) This act does not apply to a person who allows a patron to

 

come into contact with a large carnivore under subsection (3)(d)(i)

 

or (ii) if the large carnivore is a bear less than 36 weeks of age

 

or a bear weighing 90 pounds or less if the person otherwise meets

 

the requirements of subsection (3) and satisfies 1 of the

 

following:

 

     (a) The person was in possession of a bear on the effective

 

date of the 2013 amendatory act that amended this section.March 26,

 

2013.

 

     (b) The person acquired a business described in subsection


 

(3)(a) from a person who was in possession of a bear on the

 

effective date of the 2013 amendatory act that amended this

 

section.March 26, 2013.

 

     (5) This act does not apply to a circus.