Update (June 4, 2015): This bill unfortunately failed to pass in 2015.
Bill Description:
Prohibits any person from selling, offering to sell, purchasing, possessing with intent to sell, or importing for the purpose of purchase or sale any ivory or rhinoceros horn. Ivory is defined the tooth or tusk from an elephant, hippopotamus, mammoth, narwhal, walrus, or whale.[teaserbreak]
Exemptions:
• Official action taken by an employee or agent of the federal or state government.
• Use by universities for educational, academic, or research purposes.
• Use by museums.
Background:
African elephants are nearing extinction due to the high price of ivory and consumer demand. An average of 96 elephants are slaughtered daily by poachers, and over 100,000 have been killed in the past 3 years. Read more about the horrific ivory trade here.
Meanwhile, rhinos are killed for their horns, which are believed to have medicinal powers in parts of Asia. This market is fueling the slaughter of more than 1,000 rhinos per year. Only 25,000 black and white rhinos remain across all of Africa, and they could become extinct in the wild in as little as 12 years.
The U.S. is the second largest ivory market in the world, after China, and also a significant destination for rhino horn. Legislation banning the trade in these products is aimed at reducing the demand.
Read the full text here.