Bill Text: FL S0906 | 2020 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Prohibited Reptiles
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Rules [S0906 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S0906-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2020 CS for SB 906
By the Committee on Community Affairs; and Senator Farmer
578-03425-20 2020906c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to prohibited reptiles; amending s.
3 379.372, F.S.; making technical changes; prohibiting a
4 person, party, firm, association, or corporation from
5 keeping, possessing, importing, selling, bartering,
6 trading, or breeding for personal use or sale for
7 personal use green iguanas or black and white tegus;
8 authorizing certain persons, parties, firms,
9 associations, and corporations to possess green
10 iguanas and black and white tegus for specified
11 purposes; requiring the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
12 Commission to adopt rules; reenacting s. 379.2311(1),
13 F.S., relating to the definition of the term “priority
14 invasive species,” to incorporate the amendment made
15 to s. 379.372, F.S., in a reference thereto; providing
16 an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 379.372, Florida Statutes, is amended to
21 read:
22 379.372 Capturing, keeping, possessing, transporting, or
23 exhibiting venomous reptiles, reptiles of concern, conditional
24 reptiles, or prohibited reptiles; license required.—
25 (1)(a) A No person, a party, a firm, an association, or a
26 corporation may not shall capture, keep, possess, or exhibit any
27 poisonous or venomous reptile or reptile of concern without
28 first having obtained a special permit or license therefor from
29 the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as provided in
30 this section.
31 (b) By December 31, 2007, The commission shall establish a
32 list of reptiles of concern, including venomous, nonvenomous,
33 native, nonnative, or other reptiles, which require additional
34 regulation for capture, possession, transportation, or
35 exhibition due to their nature, habits, status, or potential to
36 negatively impact humans, the environment, or ecology.
37 (c) It is shall be unlawful for any person, party, firm,
38 association, or corporation, whether licensed hereunder or not,
39 to capture, keep, possess, or exhibit any venomous reptile or
40 reptile of concern in any manner not approved as safe, secure,
41 and proper by the commission. Venomous reptiles or reptiles of
42 concern held in captivity are subject to inspection by the
43 commission. The commission shall determine whether the reptiles
44 are securely, safely, and properly penned. If In the event that
45 the reptiles are not safely penned, the commission must shall
46 report the situation in writing to the person, party, firm,
47 association, or corporation owning the reptiles. Failure of the
48 person, party, firm, association, or corporation to correct the
49 situation within 30 days after such written notice is shall be
50 grounds for revocation of the license or permit of the person,
51 party, firm, association, or corporation.
52 (d) Venomous reptiles or reptiles of concern must shall be
53 transported in a safe, secure, and proper manner. The commission
54 shall establish by rule the requirements for the transportation
55 of venomous reptiles or reptiles of concern.
56 (2)(a) A No person, a party, a firm, an association, or a
57 corporation may not shall keep, possess, import into the state,
58 sell, barter, trade, or breed any of the following species for
59 personal use or for sale for personal use:
60 1. Burmese or Indian python (Python molurus).
61 2. Reticulated python (Python reticulatus).
62 3. Northern African python (Python sebae).
63 4. Southern African python (Python natalensis).
64 5. Amethystine or scrub python (Morelia amethystinus).
65 6. Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus).
66 7. Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus).
67 8. Green iguana (Iguana iguana), except as provided in
68 paragraph (d).
69 9. Black and white tegu (Salvator merianae), except as
70 provided in paragraph (e).
71 10.8. Any other reptile designated as a conditional or
72 prohibited species by the commission.
73 (b) If a person, party, firm, association, or corporation
74 holds a permit issued before July 1, 2010, under subsection (1)
75 to legally possess a species listed in paragraph (a), that
76 person, party, firm, association, or corporation may possess
77 such reptile for the remainder of the life of the reptile.
78 (c) If a person, party, firm, association, or corporation
79 holds a permit issued before July 1, 2010, under subsection (1)
80 to legally possess a reptile listed in paragraph (a), and the
81 reptile remains alive following the death or dissolution of the
82 licensee, the reptile may be legally transferred to another
83 entity holding a permit authorizing possession of the reptile
84 for the remainder of the life of the reptile.
85 (d) If a person, party, firm, association, or corporation
86 holds a permit issued by the commission under subsection (1) to
87 legally possess green iguanas, that person, party, firm,
88 association, or corporation may only possess green iguanas for
89 the purpose of the out-of-state sale of green iguanas.
90 (e) If a person, party, firm, association, or corporation
91 holds a permit issued by the commission under subsection (1) to
92 legally possess black and white tegus, that person, party, firm,
93 association, or corporation may only possess black and white
94 tegus for the purpose of the out-of-state sale of black and
95 white tegus.
96 (f)(d) If the commission designates a species of reptile as
97 a conditional or prohibited species after July 1, 2010, the
98 commission may authorize the personal possession of that newly
99 designated species by those licensed to possess that species of
100 reptile before the effective date of the species’ designation by
101 the commission as a conditional or prohibited species. The
102 personal possession of such reptile is not a violation of
103 paragraph (a) if the personal possession was authorized by the
104 commission.
105 (g)(e) This subsection does not apply to traveling wildlife
106 exhibitors that are licensed or registered under the United
107 States Animal Welfare Act or to zoological facilities that are
108 licensed or exempted by the commission from the licensure
109 requirement.
110 (3) The commission shall establish by rule a method and
111 process for the capture, purchase, inventory, and sale of all
112 green iguanas and black and white tegus.
113 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
114 made by this act to section 379.372, Florida Statutes, in a
115 reference thereto, subsection (1) of section 379.2311, Florida
116 Statutes, is reenacted to read:
117 379.2311 Nonnative animal management.—
118 (1) As used in this section, the term “priority invasive
119 species” means the following:
120 (a) Lizards of the genus Tupinambis, also known as tegu
121 lizards;
122 (b) Species identified in s. 379.372(2)(a);
123 (c) Pterois volitans, also known as red lionfish; and
124 (d) Pterois miles, also known as the common lionfish or
125 devil firefish.
126 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.
