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GOP bill to clarify zoo rules draws sharp debate over potential loopholes in Big Cat law
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Summary
Witnesses and lawmakers clashed over HR 7159, the Protecting Local Zoos Act, with proponents saying it fixes confusing implementation of the Big Cat Public Safety Act and opponents warning it could reopen cub‑petting and wildlife‑trafficking loopholes.
Proponents and opponents of HR 7159, the Protecting Local Zoos Act, traded starkly different warnings at a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing. Supporters, including Rep. Paul Gosar, said the bill would reduce regulatory confusion for smaller zoological institutions and clarify who can care for and enter big‑cat enclosures without weakening public safety. Opponents, including retired Fish and Wildlife Service investigator Matthew Bryant, said the bill could reopen pathways for the cub‑petting business model and expand opportunities for wildlife traffickers.
The bill’s sponsors contend that implementation of the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA) proved confusing for some registrants and facilities. Mindy Stinner, chair of the Feline Conservation Foundation, testified that Fish and Wildlife Service guidance led some exempt facilities to register “potentially in error” and that HR 7159 would supply a mechanism to correct mistaken registrations and clarify import and export rules. “No one has an interest in restoring big cat cub petting,” Stinner said, adding that the bill would include an exemption for duly trained volunteers.
Opponents pointed to enforcement work and criminal investigations as reasons for caution. Matthew Bryant, who spent 30 years in federal law enforcement, said the BCPSA closed markets that once fueled cruelty and organized‑crime links. He warned that HR 7159 ‘‘could reopen the cub petting industry’’ by broadening who may handle animals and by exempting brokers and dealers. “This seemingly minor change could create a huge loophole,” Bryant said, describing how cub‑petting enterprises required constant breeding and could drive trafficking networks.
Committee members pressed witnesses on specifics. Rep. Paul Gosar asked how many animals were currently registered under the BCPSA; Stinner said the FCF’s FOIA review found 27 registrants across 10 states holding a total of 97 big cats, with some registrants likely exempt but registered “possibly in error.” Members also debated whether clarifying language could be written without undermining the public‑safety aims of the 2022 law.
The hearing produced no formal vote or amendment on HR 7159. Members entered letters of support from the Zoological Association of America and allied groups into the record; the subcommittee left the record open for written questions and additional responses.
