Bill Description:
Prohibits people from selling, offering for sale, purchasing, or possessing with intent to sell any ivory or rhinoceros horn. Ivory is defined as tooth or tusk composed of ivory from any animal.[teaserbreak]
Exemptions:
• An activity expressly authorized under federal law.
• A musical instrument containing ivory or rhino horn, provided that the ivory or horn was legally acquired and its total weight is less than 200 grams.
• An antique (not less than 100 years old) that is not made primarily of the ivory or rhino horn, provided that the antique status is established with documentation, and provided that the total weight of the ivory or horn is less than 200 grams.
• Educational or scientific purposes by a bona fide educational or scientific institution as long as the activity is not prohibited by federal law, and the ivory or rhino horn was legally acquired before January 1, 1991 and was not subsequently transferred from one person to another for financial gain or profit after July 1, 2017.
• Conveying ivory or rhino horn or rhinoceros horn product which is part of an estate or other items being conveyed to lawful beneficiaries upon the death of an owner.
Background:
African elephants are in grave danger due to the high price of ivory and consumer demand. An average of 96 elephants are slaughtered daily by poachers, and over 146,000 have been killed since January, 2012. 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. ports are major destination for ivory and rhino horn, and Massachusetts plays a role in this market. Legislation banning the trade in these products will reduce the demand, and therefore reduce the killing.
Take Action:
Massachusetts residents, contact your state legislators and urge them to support this legislation!
Read the full text and follow its progress here for the Senate version and here for the House version.