Public Safety and Wildlife Protection Act
This bill prohibits importing, exporting, delivering, carrying, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing steel-jaw leghold traps or Conibear traps.
Steel-jaw leghold traps are certain spring-powered pan or sear-activated devices with steel jaws that are designed to snap closed on animals. Conibear traps consist of metal frames hinged at the center point and powered by two torsion springs that create a scissor-like action designed to kill animals by snapping their spinal columns. Both types of traps exclude cage or box traps, suitcase-type live beaver traps, or mouse or rat snap traps.
The bill establishes penalties for violating the prohibition on the traps.
The Department of the Interior must pay rewards for information that leads to a conviction of a violation of this bill, unless the information was provided by officers or employees of federal, state, or local governments while they were performing official duties.