Florida Senate - 2020 SB 906
By Senator Farmer
34-00321-20 2020906__
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 reenacting s. 379.2311(1), F.S., relating to the
9 definition of the term “priority invasive species,” to
10 incorporate the amendment made to s. 379.372, F.S., in
11 a reference thereto; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Section 379.372, Florida Statutes, is amended to
16 read:
17 379.372 Capturing, keeping, possessing, transporting, or
18 exhibiting venomous reptiles, reptiles of concern, conditional
19 reptiles, or prohibited reptiles; license required.—
20 (1)(a) A No person, a party, a firm, an association, or a
21 corporation may not shall capture, keep, possess, or exhibit any
22 poisonous or venomous reptile or reptile of concern without
23 first having obtained a special permit or license therefor from
24 the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as provided in
25 this section.
26 (b) By December 31, 2007, The commission shall establish a
27 list of reptiles of concern, including venomous, nonvenomous,
28 native, nonnative, or other reptiles, which require additional
29 regulation for capture, possession, transportation, or
30 exhibition due to their nature, habits, status, or potential to
31 negatively impact humans, the environment, or ecology.
32 (c) It is shall be unlawful for any person, party, firm,
33 association, or corporation, whether licensed hereunder or not,
34 to capture, keep, possess, or exhibit any venomous reptile or
35 reptile of concern in any manner not approved as safe, secure,
36 and proper by the commission. Venomous reptiles or reptiles of
37 concern held in captivity are subject to inspection by the
38 commission. The commission shall determine whether the reptiles
39 are securely, safely, and properly penned. If In the event that
40 the reptiles are not safely penned, the commission must shall
41 report the situation in writing to the person, party, firm,
42 association, or corporation owning the reptiles. Failure of the
43 person, party, firm, association, or corporation to correct the
44 situation within 30 days after such written notice is shall be
45 grounds for revocation of the license or permit of the person,
46 party, firm, association, or corporation.
47 (d) Venomous reptiles or reptiles of concern must shall be
48 transported in a safe, secure, and proper manner. The commission
49 shall establish by rule the requirements for the transportation
50 of venomous reptiles or reptiles of concern.
51 (2)(a) A No person, a party, a firm, an association, or a
52 corporation may not shall keep, possess, import into the state,
53 sell, barter, trade, or breed any of the following species for
54 personal use or for sale for personal use:
55 1. Burmese or Indian python (Python molurus).
56 2. Reticulated python (Python reticulatus).
57 3. Northern African python (Python sebae).
58 4. Southern African python (Python natalensis).
59 5. Amethystine or scrub python (Morelia amethystinus).
60 6. Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus).
61 7. Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus).
62 8. Green iguana (Iguana iguana).
63 9. Black and white tegu (Salvator merianae).
64 10.8. Any other reptile designated as a conditional or
65 prohibited species by the commission.
66 (b) If a person, party, firm, association, or corporation
67 holds a permit issued before July 1, 2010, under subsection (1)
68 to legally possess a species listed in paragraph (a), that
69 person, party, firm, association, or corporation may possess
70 such reptile for the remainder of the life of the reptile.
71 (c) If a person, party, firm, association, or corporation
72 holds a permit issued before July 1, 2010, under subsection (1)
73 to legally possess a reptile listed in paragraph (a), and the
74 reptile remains alive following the death or dissolution of the
75 licensee, the reptile may be legally transferred to another
76 entity holding a permit authorizing possession of the reptile
77 for the remainder of the life of the reptile.
78 (d) If the commission designates a species of reptile as a
79 conditional or prohibited species after July 1, 2010, the
80 commission may authorize the personal possession of that newly
81 designated species by those licensed to possess that species of
82 reptile before the effective date of the species’ designation by
83 the commission as a conditional or prohibited species. The
84 personal possession of such reptile is not a violation of
85 paragraph (a) if the personal possession was authorized by the
86 commission.
87 (e) This subsection does not apply to traveling wildlife
88 exhibitors that are licensed or registered under the United
89 States Animal Welfare Act or to zoological facilities that are
90 licensed or exempted by the commission from the licensure
91 requirement.
92 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
93 made by this act to section 379.372, Florida Statutes, in a
94 reference thereto, subsection (1) of section 379.2311, Florida
95 Statutes, is reenacted to read:
96 379.2311 Nonnative animal management.—
97 (1) As used in this section, the term “priority invasive
98 species” means the following:
99 (a) Lizards of the genus Tupinambis, also known as tegu
100 lizards;
101 (b) Species identified in s. 379.372(2)(a);
102 (c) Pterois volitans, also known as red lionfish; and
103 (d) Pterois miles, also known as the common lionfish or
104 devil firefish.
105 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.