Exempting Importation and Exportation of Sea Urchins and Sea Cucumbers From Endangered Species Act Licensing Requirements
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4245) to exempt importation and exportation of sea urchins and sea cucumbers from licensing requirements under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4245
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. EXEMPTION OF EXPORTATION OF CERTAIN ECHINODERMS AND MOLLUSKS FROM PERMISSION AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Exemption.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall amend section 14.92 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, to clarify that--
(1) fish or wildlife described in subsection (b) are fishery products exempt from the export permission requirements of section 9(d)(1) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1538(d)(1)); and
(2) any person may engage in business as an exporter of such fish or wildlife without procuring permission under such section of that Act or an export license under subpart I of part 14 of such title.
(b) Covered Fish or Wildlife.--The fish or wildlife referred to in subsection (a) are members of the phylum Echinodermata that are commonly known as sea urchins and sea cucumbers, and members of the phylum Mollusca that are commonly known as squid, octopus, and cuttlefish, including products thereof, that--
(1) do not require a permit under part 16, 17, or 23 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations;
(2) are harvested in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States or are processed in the United States; and
(3) are--
(A) exported for purposes of human or animal consumption; or
(B) taken in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States or on the high seas for recreational purposes.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4245, introduced by our Maine colleagues, Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin, makes a commonsense adjustment to the Federal law to eliminate regulatory duplication.
This bipartisan bill, as reported, protects fishermen, small businesses, and their fresh, domestically harvested seafood destined for export by exempting them from the duplicative U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspections and permits.
During the legislative hearing on H.R. 4245, both sides of the aisle expressed concerns over these inspections, especially on sea urchin. In fact, one of our minority colleagues said it best when he called the inspections dramatic overkill. In addition, one witness discussed how Federal inspection delays have spoiled shipments that cost businesses thousands of dollars. This bill removes that Federal delay.
I commend our Maine colleagues for working on a bipartisan basis to address this matter.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an exchange of letters with the chairmen of the House Ways and Means and the Foreign Affair Committees regarding this bill. We thank them for agreeing to help expedite consideration on this bill today.
I urge the adoption of this commonsense measure.
House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC, July 7, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On December 10, 2015, the Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported as amended H.R. 4245, to exempt exportation of certain echinoderms and mollusks from licensing requirements under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means and Foreign Affairs. My staff has forwarded the reported text to your committee for review.
Based on this text, I ask that you allow the Committee on Ways and Means to be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee on Ways and Means represented on the conference committee. Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any response in the bill report filed by the Committee on Natural Resources to memorialize our understanding, as well as in the Congressional Record.
Thank you for your consideration of my request, and I look forward to further opportunities to work with you this Congress. Sincerely, Rob Bishop, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC, July 7, 2016. Hon. Rob Bishop, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bishop: Thank you for your letter concerning H.R. 4245, to exempt the importation and exportation of sea urchins and sea cucumbers from licensing requirements under the Endangered Species Act. As you note, the Committee on Ways and Means was granted an additional referral.
I appreciate your willingness to work with my Committee on this legislation. In order to allow H.R. 4245 to move expeditiously to the House floor, I agree to waive formal consideration of this bill. The Committee on Ways and Means takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration on H.R. 4245 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward. Our Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation, and asks that you support any such request.
I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding, and would request that you include a copy of this letter and your response in the Congressional Record during the floor consideration of this bill. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Sincerely, Kevin Brady, Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC, August 30, 2016. Hon. Edward R. Royce, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On December 10, 2015, the Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported as amended H.R. 4245, to exempt exportation of certain echinoderms and mollusks from licensing requirements under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Ways and Means. My staff has forwarded the reported text to your committee for review.
Based on this text, I ask that you allow the Committee on Foreign Affairs to be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee on Foreign Affairs represented on the conference committee. Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any response in the bill report filed by the Committee on Natural Resources to memorialize our understanding, as well as in the Congressional Record.
Thank you for your consideration of my request, and I look forward to further opportunities to work with you this Congress. Sincerely, Rob Bishop, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, August 31, 2016. Hon. Rob Bishop, Chairman, House Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Foreign Affairs on your committee-reported text of H.R. 4245, a bill to exempt exportation of certain echinoderms and mollusks from licensing requirements under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
I agree that the Foreign Affairs Committee may be discharged from further action on this bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the Floor, subject to the understanding that this waiver does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the Foreign Affairs Committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill or similar legislation in the future. The Committee also reserves the right to seek an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this bill, and would appreciate your support for any such request.
I ask that you place our exchange of letters into the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you as this measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Edward R. Royce, Chairman.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this piece of legislation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source