GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	1 

SENATE BILL 954

Short Title:  Exotic Animal Registry.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senators Webster; and Kerr.

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Referred to:  Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources.

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April 17, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR ESTABLISHING A REGISTRY OF ALL EXOTIC ANIMALS HOUSED IN THE STATE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The General Assembly finds that certain animals not indigenous to North Carolina pose a serious threat to human health and safety by virtue of their physical attributes and natural behavior.  Often these animals are imported outside of their natural habitat and kept as pets.  Therefore, the General Assembly recognizes a need to create a registry of such animals so that their presence is known to persons inhabiting the area in which such an animal is housed and that proper precautions may be taken in the event that such an animal escapes.
Section 2.  The Animal Welfare Section of the Animal Health Division of the Department of Agriculture shall develop a plan for establishing a registry of exotic animals housed in this State.  For purposes of this act, the term "exotic animal" means an animal:
(1) 	That is not indigenous to North Carolina; and
(2) 	That poses a significant threat to human health and safety.
The plan shall address methods for collecting data on the location of exotic animals housed in public or private facilities across the State.  The plan shall also address potential methods for tagging exotic animals through the use of technology, identifying marks, or other means so that a particular animal can be identified despite changes in the possession or ownership of the animal.
The Wildlife Resources Commission and the North Carolina Zoological Park shall provide the Department with any necessary expertise in developing the plan required by this section.
Section 3.  The Animal Welfare Division shall report the plan developed pursuant to this act upon the convening of the 1998 Regular Session of the 1997 General Assembly.
Section 4.  Nothing in this act is intended to interfere with the lawful possession of exotic animals by citizens of this State.
Section 5.  This act is effective when it becomes law.