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119-hr-3456119th Congress

CHER Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]

Introduced

Summary

Ban on keeping elephants in zoos and safari parks. This bill would prohibit exhibiting, housing, managing, or breeding African and Asian elephants in U.S. zoological and safari parks and require transfers of existing elephants to authorized wildlife sanctuaries.

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  • Families and visitors: People who visit zoos and safari parks would no longer see live African or Asian elephants in those venues after one year.
  • Zoos and safari parks: Facilities would have to stop exhibiting, housing, managing, or breeding these elephants within one year and complete transfers within three years.
  • Sanctuaries and federal support: Nonprofit sanctuaries accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries or a similar body would be prioritized to accept transfers. The Secretary of Agriculture would run a feasibility study due in one year, could establish a grant program to help sanctuaries, and fund public education about elephant welfare.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Study and grants for elephant transfers

If enacted, the Agriculture Secretary would have 1 year to study how to move elephants to authorized sanctuaries, including capacity, costs, and logistics. The Secretary could start an optional grant program to help sanctuaries that accept transferred elephants. The Secretary would also create public materials explaining the welfare reasons for ending elephant captivity.

Zoos would end elephant exhibits, move elephants

If enacted, zoos and safari parks would have to stop showing, keeping, managing, or breeding African or Asian elephants starting 1 year after enactment. Parks with elephants on the day the bill is signed would need to move them to an authorized wildlife sanctuary within 3 years. Keeping elephants after 1 year would be allowed only to finish a transfer. Authorized sanctuaries would need to be nonprofit, accredited, provide lifelong care, not breed or use elephants for shows, and meet space and veterinary standards.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]

NY • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1]

    WA • D

    Sponsored 5/29/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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