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119-s-1594119th CongressWALLET

Captive Primate Safety Act

Sponsored By: Senator Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

Introduced

Summary

Creates a broad ban on private ownership and commercial trade of live nonhuman primates. It would define covered species such as chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, monkeys, lemurs, and others and set registration, possession, and movement rules.

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  • Families and private owners: Individuals would be barred from buying, selling, importing, exporting, transporting, or possessing listed primate species in interstate or foreign commerce. Owners of animals born before enactment must register each animal within 180 days and may not breed, acquire, or sell them or allow direct public contact.
  • Dealers and transporters: The bill would bar most commercial trade but creates a narrow exception for entities that have custody only to expeditiously move a primate to an authorized recipient.
  • Research facilities and rulemaking: Research facilities registered with the Department of Agriculture in good standing could continue to hold covered primates for research. The Secretary of the Interior would have 180 days to issue implementing regulations and a missed deadline would not affect enforceability.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

New limits on owning primates

If enacted, the bill would list many live nonhuman primates as "prohibited primate species," including chimpanzees, gibbons, gorillas, lemurs, lorises, monkeys, orangutans, tarsiers, galagos, and hybrids. It would generally ban importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, purchasing, breeding, or possessing those primates in interstate or foreign commerce. The bill would allow narrow exceptions for short-term transport to an authorized place and for research facilities registered with USDA in good standing. Owners of primates born before enactment could keep them only if they register each animal with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within 180 days, stop breeding, acquiring, or selling such animals after enactment, and bar direct public contact.

Rulemaking deadline and enforcement

If enacted, the Department of the Interior would have 180 days to write rules implementing the primate changes. The bill would also say the statutory bans and exceptions still apply even if the Department misses that deadline. This mainly affects agencies and regulated parties, not most households.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

CT • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 5/5/2025

  • Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 5/5/2025

  • Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 5/5/2025

  • Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 5/5/2025

  • Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 5/5/2025

  • Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 6/17/2025

  • Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]

    VT • D

    Sponsored 7/17/2025

  • Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 9/2/2025

  • Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2025

  • Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 9/29/2025

  • Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 2/23/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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