Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110

§4909 Petitions

Title 16 › CHAPTER 69 — WILD EXOTIC BIRD CONSERVATION › § 4909

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Anyone can send the Secretary a written petition at any time asking the Secretary to use their powers under this chapter to change import rules for any exotic bird species, add or remove a species from the list in section 4905, or decide if a bird breeding facility qualifies under section 4906. The Secretary must, within 90 days of getting a petition, publish in the Federal Register a preliminary decision about whether the petition gives enough information to consider. If it does, the Secretary must allow public comment and then publish a final decision in the Federal Register no later than 90 days after the public comment period ends.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §4909

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

Any person may at any time submit to the Secretary a petition in writing requesting that the Secretary exercise authority of the Secretary under this chapter to—

(1)establish, modify, or terminate any prohibition, suspension, or quota under this chapter on importation of any species of exotic bird;

(2)add a species of exotic bird to, or remove such a species from, a list under section 4905 of this title; or

(3)determine under section 4906 of this title whether an exotic bird breeding facility is a qualifying facility.

(b)Consideration and ruling

For each petition submitted to the Secretary in accordance with subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

(1)within 90 days after receiving the petition, issue and publish in the Federal Register a preliminary ruling regarding whether the petition presents sufficient information indicating that the action requested in the petition might be warranted; and

(2)for each petition determined to present such sufficient information—

(A)provide an opportunity for the submission of public comment on the petition; and

(B)issue and publish in the Federal Register a final ruling on the petition, by not later than 90 days after the end of the period for public comment.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 4909

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110