16 USC 4912 – Penalties and regulations
(a) Penalties
(1) Civil penalties
(A) Any person who knowingly violates, and any person engaged in business as an importer of exotic birds who violates, section 4910(a)(1) or (2) 1 of this title or any permit issued under section 4911 of this title may be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary of not more than $25,000 for each violation.
(B) Any person who knowingly violates, and any person engaged in business as an importer of exotic birds who violates, section 4910(a)(3) 2 of this title may be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary of not more than $12,000 for each such violation.
(C) Any person who otherwise violates section 4910(a) of this title or any permit issued under section 4911 of this title may be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary of not more than $500 for each such violation.
(D) A civil penalty under this section shall be assessed, and may be collected, in the manner in which a civil penalty under the Act of December 28, 1973 (Public Law 93-205) [16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.], may be assessed and collected under section 111(a) 3 of that Act [16 U.S.C. 1540(a)].
(2) Criminal penalties
(A) Any person who knowingly violates, and any person engaged in business as an importer of exotic birds who violates, section 4910(a)(1) or (2) 1 of this title or any permit issued under section 4911 of this title shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both.
(B) Any person who knowingly violates section 4910(a)(3) 2 of this title shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both.
(b) District court jurisdiction
The several district courts of the United States, including the courts enumerated in section 460 of title 28, shall have jurisdiction over any action arising under this chapter. For the purposes of this chapter, American Samoa shall be included in the Judicial District of the District Court of the United States for the District of Hawaii, and the Trust Territory of Palau and the Northern Marianas shall be included in the Judicial District of the District Court of the United States for the District of Guam.
(c) Other enforcement
Terms Used In 16 USC 4912
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
The importation of an exotic bird is deemed to be transportation of wildlife for purposes of section 3(a) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3372(a)).
(d) Regulations
The Secretary shall prescribe regulations that are necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
(e) Savings provisions
The authority of the Secretary under this chapter is in addition to and shall not affect the authority of the Secretary under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) or diminish the authority of the Secretary under the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.). Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as repealing, superseding, or modifying any provision of Federal law.