Captive Primate Safety Act

The Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 8164; S.4206) is proposed United States legislation that modifies the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to treat nonhuman primates as prohibited wildlife species, allowing exemptions for zoos and research facilities. The bill would eliminate the use of primates in the domestic pet trade at a federal level. A December 2023 review found that the "U.S. ranked third out of 171 countries in the ease of purchasing a pet primate online, behind Indonesia and Vietnam."^[1][2] The bill, if passed, would raise U.S. standards to resemble those of the European Union, United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, and other countries where pet primates are strictly regulated.^[3][4]

In April 2024, the Captive Private Safety Act was introduced in Congress by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).^[5] In September 2024, Blumenthal held a press conference with Friends of Animals to promote the Act in the wake of the HBO series Chimp Crazy,^[6] which highlights disturbing examples of primate "pets".

The Captive Primate Safety Act was first introduced in 2005 and has been passed by the House of Representatives multiple times but, as of 2024, has not made it past both houses for a vote.

The legislation is endorsed by Animal Welfare Institute, Friends of Animals, Born Free USA, Humane Society of the United States, Animal Legal Defense Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Four Paws USA, Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, American Society of Primatologists, Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association, and National Sheriffs Association, among others.^[7]

The Captive Primate Safety Act was first introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Rep. Eddie Johnson on March 16, 2005.^[8] The bill was reintroduced by Rep. Mark Kirk^[9] in February 2009 following the widely publicized mauling of Charla Nash by a pet chimpanzee Travis.^[10] Rep. Rob Bishop argued against the bill during the floor debate, noting it would cost $4 million annually and do nothing directly to prevent chimpanzee attacks on humans; he also noted such attacks are relatively rare.^[11] Twenty states and the District of Columbia already had laws banning primates as pets.^[12] On 23 February 2009 the House voted 323 to 95 in favor of the bill. Several Republicans who opposed to the bill said that animal control was a "states issue, not a federal issue."^[13] Early versions of the bill exempted monkey helpers.^[11]