PRINTER'S NO. 1542
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1038
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY LEACH, FEBRUARY 13, 2020
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020
AN ACT
Amending Title 12 (Commerce and Trade) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, prohibiting the sale of shark fins;
and imposing a penalty.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 12 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 55
PROHIBITION ON SALE OF SHARK FINS
Sec.
5501. Definitions.
5502. Prohibition.
5503. Penalty.
§ 5501. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Shark fin." The raw, dried or otherwise processed detached
fin or the raw, dried or otherwise processed detached tail of a
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member of the superorder selachimorpha. The term does not
include a drug approved by the United States Food and Drug
Administration.
§ 5502. Prohibition.
(a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (b), a
person may not possess, sell, offer for sale, trade or
distribute a shark fin.
(b) Exceptions.--
(1) Possession of a shark fin is permissible if:
(i) the shark was landed under a license from
another state; and
(ii) the shark fin is being possessed in this
Commonwealth for taxidermy.
(2) A restaurant which possesses a shark fin before the
effective date of this chapter may possess, sell, offer for
sale, trade or distribute the shark fin:
(i) if the shark fin is prepared for consumption;
and
(ii) no more than one year has elapsed from the
effective date of this chapter.
§ 5503. Penalty.
A person violating section 5502 (relating to prohibition)
commits a summary offense . Each shark fin possessed, sold,
offered for sale, traded, distributed or purchased in violation
of section 5502 shall constitute a separate offense.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20200SB1038PN1542 - 2 -
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