Hi, folks. Don't worry, this law does not add prohibitions on keeping, breeding, or selling fish. What it does is prohibit the importation of new wildlife species that have not been imported or traded between states/territories of the United States, at more than "minimal levels", in the year preceding implementation of the act; as well as allow 3 year emergency bans on species deemed to be imminently harmful. Importation of species that are already imported at commercial levels will still be allowed, as well selling, keeping, and breeding of any species that are currently (lawfully) kept in the U.S.
You can find the full text here:
https://rules.house.gov/sites/democrats.rules.house.gov/files/BILLS-117HR4521RH-RCP117-31.pdf.
This is what the relevant amendment says:
"SEC. 71102. LACEY ACT AMENDMENTS. (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 42 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(1)— (A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘shipment between the continental United States’’ and inserting ‘‘transport between the States’’; (B) in the first sentence, strike ‘‘Hawaii,’’; (C) by inserting after the first sentence the following: ‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe by regulation an emergency designation prohibiting the importation of any species of wild mammals, wild birds, fish (including mollusks and crustacea), amphibians, or reptiles, or the offspring or eggs of any such species, as injurious to human beings, to the interests of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, or to wildlife or the wildlife resources of the United States, for not more than 3 years, under this subsection, if the Secretary of the Interior determines that such regulation is necessary to address an imminent threat to human beings, to the interests of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, or to wildlife or the wildlife resources of the United States. An emergency designation prescribed under this subsection shall take effect immediately upon publication in the Federal Register, unless the Secretary of the Interior prescribes an effective date that is not later than 60 days after the date of publication. During the period during which an emergency designation prescribed under this subsection for a species is in effect, the Secretary of the Interior shall evaluate whether the species should be designated as an injurious wildlife species under the first sentence of this paragraph.’’; and (D) in subsection (b), inserting ‘‘knowingly’’ before ‘‘violates’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(d)
PRESUMPTIVE PROHIBITION ON IMPORTATION.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—
Importation into the United States of any species of wild mammals, wild birds, fish (including mollusks and crustacea), amphibians, or reptiles, or the offspring or eggs of any such species, that is not native to the United States and, as of the date of enactment of the America COMPETES Act of 2022, is not prohibited under subsection (a)(1),
is prohibited, unless— ‘‘(A)
during the 1-year period preceding the date of enactment of the America COMPETES Act of 2022, the species was, in more than minimal quantities— ‘‘(i) imported into the United States; or ‘‘(ii) transported between the States, any territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any possession of the United States; or ‘‘(B) the Secretary of the Interior determines, after an opportunity for public comment, that the species does not pose a significant risk of invasiveness to the United States and publishes a notice in the Federal Register of the determination. ‘‘(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary of the Interior under subsection (a)(1).’’. (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 42(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘and subsection (d)’’ after ‘‘this subsection’’; (2) in paragraph (3)— (A) by striking ‘‘the foregoing’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1) or subsection (d)’’; and (B) by striking ‘‘this Act’’ each place the term appears and inserting ‘‘this section’’; (3) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘or subsection (d)’’ after ‘‘this subsection’’; and (4) in paragraph (5)— (A) by inserting ‘‘and subsection (d)’’ after ‘‘this subsection’’; and (B) by striking ‘‘hereunder’’ and inserting ‘‘under such provisions’’. (c) REGULATIONS; EFFECTIVE DATE.— (1) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate regulations to define the term ‘‘minimal quantities’’ for purposes of subsection (d)(1)(A) of section 42 of title 18, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(2). (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (d) of section 42 of title 18, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(2), shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act."
I think this whole thread raises an interesting question, though, about whether responsible hobbyists could design and propose good regulations that prevent the harmful exploitation of the creatures we care for, and preempt problematic regulations by uninterested/uninformed/biased parties.