Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will try for a second time to pass a bill that changes the scope of the Lacey Act.
He recently reintroduced the Freedom From Over-Criminalization and Unjust Seizures Act of 2012 to Congress. The bill would remove every reference to “foreign law” within the Lacey Act and replace the act’s criminal penalties with a “reasonable civil penalty system,” according to Paul’s website.
Under the current Lacey Act, an American citizen can face criminal charges for importing wildlife, fish and plants, including wood products, if the trafficking of the items is illegal in the country of origin. This effectively provides an “unspecific delegation of congressional power to foreign governments,” Paul writes on his website.
“The Lacey Act now serves as a high-profile and frightening example of over-criminalization,” Paul wrote on his website.
The bill, S. 1019, is waiting to be considered by a congressional committee.
