Captive Primate Safety Act
| Long title | An Act to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit interstate or foreign commerce in certain nonhuman primates. |
|---|---|
| Enacted by | the 110th United States Congress |
| Effective | January 14, 2008 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 110–289, § 603 |
| Statutes at Large | 122 Stat. 2800 122 Stat. 2879 |
| Codification | |
| Acts amended | Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 |
| Titles amended | 18 U.S.C. § 42 |
| Legislative history | |
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The Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 8164; S.4206) is a 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." 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.
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. As of November 2025, 19th Congress has bills in the Senate (S.1594) and the House (H.R. 3199).
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). 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, which highlights disturbing examples of primate "pets".
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.