I was informed today that there is a Bill currently going thru the Senate that will make any constrictor type snake, that could and I would like to underline the word COULD reach 6' illegal to keep, breed or sell within Indiana. That covers about anything from Ball Pythons to Rat snakes to add species here.

Also it would make keeping or breeding most monitors, Iguanas, crocodilans, along with most exotic mammals illegal.

Here is the Link:



www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billinfo?year=2007&session=1&request=getBill&docno=0482&doctype=SB



Some of the text:



Senate Bill 0482

2007 Regular Session





Latest Information





DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL





Possession of exotic animals. Classifies certain animals as "prohibited animals". Provides that a person must have a permit from the department of natural resources to possess a prohibited animal. Requires that a person who possesses a prohibited animal meet certain conditions. Prohibits a person from acquiring or breeding a prohibited animal after July 1, 2007. Establishes a Class A misdemeanor for violations.





There is a also the same bill working it's way thru the House, House Bill 1472.



I talked to someone who works for the State Department of Natural Resources. She stated, it was not the DNR that sponored this bill, but the United States Humane Society. She said they actually wrote it and gave it to Senator Sipes.

Sipes in turn Sponored the Bill in the Senate.



If this passes, it will for the most part, completely shut down the reptile hobby in the State of Indiana. (I guess leopard geckos and Bearded Dragons would be safe... for awhile). They first started attacking the hobby back in 1998. That go around, they told us they only wanted to protect native species. What they did was shut down the complete keeping and breeding of anything that could be native to the state. They provided a way to get a permit to breed a few snake species, but the red tape and BS one had to go thru to do it, made it almost impossible. To this day, I think only one person has such a permit. Then they attached on to that law, the prohibition of venomous, and then Crocodilians over 5 ft. And then, it was turtles and tortoises. They in their words, closed any loop holes the Federal law had. It was illegal to breed box turtles, then they just made it illegal to keep box turtles. One couldn't breed any, repeat any kind of turtle or Tortoise and sell their offspring in the state. With one loop hole. Keep them until they reached legal size of 4". You couldn't even legally take them out of state to sell, since you would be breaking the Lacey Act in doing so.

Where will it stop? Again, this is not a DNR backed law per se. But if it passes, it will fall upon them to enforce it.

And believe me when I say, these states fall like dominos. Once one has such a restrictive law, soon others follow.

If you want to be kept abreast or would like to help defeat this upcoming Bill, please contact Brian Hahn at americanrodent@sbcglobal.net or Ron Billingsley at thebigsquease@aol.com.

At this time, we do not know when they will have meetings to talk about these bills, but as you can read, July 1st is when they want to inact them!
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Ron Billingsley

www.ronbillingsleyreptiles.com

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