Florida HB 1171: Endangered or Threatened Marine Animals

Bill Text

HB 1171 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1171-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to endangered or threatened marine 2
animals; providing a short title; creating s. 3
379.24312, F.S.; providing definitions; prohibiting 4
the collection and transportation of endangered or 5
threatened marine animals from state waters; 6
prohibiting the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 7
Commission from issuing, renewing, or approving 8
certain licenses; providing penalties; providing 9
construction; amending s. 379.401, F.S.; conforming a 10
provision to changes made by the act; providing an 11
effective date. 12
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Marine At-Risk 16
Native Endangered or Threatened Animal Protection Act." 17
Section 2. Section 379.24312, Florida Statutes, is created 18
to read: 19
379.24312 Protections for endangered or threatened marine 20
animals.— 21
(1) As used in this section, the term: 22
(a) "Collect" means to physically capture, catch, remove, 23
or possess a marine animal species, or attempt to engage in any 24
such conduct. 25

HB 1171 2026

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(b) "Endangered or threatened species" means any species 26
listed as endangered or threatened pursuant to the federal 27
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. s. 1531 et seq., under 50 28
C.F.R. ss. 223.102 and 224.101, or designated as endangered or 29
threatened by commission rule pursuant to s. 379.2291. 30
(c) "Educational or exhibition purposes" means the 31
holding, displaying, transporting, or maintaining of specimens 32
for public display, exhibition, or education, including 33
activities authorized under a special activity license issued by 34
the commission. 35
(d) "Marine animal" means any vertebrate or invertebrate 36
animal species, subspecies, or distinct population segment that 37
inhabits state waters, including, but not limited to, marine 38
mammals, sea turtles, fish, sharks, rays, crustaceans, mollusks 39
and corals, and any part thereof, including eggs, embryos, 40
tissue, cartilage, shells, or derivatives. 41
(e) "Transport" means to convey a marine animal species 42
from one location to another location on any street, road, 43
highway, waterway, or air space. 44
(2) A person may not collect or transport any endangered 45
or threatened marine animal from state waters for educational or 46
exhibition purposes. 47
(3) The commission may not issue, renew, or approve an 48
education-exhibition special activity license or other 49
authorization that would allow a person to collect or transport 50

HB 1171 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

any endangered or threatened marine animal from state waters for 51
purposes prohibited in subsection (2). 52
(4) A person who violates this section commits a Level 53
Four violation under s. 379.401. Each endangered or threatened 54
marine animal collected or transported in violation of this 55
section constitutes a separate offense. 56
(5)(a) This section does not prohibit or restrict the 57
rescue, rehabilitation, or scientific study of marine animals 58
when such activities are conducted under state or federal 59
authorization consistent with the Endangered Species Act and 60
applicable commission rules. 61
(b) This section does not limit federal authority under 62
the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 63
Conservation and Management Act, or the Convention on 64
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and 65
Flora. 66
Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 67
379.401, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 68
379.401 Penalties and violations; civil penalties for 69
noncriminal infractions; criminal penalties; suspension and 70
forfeiture of licenses and permits.— 71
(4) LEVEL FOUR VIOLATIONS.— 72
(a) A person commits a Level Four violation if he or she 73
violates any of the following provisions: 74
1. Section 379.24312, prohibiting the collection or 75

HB 1171 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

transportation of endangered or threatened marine animals for 76
educational or exhibition purposes. 77
2.1. Section 379.354(16), prohibiting the making, forging, 78
counterfeiting, or reproduction of a recreational license or the 79
possession of same without authorization from the commission. 80
3.2. Section 379.365(2)(c), prohibiting criminal 81
activities relating to the taking of stone crabs. 82
4.3. Section 379.366(4)(c), prohibiting criminal 83
activities relating to the taking and harve