This is a really long message (sorry) but I got it on an aquarium list I'm subscribed to and thought that some of you would be interested. I know a lot of discussion has gone on in this list about shipping of animals.
I think everyone should do something about this. The bill has not been passed yet, but it can be passed if we do not do anything. Thanks Justyn LVCRP SENATE ADOPTION OF SAFE AIR TRAVEL FOR ANIMALS ACT; COULD PUT AN END TO COMMERCIAL AIR TRANSPORT OF ANIMALS The Senate last week adopted the provisions of S. 1193, the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act. The provisions of the bill were added to the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization bill, S. 82, on the Senate Floor. (The actual Safe Air Travel for Animals Act, S. 1193, is pending in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee where there has been no action on the bill. There is a companion bill in the House, H.R. 2276, which has seen no legislative action.) The sponsor of S. 1193, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) offered the provisions of S. 1193 as an amendment to S. 82 on the Senate Floor. S. 82 is a complicated bill that addresses a number of air transport issues and authorizes funding to maintain the nation's air transportation system. The House and the Senate have not agreed on the same provisions and therefore S. 82 will go to a Conference Committee to settle the differences. The Conference Committee may begin meeting this week. Although the Conference Committee membership has not been fully set, it will be comprised of the leaders of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. The purpose of this Legislative Alert is to urge you to contact members of both these Committees immediately, particularly if you are from their state. The provisions of the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act could put an end to the commercial air transport of animals in the United States. This bill would require airlines to institute several modifications to their aircraft and policies governing transport of live animals. Air carriers of live animals would be required to: Submit information about each flight to USDA at least 24 hours in advance of the flight. Submit detailed reports about each incident involving the loss, injury, death or mishandling of an animal, and produce annual reports about all incidents as well as any consumer complaints. Ensure crew members are alerted that the aircraft is carrying animals, and institute a training program. Publish information on risks associated with air travel for animals,conditions under which animals are transported, the carrier's safety record,and plans for handling animals before and after the actual flight and during flight delays. Make structural modifications to aircraft which include installation of positive airflow and heating/cooling systems Under the bill, any air transport of animals in a cargo or baggage compartment would be prohibited after December 31, 2000 except in aircraft complying with new structural mandates, flown by airlines conforming to the new reporting requirements. S. 1193 (and now provisions of S. 82) amends both Title 7 of the U.S. Code(Animal Welfare Act) and Title 49 (regulation of air carriers). "Animals" in the context of the AWA includes only warm-blooded animals. However, this term is not defined for purposes of Title 49, Chapter 417. Therefore, all animals would presumably be subject to these provisions, including birds, reptiles, amphibians and other aquatic animals. Airlines would probably simply cease acting as carriers for live animals rather than conform to these expensive restrictions. Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee need to be contacted and told: (1) that provisions of S. 1193 should not be adopted in this summary fashion; (2) S. 1193 and H.R. 2276 should receive a full debate and hearing in the respective House and Senate Committees; (3) the provisions of S. 1193 would result in substantial costs, the extent of which is not yet known; (4) these provisions could stop the work of zoos and aquariums in the saving of endangered and threatened species; and (5)AZA and your institution would like to be given the opportunity to discuss the provisions of the bill fully and determine what changes, if any, are needed for air transport of animals. Request that members of the Conference Committee oppose the inclusion of provisions of S. 1193 in the final bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. Telephone, fax and email members of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee and the House Transportation & Infrastructure Chair, especially if they are your member of Congress. Even if your Member of Congress says they are not going to be on the Conference Committee or if your Member of Congress is not on either the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation or the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, ask them to contact a member of the Conference Committee, seeking that they oppose the inclusion of the provision of S. 1193. If you have questions about this, please call Kris Vehrs at 301-562-0777 ext. 229 or Leah Tomlins @301-562-0777 ext. 230. Note: Not every Member of Congress has a fax number of e-mail address. Those members listed with an asterisk have already been named to the Conference Committee SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION <> John McCain (R-AZ)* 202/224-2235 202/228-2862 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ted Stevens (R-AK)* 202/224-3004 202/224-2354 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Conrad R. Burns (R-MT)* 202/224-2644 202/224-8594 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Slade Gorton (R-WA)* 202/224-3441 202/224-9393 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Trent Lott (R-MS)* 202/224-6253 202/224-2262 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) 202/224-5922 202/224-0776 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) 202/224-5344 202/224-1946 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John Ashcroft (R-MO) 202/224-6154 202/228-0998 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Bill Frist (R-TN) 202/224-3344 202/228-1264 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Spencer Abraham (R-MI) 202/224-4822 202/224-8834 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sam Brownback (R-KS) 202/224-6521 202/2281265 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC)* 202/224-6121 202/224-4293 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) 202/224-3934 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) 202/224-6472 202/224-7665 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John F. Kerry (D-MA) 202/224-2742 202/224-8525 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John B. Breaux (D-LA) 202/224-4623 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Richard H. Bryan 202/224-6244 202/224-1867 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (D-ND) Bryan L. Dorgan 202/224-2551 202/224-1193 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ron Wyden 202/224-5244 202/228-2717 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Max Cleland 202/224-3521 202/224-0072 [EMAIL PROTECTED] HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE Bud Shuster (R-PA)* 202/225-2431 202/225-2486 Don Young (R-AK) 202/225-5765 202/225-0425 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thomas E. Petri (R-WI) 202/225-2476 202/225-2356 Sherwood L. Boehlert (R-HY) 202/225-3665 202/225-1891 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Herbert H. Bateman (R-VA) 202/225-4261 202/225-4382 Howard Coble (R-NC) 202/225-3065 202/225-8611 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN) 202/225-5435 202/225-6440 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thomas W. Ewing (R-IL) 202/225-2371 202/225-8071 Bob Franks (R-NJ) 202/225-5361 202/225-9460 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-MD) 202/225-5311 202/225-0254 Steve Horn (R-CA) 202/225-6676 202/226-1012 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John L. Mica (R-FL) 202/225-4035 202/226-0821 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jack Quinn (R-NY) 202/225-3306 202/226-0347 Tillie Fowler (R-FL) 202/225-2501 202/225-9318 Vernon J. Ehlers (R-MI) 202/225-3831 202/225-5144 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Spencer Bachus (R-AL) 202/225-4921 202/225-2082 Steve LaTourette (R-OH) 202/225-5731 202/225-3307 Sue Kelly (R-NY) 202/225-5441 202/225-3289 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ray LaHood (R-IL) 202/225-6201 202/225-9249 Richard Baker (R-LA) 202/225-3901 202/225-7313 Charles F. Bass (R-NH) 202/225-5206 202/225-2946 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Bob Ney (R-OH) 202/225-6265 202/225-3394 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jack Metcalf (R-WA) 202/225-2605 202/225-4420 Edward A. Pease (R-IN) 202/225-5805 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Asa Hutchinson (R-AK) 202/225-4301 202/225-5731 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Merrill Cook (R-UT) 202/225-3011 202/225-5638 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John Cooksey (R-LA) 202/225-8490 202/225-5639 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John R. Thune (R-SD) 202/225-2801 202/225-5823 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ) 202/225-6572 202-225-3318 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jerry Moran (R-KS) 202/225-2715 202/225-5124 [EMAIL PROTECTED] John T. Doolittle (R_CA) 202/225-2511 202/225-5444 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lee Terry (R-NE) 202/225-4155 202/226-5452 James L. Oberstar (DFL-MN)* 202/225-6211 202/225-0699 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Nick Rahall (D-WV) 202/225-3452 202/225-9061 Robert A. Borski ((D-PA) 202/225-8251 202/225-4628 [EMAIL PROTECTED] William O. Lipinski (D-IL) 202/225-5701 202-225-1012 Bob Wise (D-WV) 202/225-2711 202/225-7856 [EMAIL PROTECTED] James A. Traficant, Jr. (D-OH) 202/225-5261 202/225-3719 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR) 202/225-6416 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Bob Clement (D-TN) 202/225-4311 202/226-1035 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jerry F. Costello (D-IL) 202/225-5661 202/225-0285 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) 202/225-8050 202/225-3002 Pat Danner (D-MO) 202/225-7041 202/225-8221 Robert Menendez (D-MI) 202/225-7919 202/226-0792 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Corrine Brown (D-FL) 202/225-0123 202/225-2256 James A. Barcia (D-MI) 202/225-8171 202/225-2168 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Bob Filner (D-CA) 202/225-8045 202/225-9073 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) 202/225-8885 202/226-1477 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Frank Mascara (D-PA) 202/225-4665 202/225-3377 Gene Taylor (D-MS) 202/225-5772 202/225-7074 Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA) 202/225-7924 202/225-7926 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Elijah E. Cummings (D- MD) 202/225-4741 202/225-3178 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Max Sandlin (D-TX) 202/225-3035 202/225-5866 Ellen O. Tauscher (D-CA) 202/225-1880 202-225-5914 [EMAIL PROTECTED] William J. Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) 202/225-5751 202/225-5782 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Leonard L. Boswell (D-IA) 202/225-3806 202/225-5608 [EMAIL PROTECTED] James P. McGovern (D-MA) 202/225-6106 202/225-5759 Tim Holden (D-PA) 202/225-5546 202/226-0996 Nick Lampson (D-TX) 202/225-6565 202/225-5547 John E. Baldacci (D-ME) 202/225-6306 202/225-2943 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Marion Berry (D-AR) 202/225-4076 202/225-5602 -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! http://click.egroups.com/1/9699/1/_/520306/_/977417086/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Aquaria-Freshwater To change settings, vote, look at links, look at the database, files etc go to: http://www.egroups.com/group/aquaria-freshwater Aqua Zone http://www.digicron.com/AquaZone
