MINKS are Superspreaders Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 6513 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6513

To amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the captivity of mink, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 9, 2025

Mr. Buchanan (for himself and Ms. DeLauro) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

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A BILL

To amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the captivity of mink, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Minks In Narrowly Kept Spaces are Superspreaders Act'' or the ``MINKS are Superspreaders Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CAPTIVITY OF MINK.

The Animal Welfare Act is amended by inserting after section 19 (7 U.S.C. 2149) the following:

``SEC. 20. PROHIBITION ON CAPTIVITY OF MINK.

``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no person shall transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, or breed or possess, any American mink (Neovison vison) raised in captivity for fur production, whether dead or alive, or any part, product, or offspring thereof. ``(b) Exception.--Subsection (a) does not apply to an entity described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (E) of section 3(e)(2) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3372(e)(2)). ``(c) Buy-Out of Mink Farms.-- ``(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall seek to purchase privately owned mink farms for an amount determined under paragraph (2). ``(2) Amount.--In determining an amount to offer a mink farmer to purchase the applicable mink farm pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take into account-- ``(A) the most recent 3-year average of the number of mink owned by the mink farmer; and ``(B) the infrastructure value of the mink farm.''. <all>