OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sSB-925
AN ACT PROHIBITING THE IMPORT, SALE AND POSSESSION OF
AFRICAN ELEPHANTS, LIONS, LEOPARDS, BLACK
RHINOCEROS, WHITE RHINOCEROS AND GIRAFFES.
As Amended by Senate "B" (LCO 8888), House "A" (LCO 9812)
House Calendar No.: 532
Senate Calendar No.: 164
Primary Analyst: MR 6/3/21
Contributing Analyst(s):
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $
Correction, Dept.; Judicial Dept.
(Probation)
GF - Potential
Cost
See Below See Below
Resources of the General Fund GF - Potential
Revenue Gain
See Below See Below
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill bans importing, possessing, selling, offering for sale, or
transporting in Connecticut a specimen of any of six types of African
animals unless covered by the bill’s exemptions. It applies to certain
elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, and two rhinoceros species.
The bill establishes a graduated penalty structure for violations,
ranging from no penalty for someone who, unaware and in good faith,
violates the ban, to a class D felony for someone with at least two prior
violations subject to penalty. Under the bill, a specimen and any other
property or item used in connection with a violation must be seized
and held.
Violations of this provision may result in a potential cost for
incarceration or probation and a potential revenue gain from penalties 2021SB-00925-R03-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 2
assessed. On average, the marginal cost to the state for incarcerating an
offender for the year is $2,200 while the average marginal cost for
supervision in the community is less than $700 each year.
Senate "B” replaces the underlying bill’s graduated penalty
structure making a first offense a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by
a fine of up to $2,000, up to a year in prison, or both, and a subsequent
offense a class D felony; adds exemptions for lawfully possessing a
specimen under federal law or permit, taxidermy services, and tax
exempt institutions for research purposes; and allows museums and
institutions to transfer specimens to certain tax-exempt entities.
House “A” reinstates the graduated penalty structure replaced by
Senate Amendment “B" resulting in the fiscal impact described above.