HI HB837

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish a registry of ivory and rhinoceros horn items intended for sale or purchase in Hawaii.

Persons selling ivory or rhinoceros horn must notify the department with species and age information; those registering more than three months after the registry becomes effective must provide documentation proving compliance with federal Endangered Species Act, African Elephant Conservation Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and CITES requirements.

Sales or purchases of registered ivory and rhinoceros horn require a department-issued receipt; absence of a receipt creates a rebuttable presumption that the sale is unlawful.

Exempts from registration requirements personal possession, bequests, items with less than 20 percent ivory/rhinoceros horn by volume, Ming's jewelry with proper marking, and government law enforcement activities.

Establishes criminal penalties of misdemeanor with $1,000 fine or two times the item's value for first offense, and Class C felony with $5,000 fine or two times the item's value for subsequent offenses; allows seizure and forfeiture of illegal items.