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The SWIMS Act of 2024 would prohibit the capture, breeding, import, and export of four species of cetaceans—orcas, beluga whales, false killer whales, and pilot whales—for public display purposes. The bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Animal Welfare Act to ban these practices, though it allows transportation of these animals to marine sanctuaries or for release into the wild. The legislation is based on Congressional findings that these large-brained marine mammals suffer significantly in captivity, experiencing premature death, behavioral distress, and isolation from their own species in concrete tanks. The bill would primarily affect marine parks and aquariums currently holding these cetaceans, as well as facilities involved in breeding or trading these animals. The bill contains no specific funding provisions or implementation timelines but would be enforced through the existing regulatory authority of the Secretary of Commerce.

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