1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings Act of 2024 or as the SWIMS Act of 2024 . 2. Findings; sense of Congress (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Certain cetaceans, namely orcas, beluga whales, false killer whales, and pilot whales are large-brained mammals who engage in creative problem solving, intentional communication, show signs of empathy for others and complex emotions, and form lifelong bonds. (2) Science increasingly supports that the species listed in paragraph (1) suffer in captivity. They die prematurely, engage in stereotypic behavior that is indicative of suffering and distress, are held in barren tanks, and are sometimes isolated from members of their own species, among other harms. (3) Current Federal laws allow the species listed in paragraph (1) to be confined in concrete tanks that fail to meet their basic psychological, physical, and social needs. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the species listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) should not be subject to restraint, coercion, or control by any person for purposes of public display. 3. Prohibition on exportation, taking, and importation of certain cetaceans (a) Prohibition on exportation Section 102 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 ( 16 U.S.C. 1372(a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (g) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, it is unlawful to export any orca, beluga whale, false killer whale, or pilot whale except for the transport of such species— (A) to a marine mammal sanctuary with a determination by the Secretary that the transportation to such sanctuary is in the best interest of the individual marine mammal; or (B) for release to the wild. (2) In this subsection, the term sanctuary means a place of refuge where marine mammals— (A) live in a captive setting as close as possible to their natural environment; (B) are prioritized individually with respect to well-being and autonomy