HR 331Water Resources Development
This bill modifies the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to expand provisions concerning authorizations (e.g., rights-of-way) to transport water across public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for aquifer recharge purposes. Under the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act, the holder of existing rights-of-way, easements, permits, or other authorizations to transport water across BLM land may transport the water for aquifer recharge purposes without additional authorization from the Department of the Interior so long as the use does not expand or modify the operation of such authorizations across public land. The bill allows the holders of such authorizations to act not only on behalf of themselves, but also on behalf of states, Indian Tribes, or public entities, to use the existing authorizations for aquifer recharge without additional authorization from the Department of the Interior. Further, the bill states that this use may not be considered an expansion, modification, major federal action, or substantial deviation. Additionally, the bill exempts holders from paying additional rents to the BLM for any use of such authorizations; however, the exemption does not apply to for-profit uses of aquifer recharge or for-profit entities. Finally, holders of rights-of-way or other authorizations must provide notice to the BLM of the intended use of authorization as specified by the bill.
Introduced Jan 13, 2025Updated Sep 30, 2026
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
HR 177Public Lands and Natural Resources
Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act This bill modifies the Raker Act, which allowed San Francisco to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley within Yosemite National Park, to (1) increase the annual rent San Francisco pays to the National Park Service (NPS), and (2) direct the NPS to expand public access to the reservoir and lake created by the dam. Specifically, the bill increases rent paid by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for the use of the park from $30,000 to $2 million per year. That amount must be adjusted annually to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The commission may not recoup such sums from wholesale water or power customers. The bill allows collected rent to be used by the Department of the Interior for wildfire mitigation activities in the park and other national parks in California. The bill also requires the NPS to administer the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas for public recreation, benefit, and use in a manner that will preserve scenic, historic, scientific, or otherwise important features.
Introduced Jan 3, 2025Updated Sep 10, 2026
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
HR 4294Public Lands and Natural Resources
Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2026 or the MAWS Act of 2026 This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a pilot program to facilitate the purchase of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. (Blue catfish are considered an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay.) Under the program, NOAA must enter into cooperative agreements with manufacturers or processors of pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed for the purchase of blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors. NOAA must determine the minimum price per pound after considering market factors; feedback from watermen, seafood processors, and participants in the program; and differentiation of price points for fillet and byproduct. The bill also requires NOAA to enter into a memorandum of understanding with nonfederal partners to develop abundance estimates of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. NOAA must make the first abundance estimate publicly available before beginning the pilot program.
Introduced Jul 7, 2025Updated Mar 18, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
HR 261Public Lands and Natural Resources
Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits the Department of Commerce from enforcing certain permit requirements for activities related to undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries. Specifically, Commerce may not prohibit or require an authorization for any covered activities related to undersea fiber optic cables if a license, lease, or permit has been issued by a state or federal agency to authorize the covered activity. Covered activities are the installation, continued presence, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary. The bill also authorizes Commerce to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage in interagency cooperation regarding federal agency actions that are likely to destroy, cause the loss of, or injure a resource in a national marine sanctuary and involve covered activities.
Introduced Jan 9, 2025Updated Feb 12, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
HR 839Public Lands and Natural Resources
No Federal Expansion Designation in West Texas Act or the No FED in West Texas Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from finalizing, implementing, administering, or enforcing its 2023 final land protection plan and environmental assessment for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. The plan allows Interior to expand the refuge and purchase lands or acquire conservation easements on up to 700,000 acres of land in the Southern High Plains region along the Texas-New Mexico border.
Introduced Jan 31, 2025Updated Jan 8, 2026
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 374.
HR 845Environmental Protection
Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to remove protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Specifically, the bill requires Interior to reissue the final rule titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and published on November 3, 2020. The rule removed the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States, except for the Mexican wolf ( C. l. baileyi ) subspecies, from the endangered and threatened species list. However, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacated the rule on February 10, 2022. As a result, the gray wolf reattained the protection status it had prior to the rule's promulgation. The bill also prohibits the reissuance of the rule from being subject to judicial review.
Introduced Jan 31, 2025Updated Dec 18, 2025
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
HR 1676Public Lands and Natural Resources
Make SWAPs Efficient Act of 2025 or the Make State Wildlife Action Plans Efficient Act of 2025 This bill modifies the State Wildlife Grant Program (SWGP) to establish a deadline for the Department of the Interior to approve state wildlife conservation and restoration programs. Under the SWGP, Interior provides funding to state wildlife agencies to implement their comprehensive plans (commonly known as state wildlife action plans or SWAPs) for state wildlife conservation and restoration programs. The bill directs Interior to approve a state wildlife conservation and restoration program within 180 days after the date on which the state submitted its SWAP if Interior finds that the SWAP complies with the requirements of the SWGP. If Interior misses the deadline, the bill requires (1) the SWAP to be automatically approved, and (2) Interior to set aside amounts under the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account for the state.
Introduced Feb 27, 2025Updated Dec 10, 2025
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
HR 338Water Resources Development
Every Drop Counts Act This bill expands the Bureau of Reclamation's Small Storage Program, which is a grant program for small surface water or groundwater storage projects in certain western states. First, the bill expands the types of projects that are eligible for grants under the program. Specifically, the bill makes a project eligible for a grant if the project (1) has water storage capacity of recharges no less than 200 acre-feet and no more than 150,000 acre-feet on an average annual basis over the life of the project for storage or use; and (2) increases groundwater aquifer storage, conveys water to or recovers water from groundwater storage, and stabilizes groundwater levels. Next, it extends Reclamation's authority to carry out the grant program for another five years.
Introduced Jan 13, 2025Updated Nov 19, 2025
Subcommittee Hearings Held