H.R. 1897 · 119th Congress

ESA Amendments Act of 2025

Introduced on Mar 6, 2025 by Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4). 26 cosponsors, all from the sponsor's party. Latest action (Apr 20, 2026): Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1189 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4690, H. Res. 1182, H.R. 1897 and H.R. 5587. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4690, H. Res. 1182, H.R. 1897, and H.R. 5587 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate on each measure. The resolution provides for one motion to recommit on H.R. 4690, H.R. 1897, and H.R. 5587.

Stage
Reported by committee
Introduced
Mar 6, 2025
Cosponsors
26
0 from the other party
Policy area
Environmental Protection
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. 3Passed one chamber
  4. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to optimize conservation through resource prioritization, incentivize wildlife conservation on private lands, provide for greater incentives to recover listed species, create greater transparency and accountability in recovering listed species, streamline the permitting process, eliminate barriers to conservation, and restore congressional intent.

Subjects

  • Administrative law and regulatory procedures
  • Civil actions and liability
  • Congressional oversight
  • Department of the Interior
  • Endangered and threatened species
  • Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
  • Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
  • Government information and archives
  • Judicial review and appeals
  • Public participation and lobbying
  • Public-private cooperation
  • State and local government operations
  • Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Reported to House, Mar 24, 2026). Public domain.

ESA Amendments Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Endangered Species Act and generally narrows protections provided under the act.

The bill directs the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to submit a National Listing Work Plan that establishes a five-year schedule and plan for addressing listing of endangered or threatened species and designation of critical habitats for such species. Under the plan, the bill gives the Services flexibility on the timing of acting on listing petitions and eliminates the requirement for the Services to act within 12 months on listing petitions.

The bill limits what land may be designated as critical habitat for an endangered or threatened species.

It also limits protections provided to threatened species and allows a state to regulate the recovery of such species if the Services determine the state's proposed recovery strategy would conserve the species.

The bill provides statutory authority for Conservation Benefit Agreements, which allow private landowners to voluntarily enter agreements to reduce threats to candidate species in exchange for being allowed to continue their operations if the species is later listed.

The bill also modifies the permitting process for certain other voluntary conservation agreements, including by exempting incidental take permits (e.g., permits to harm or kill a species) from environmental review requirements.

The bill also makes a variety of other changes to the act, including limiting consultation requirements, judicial review, and awards for attorneys’ fees in certain cases.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Bruce WestermanR-AR-4Sponsor

Republicans · 26

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

No recorded roll call on this measure: it moved by voice vote or unanimous consent, or has not reached the floor.

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Mar 6, 2025Introduced in House
  2. Mar 6, 2025Introduced in House
  3. Mar 6, 2025 · HouseReferred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  4. Mar 18, 2025 · HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
  5. Mar 25, 2025 · HouseSubcommittee Hearings Held
  6. Dec 17, 2025 · HouseSubcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged
  7. Dec 17, 2025 · HouseCommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  8. Dec 17, 2025 · HouseOrdered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 16.
  9. Mar 24, 2026Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-568.
  10. Mar 24, 2026 · HouseReported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-568.
  11. Mar 24, 2026 · HousePlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 489.
  12. Apr 20, 2026 · HouseRules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1189 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4690, H. Res. 1182, H.R. 1897 and H.R. 5587. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4690, H. Res. 1182, H.R. 1897, and H.R. 5587 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate on each measure. The resolution provides for one motion to recommit on H.R. 4690, H.R. 1897, and H.R. 5587.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL12 reports
    $1.2M reported (all issues)
  2. DALLAS SAFARI CLUB7 reports
    $350K reported (all issues)
  3. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation7 reports
    $63K reported (all issues)
  4. AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED6 reports
    $1.8M reported (all issues)
  5. American Exploration & Mining Association6 reports
    $100K reported (all issues)
  6. Animal Welfare Institute fka Society for Animal Protective Legislation6 reports
    $220K reported (all issues)
  7. Association of California Water Agencies6 reports
    $710K reported (all issues)
  8. Bayer Corporation (consolidated report)6 reports
    $13.1M reported (all issues)
  9. Chevron U.S.A. Inc.6 reports
    $11.3M reported (all issues)Federal contractor: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC$713.4K in contracts, FY2026AI match · 100%
  10. Colorado River Energy Distributors Association6 reports
    $120K reported (all issues)
  11. DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE6 reports
    $740K reported (all issues)
  12. Desimone Consulting Group in behalf of www.pnwa.net6 reports
    $120K reported (all issues)
  13. HUMANE WORLD ACTION FUND6 reports
    $1.5M reported (all issues)
  14. NATIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION6 reports
    $620K reported (all issues)
  15. NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION (NRECA)6 reports
    $5.5M reported (all issues)
  16. OCEANA, INC.6 reports
    $1.3M reported (all issues)
  17. PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL6 reports
    $15K reported (all issues)
  18. SOUTHERN COMPANY6 reports
    $16.6M reported (all issues)
  19. SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER6 reports
    $1.1M reported (all issues)
  20. Sierra Club6 reports
    $650K reported (all issues)
  21. Zoological Association of America6 reports
    $60K reported (all issues)
  22. ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, INC.5 reports
    $3.5M reported (all issues)
  23. Earthjustice Action5 reports
    $680K reported (all issues)
  24. PENNSYLVANIA FARM BUREAU5 reports
    $70K reported (all issues)
  25. National Mining Association4 reports
    $3M reported (all issues)
  26. Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA)4 reports
    $120K reported (all issues)
  27. WATERWAYS COUNCIL, INC.4 reports
    $930.9K reported (all issues)
  28. AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION3 reports
    $850K reported (all issues)
  29. Jefferson Rising Fund3 reports
    $225K reported (all issues)
  30. National Parks Conservation Association3 reports
    $417.4K reported (all issues)
  31. National Water Resources Association3 reports
    $360K reported (all issues)
  32. Network3 reports
  33. Port of Edmonds3 reports
    $60K reported (all issues)
  34. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife3 reports
    $60K reported (all issues)
  35. Americans for Prosperity2 reports
    $1.4M reported (all issues)
  36. Appalachian Voices2 reports
    $70K reported (all issues)
  37. Ecological Restoration Business Association2 reports
    $20K reported (all issues)
  38. LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS, INC2 reports
    $400K reported (all issues)
  39. NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION, INC.2 reports
    $3.6M reported (all issues)
  40. Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA)2 reports
    $60K reported (all issues)

Reports filed in 2025, 2026.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 9, 2026 · loaded Oct 9, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 9, 2026 · loaded Oct 9, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.