H.R. 1897
ESA Amendments Act of 2025
Sponsor: Bruce Westerman
26 cosponsors
- Michael A. Rulli
- Andy Biggs
- Celeste Maloy
- Cliff Bentz
- Dan Newhouse
- Doug LaMalfa
- Harriet M. Hageman
- Jeff Hurd
- Mark E. Amodei
- Mike Ezell
- Nicholas J. Begich III
- Paul A. Gosar
- Pete Stauber
- Russ Fulcher
- Thomas P. Tiffany
- Wesley Hunt
- Troy Downing
- Addison P. McDowell
- Lauren Boebert
- Glenn Thompson
- Ken Calvert
- Mike Collins
- Clay Higgins
- Tim Walberg
- Glenn Grothman
- Robert E. Latta
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
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.
Text of the bill
I Optimizing conservation through resource prioritization
II Incentivizing wildlife conservation on private lands
Where this section came from
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Mar 6, 2025 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources, Mar 6
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Mar 24, 2026 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Natural Resources, Dec 17 Reported by House Committee on Natural Resources, Mar 24 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
… 4 unchanged passages …
(D) Each Federal agency shall, as applicable and to the maximum extent practicable, adopt the mitigation measures contained in a permit issued under subparagraph (B) in any authorization issued by such Federal agency with respect to the action that is
the
covered
subject
by
of
such permit. (E) With respect to an action that is
the
covered
subject
by
of
a permit issued under subparagraph (B
),
) and consistent with
the
implementation of the related conservation plan, the
Secretary shall not seek any additional mitigation measures through any other Federal or State or local process
from the permittee
.
… 3 unchanged passages …
(3)
A
Section
permit
7(a)(2)
issued
does
by
not
the
apply
Secretary
to
under
the
this
issuance
subsection
by
shall
the
be
Secretary
deemed
of
to
a
have
permit
been granted an exemption
under
section
this
7(h) for the purposes of that section
subsection
.
]
What is a markup?
A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.
(a) In general. Section 10(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(2)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (B), by inserting , and shall include the terms and conditions of the related conservation plan, which shall be legally binding on all parties thereto after being complied with; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
(D) Each Federal agency shall, as applicable and to the maximum extent practicable, adopt the mitigation measures contained in a permit issued under subparagraph (B) in any authorization issued by such Federal agency with respect to the action that is covered by such permit.
(E) With respect to an action that is covered by a permit issued under subparagraph (B) and consistent with the implementation of the related conservation plan, the Secretary shall not seek any additional mitigation measures through any other Federal or State or local process from the permittee.
(b) Exemption from consultation requirement. Section 10(a) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1539(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(3) Section 7(a)(2) does not apply to the issuance by the Secretary of a permit under this subsection.
III Providing for greater incentives to recover listed species
IV Creating greater transparency and accountability in recovering listed species
V Streamlining permitting process
VI Eliminating barriers to conservation
VII Restoring congressional intent