Official Summaries

Cormorant Relief Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of the Interior to reissue the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities in certain states. (The previous order was vacated in 2016 by court order.)

Depredation orders allow for the taking (i.e., capturing, killing, dispersing, or transport of the carcass) of a specified species without a permit, generally to reduce damage caused by the species or to protect interests like health or property. Reissuing this order authorizes landowners, operators, tenants, and employees of entities engaged in aquaculture to take double-crested cormorants that are causing or threatening harm at aquaculture facilities and state and federal fish hatcheries.

Interior must reissue the depredation order with updates, including an expansion of (1) the number of states covered by the order, and (2) the entities to whom the order applies (i.e., private lake and pond managers who are licensed by the state).

Under the bill, Interior must renew the depredation order every five years.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2293 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2293


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 10, 2025

 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations 
  relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture 
                              facilities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Cormorant Relief Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. REGULATIONS RELATING TO TAKING OF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS AT 
              AQUACULTURE FACILITIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall reissue the original 
depredation order in accordance with subsection (b).
    (b) Requirements.--The depredation order reissued under subsection 
(a) shall be the same as the original depredation order, except that 
the depredation order reissued under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) apply to--
                    (A) each of the States of California, Colorado, 
                Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, 
                Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin 
                and any other State or territory of the United States 
                the Secretary determines appropriate in addition to and 
                in the same manner as each of the States to which the 
                original depredation order applied; and
                    (B) lake managers and pond managers in addition to 
                and in the same manner as each of the entities to which 
                the original depredation order applied;
            (2) incorporate modern terminology;
            (3) simplify the provisions contained in the original 
        depredation order related to compliance with other Federal law;
            (4) modernize the recordkeeping requirements contained in 
        the original depredation order; and
            (5) remove the June 30, 2014, expiration date contained in 
        the original depredation order.
    (c) Renewal.--Not less than once every 5 years after the date on 
which the Secretary reissues the original depredation order under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall renew the depredation order 
reissued under subsection (a).
    (d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to 
waive the obligation of the Secretary to comply with the--
            (1) National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
        4321 et seq.); or
            (2) Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.).
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Lake manager.--The term ``lake manager'' means a person 
        that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a 
        private lake.
            (2) Original depredation order.--The term ``original 
        depredation order'' means the depredation order for double-
        crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities contained in 
        section 21.47 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in 
        effect on January 1, 2016).
            (3) Pond manager.--The term ``pond manager'' means a person 
        that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a 
        private pond.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
        States Fish and Wildlife Service.

            Passed the House of Representatives December 9, 2025.

            Attest:

                                             KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

                                                                 Clerk.