Official Summaries

Black Vulture Relief Act of 2025

This bill allows livestock producers and their employees to take certain actions against black vultures to protect livestock. (Black vultures are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.)

Specifically, livestock producers and their employees may (1) take (i.e., capture, kill, or disperse, or transport the carcass of) a black vulture that they reasonably believe will cause death, injury, or destruction to livestock; or (2) in the course of taking or attempting to take the black vulture, cause injury to the bird. However, they may not take or attempt to take a black vulture through the use of poison.

Livestock producers and their employees must submit an annual report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on black vultures taken under this bill. The FWS must develop a reporting form and make this reporting form available on its website.

Currently, the FWS has a permit process under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the taking of black vultures.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2462 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 286
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2462

                          [Report No. 119-334]

  To authorize livestock producers and their employees to take black 
     vultures in order to prevent death, injury, or destruction to 
                   livestock, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 27, 2025

Mr. Rose (for himself, Mr. Soto, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Bost, Mr. Messmer, Mr. 
  Barr, Mr. Hern of Oklahoma, Mr. Smith of Missouri, Mr. Perry, Mrs. 
 Bice, Mr. Meuser, Mr. Gooden, Mr. Alford, Mr. Graves, and Mr. Rulli) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

                            October 3, 2025

Additional sponsors: Mr. Harrigan, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Carter of Georgia, 
 Mr. Lucas, Mr. Collins, Mr. Kustoff, Mr. Knott, Mr. Massie, Mr. Cole, 
        Mr. Miller of Ohio, Mr. Yakym, and Mr. Hill of Arkansas

                            October 3, 2025

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
 [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 
                               27, 2025]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize livestock producers and their employees to take black 
     vultures in order to prevent death, injury, or destruction to 
                   livestock, and for other purposes.


 


    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 ``Black Vulture Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES TO 
              TAKE CERTAIN BLACK VULTURES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Black vulture.--The term ``black vulture'' means a bird 
        of the species Coragyps atratus.
            (2) Covered person.--The term ``covered person'' means--
                    (A) a livestock producer; or
                    (B) an employee of a livestock producer when the 
                employee is actively engaged in livestock production.
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
            (4) Livestock.--The term ``livestock'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 602 of the Emergency Livestock Feed 
        Assistance Act of 1988 (7 U.S.C. 1471).
            (5) Livestock producer.--The term ``livestock producer'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 602 of the Emergency 
        Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 (7 U.S.C. 1471).
            (6) Take.--The term ``take'' means--
                    (A) to capture, kill, or disperse a black vulture; 
                or
                    (B) to transport a black vulture carcass.
    (b) Authorization.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), notwithstanding 
        the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), a 
        covered person may--
                    (A) take or attempt to take a black vulture that is 
                causing, or that the covered person has a reasonable 
                belief will cause, death, injury, or destruction to 
                livestock; or
                    (B) in the course of taking or attempting to take a 
                black vulture described in subparagraph (A), cause 
                injury to the black vulture.
            (2) Prohibition.--A covered person may not take or attempt 
        to take a black vulture through the use of poison.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than January 31 of each year, a 
        covered person that takes a black vulture in accordance with 
        subsection (b) in the preceding 12-month period shall complete 
        and submit to the appropriate United States Fish and Wildlife 
        Service Regional Office (as determined by the geographic 
        jurisdictions described in section 2.2 of title 50, Code of 
        Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)) an annual 
        report using the form developed by the Director under 
        subsection (d).
            (2) Clarification.--A covered person shall not be required 
        to submit a report under paragraph (1) until after the date on 
        which the Director develops and makes available the reporting 
        form under subsection (d).
    (d) Reporting Forms.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), not later than 
        180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
        shall develop and make available on the website of the United 
        States Fish and Wildlife Service a reporting form the Director 
        determines appropriate for the purposes of accepting reports 
        under subsection (c).
            (2) Format.--The form developed and made available under 
        paragraph (1) may not be more onerous to complete than similar 
        forms required for permitted take under the Migratory Bird 
        Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.) as of the date of enactment 
        of this Act.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 286

119th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 2462

                          [Report No. 119-334]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To authorize livestock producers and their employees to take black 
     vultures in order to prevent death, injury, or destruction to 
                   livestock, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            October 3, 2025

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed