Bill Details
View committees (3)
View cosponsors (20)
- Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-Virginia-5]
- Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-Texas-14]
- Rep. Scott, Austin [R-Georgia-8]
- Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-Texas-15]
- Rep. Wagner, Ann [R-Missouri-2]
- Rep. Bean, Aaron [R-Florida-4]
- Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-New York-24]
- Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-California-41]
- Rep. Zinke, Ryan K. [R-Montana-1]
- Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-Minnesota-8]
- Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-North Carolina-11]
- Rep. Norman, Ralph [R-South Carolina-5]
- Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-California-5]
- Rep. Guest, Michael [R-Mississippi-3]
- Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-Pennsylvania-15]
- Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-Michigan-2]
- Rep. Rogers, Mike D. [R-Alabama-3]
- Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-Florida-11]
- Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-Minnesota-1]
- Rep. Murphy, Gregory F. [R-North Carolina-3]
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would stop the Interior Department and the Agriculture Department from broadly banning lead ammunition or lead fishing tackle on federal lands and waters that are open to hunting or fishing. In general, the agencies would also be blocked from setting rules about how much lead can be in ammunition or tackle used in those areas. However, the bill does allow a narrow exception for a specific park, forest, refuge, or other federal area if wildlife in that exact place is declining mainly because of lead use, and if the action fits state law or is approved by the state wildlife agency. It also requires the government to explain any such exception publicly.
- The bill applies to federal land and water managed by the Interior Department or the Agriculture Department that is available for hunting or fishing.
- It would prevent nationwide or general bans on lead ammunition or tackle in those places.
- A targeted ban or rule could still be allowed for one specific area if field data show lead is the main cause of a wildlife decline there.
- Any exception must match state law, follow state wildlife policy, or be approved by the state wildlife agency, and the reason must be published in the Federal Register.
Official Summaries
Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025
This bill bars the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Forest Service from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water. The bill makes exceptions for specified existing regulations and where the FWS, the BLM, or the Forest Service determines that a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from such unit, and the state approves the regulations.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 556 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 556
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 19, 2026
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and
Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on
certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, 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 ``Protecting Access for Hunters and
Anglers Act''.
SEC. 2. PROTECTING ACCESS FOR HUNTERS AND ANGLERS ON FEDERAL LAND AND
WATER.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in section 20.21 or 20.108 of
title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of
enactment of this Act), and subsection (b), the Secretary of the
Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service or the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service (referred to in this section as the ``applicable Secretary''),
may not--
(1) prohibit the use of lead ammunition or tackle on
Federal land or water that is--
(A) under the jurisdiction of the applicable
Secretary; and
(B) made available for hunting or fishing
activities; or
(2) issue regulations relating to the level of lead in
ammunition or tackle to be used on Federal land or water
described in paragraph (1).
(b) Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to a prohibition or
regulations described in that subsection that are limited to a specific
unit of Federal land or water, if the applicable Secretary determines
that--
(1) a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit
of Federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead
in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from the
specific unit of Federal land or water; and
(2) the prohibition or regulations, as applicable, are--
(A) consistent with the law of the State in which
the specific Federal land or water is located;
(B) consistent with an applicable policy of the
fish and wildlife department of the State in which the
specific Federal land or water is located; or
(C) approved by the applicable fish and wildlife
department of the State in which the specific Federal
land or water is located.
(c) Federal Register Notice.--The applicable Secretary shall
include in a Federal Register notice with respect to any prohibition or
regulations that meet the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (b) an explanation of how the prohibition or regulations, as
applicable, meet those requirements.
Passed the House of Representatives March 18, 2026.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.