Congress·Reported·H.R. 1897

Rep. Westerman Introduces Bill to Overhaul the Endangered Species Act and Streamline Protections

ESA Amendments Act of 2025

1 day ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Legislative Progress

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Key Points

The bill creates a National Listing Work Plan that requires the Secretary to submit a prioritized 5-year schedule to Congress for evaluating which species should be listed as threatened or endangered. Species are ranked Priority 1 (most imperiled) through Priority 5 (least information available), and lower-priority species can be held without action for up to 5 additional years.
From policy text
“the Secretary shall submit to Congress a national listing work plan that establishes, for each covered species, a schedule for the completion during the 5-fiscal year period beginning on October 1 of the first fiscal year after the date of the submission of the work plan”
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Private landowners who voluntarily agree to protect candidate species before they are officially listed get a binding guarantee that no additional conservation rules or land-use restrictions will be imposed on them later. These Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances are also exempt from the normal consultation requirements and from public disclosure rules.
States gain significant new authority to develop their own recovery strategies for threatened or candidate species. If approved by the Secretary, a state's plan becomes the binding federal regulation for that species within that state, and states can take over management once recovery goals are met.
From policy text
“A State may develop a recovery strategy for a threatened species or a candidate species and submit to the Secretary a petition for the Secretary to use such recovery strategy as the basis for any regulation issued under paragraph (1) with respect to such species within such State.”
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The definition of 'habitat' is narrowed so that critical habitat can only include areas that currently or periodically contain the resources a species needs to survive, excluding areas visited by only vagrant individuals. Private land with an approved management plan cannot be designated as critical habitat.
The permitting process is streamlined by exempting incidental take permits from NEPA environmental review, limiting the government's ability to require mitigation or offset measures, and allowing federal agencies to stop implementing conservation modifications after 10 years if they aren't materially helping species recovery.
From policy text
“The issuance of a permit under paragraph (2) shall not be considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969”
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The bill authorizes approximately $431 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to fund ESA activities, and requires the government to publicly disclose all spending on ESA-related lawsuits, including attorney fees and settlement details.
From policy text
“$302,025,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031”
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Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

4 milestones9 actions

Mar 24, 2026House

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 489.

Mar 24, 2026House

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-568.

Dec 17, 2025House

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 16.

Dec 17, 2025House

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Dec 17, 2025House

Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

With the first budget request submitted at least 365 days after enactment

National Listing Work Plan due to Congress

The government must submit its first 5-year prioritized plan for evaluating species, which will determine which animals and plants get considered for protection first and which may wait years longer.

1-3 years after enactment

States begin submitting recovery strategies for approval

States with the resources and political will could take over management of threatened species within their borders, potentially leading to a patchwork of different rules across state lines for the same species.

Related News

7 articles

POLITICO·3 months ago

Republican bid to overhaul ESA returns to spotlight

The House Natural Resources Committee is moving forward with H.R. 1897, the 'ESA Amendments Act of 2025,' sponsored by Chair Bruce Westerman. The bill aims to update the 50-year-old law to address GOP concerns that it is used to block mining and drilling, while Democrats criticize it as an effort to weaken protections.

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E&E News·12 months ago

Westerman wants an ESA overhaul. Will Senate Dems play along?

House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman is leading the 'ESA Amendments Act of 2025,' the most significant swing at the 1973 law in decades. The bill would require economic impact analyses for listing decisions and raise the bar for 'jeopardy' findings in federal consultations.

Outdoor Life·about 1 year ago

The Endangered Species Act Has Been 'Warped by Decades of Radical Environmental Litigation,' Says Lawmaker Who Wants to Overhaul It

Rep. Bruce Westerman introduced the ESA Amendments Act of 2025 to reform a law he claims has been 'weaponized' by litigation. The bill proposes streamlining the listing process, capping attorney fees, and providing incentives for private landowners to cooperate in conservation efforts.

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