Leveraging Aerial Systems for Stewardship Operations (LASSO) Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a new grant program to test using drones to manage wild horses and burros on public lands. The goal is to find more humane ways to round up these animals and monitor their health compared to traditional methods.
• The Department of the Interior would provide $100,000 each year from 2026 to 2030 for these tests. The money would go to universities or organizations that have experience with drone technology and a history of protecting animal welfare.
• Drones could be used for more than just rounding up herds. The bill allows the money to be used for projects that deliver birth control to the animals or perform other health checks on the herds from the air.
• Groups that receive the grants must share their findings with Congress and the public. They also need to study how drones could be used for general ranching and taking care of the environment in the future.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.