Congress·In Committee·H.R. 8195

Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act of 2026

Cormorant Management: New Rules for Bird Control

Apr 2·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the House Committee on Natural Resources. It is actively moving forward as it awaits review by committee members. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

This bill addresses a niche issue for specific regions. It is unlikely to pass as a standalone bill unless it is included in a larger package of environmental or hunting laws.

Key Points

This bill requires the Department of the Interior to create regional plans to manage double-crested cormorants. These birds often eat large amounts of fish, which can cause problems for local fishing businesses and the health of lakes and ponds.
The new rules would allow state and tribal agencies to control bird populations. It also opens the door for licensed hunters, lake managers, and pond managers to participate in these management efforts under specific guidelines.
Officials must ensure the bird population stays at a healthy level while protecting other parts of nature. The plans will look at how the birds affect water quality, other migratory birds, and plants that are at risk of disappearing.
Every five years, the government will conduct a survey to count the birds. These counts will be used to update the management plans so that the rules are always based on the most recent information about the bird population.

Impact Analysis

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

Milestones

4 milestones4 actions

Apr 16, 2026House

Subcommittee Hearings Held

Apr 9, 2026House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Apr 2, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Apr 2, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 8195

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionSubcommittee Hearings Held

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(4)

R: 4

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.