This bill has been introduced in the Senate and is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Environment and Public Works. It is in the early stages of the legislative process and has no further actions scheduled at this time.
Sen. Lummis and a group of Republican senators introduced a bill called the Local Data for Better Conservation Act. This plan would change the Endangered Species Act by requiring the federal government to use data collected by state agencies when deciding which animals and plants need special legal protections.
Right now, federal agencies use their own research and various scientific studies to decide if a species is threatened or endangered. This bill forces those agencies to accept and include information from state wildlife experts. This ensures that local knowledge about animal populations is not ignored by officials in Washington, D.C.
This change matters because state governments often have staff working directly in the habitats where these species live. By requiring the use of state data, the bill aims to make sure that decisions to protect a species—or to stop protecting one that has recovered—are based on the most accurate and local information available.
If this becomes law, it could lead to faster changes in protection status for certain animals. For instance, if a state can prove a species is no longer at risk, the federal government would have to integrate that data into their decision to remove it from the endangered list, which could ease restrictions on how that land is used.
Impact Analysis
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Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Mar 19, 2026Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Mar 19, 2026
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
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Related Bills
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Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A bill to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 with respect to the listing of threatened and endangered species, and for other purposes.
Bill NumberS 4146
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
