Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 489.
This bill makes sweeping changes to the Endangered Species Act, the main law that protects animals and plants at risk of dying out. It makes it harder to list new species as endangered, easier to remove species from the protected list, limits where "critical habitat" can be designated (especially on private land), cuts back environmental reviews for permits, and gives states more control over species management. If this passes, fewer species would likely receive federal protection, landowners and industries would face fewer restrictions, and the federal government would have less power to block projects that might harm endangered wildlife.
This bill would significantly scale back federal protections for at-risk wildlife, meaning fewer species would be shielded from extinction while landowners, energy companies, and developers would face fewer restrictions on how they use land and water.