This bill would change many parts of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). It updates definitions (for example, "foreseeable future" and "habitat"), requires a national listing work plan with priority categories for species, and sets deadlines and procedures for listing petitions. It creates or expands Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAA) and programmatic CCAA authorities, requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to approve qualifying agreements within 120 days, and allows incidental-take permits tied to those agreements. The bill makes conservation plans legally binding, exempts some incidental-take permits from NEPA, and codifies certain 2019 regulatory text. It changes consultation rules under section 7 (including how "jeopardy" is determined, what effects must be considered, and reviews of long-running consultations), adjusts rules for protective regulations and State recovery strategies, and limits designation of private lands as critical habitat when certain land-management plans exist. The bill also requires publication of the scientific data used for listings (with some State and Defense exceptions), requires annual public reporting and a searchable database of Federal litigation expenditures related to covered suits, and amends how litigation costs are awarded. It authorizes specific funding amounts for several ESA accounts for fiscal years 2026–2031.
The bill amends ESA section 15 to authorize the following amounts for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 (as added in the bill text):
The bill statement of purpose and sponsor text say the changes are intended to: optimize conservation by prioritizing resources, incentivize conservation on private lands, provide greater incentives to recover listed species, create more transparency and accountability in recovery actions, streamline permitting and consultations, remove barriers to conservation, and restore congressional intent in ESA implementation.
No publicly available information.