HB281, titled the Grizzly Bear State Management Act, would require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a 2017 final rule that removed the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife. The bill directs that this reissuance occur within 180 days of enactment and specifies that it must be done without regard to any other law that would otherwise apply to issuing the rule.
The measure is aimed at restoring a prior federal delisting decision for the Greater Yellowstone grizzly population, which would shift management authority away from federal endangered species protections and toward state wildlife management. It also includes a provision barring judicial review of the reissued rule and the section directing it, which would limit court challenges to the action.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would alter the operation of the Endangered Species Act as applied to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear population by compelling the Interior Department to restore the 2017 delisting rule. That would remove this grizzly population from the federal endangered and threatened wildlife list and could reduce federal regulatory oversight, increasing the role of state agencies in managing the species. The bill also attempts to insulate the reissued rule from legal challenge, affecting both administrative procedure and the ability of affected parties to seek judicial review.
Sentiment
Based on the bill’s title, sponsorship, and lack of recorded committee transcript or vote data in the provided materials, the bill appears to have been advanced in a generally supportive context among its sponsors and supporters, who favor state management of grizzly bears. The reported status indicates it was ordered to be printed after committee action, suggesting it received enough support to move forward in the House process. No opposing statements or recorded votes are included here, so the overall sentiment can only be characterized as supportive on the sponsor side, with unresolved controversy implied by the subject matter.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely whether the Greater Yellowstone grizzly population should remain under federal endangered species protections or be managed by states after delisting. Supporters appear to favor state control and the restoration of the 2017 delisting rule, while opponents would likely argue that federal protections remain necessary for conservation and recovery. A second major point of contention is the bill’s no-judicial-review clause, which would limit the ability of environmental groups, states, or other affected parties to challenge the reissued rule in court.
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4776) to amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to clarify ambiguous provisions and facilitate a more efficient, effective, and timely environmental review process; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1366) to provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 845) to require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue regulations removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3616) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review regulations that may affect the reliable operation of the bulk-power system; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3632) to amend the Federal Power Act to adjust the requirements for orders, rules, and regulations relating to furnishing adequate service, to require owners or operators of generating facilities to provide notice of planned retirements of certain electric generating units, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4371) to amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to enhance efforts to combat the trafficking of children.