Cormorant Relief Act of 2025
Latest action · Dec 10, 2025 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 24, 2025
- Passed HouseDec 9, 2025
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Cormorant Relief Act of 2025
This bill requires the Department of the Interior to reissue the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities in certain states. (The previous order was vacated in 2016 by court order.)
Depredation orders allow for the taking (i.e., capturing, killing, dispersing, or transport of the carcass) of a specified species without a permit, generally to reduce damage caused by the species or to protect interests like health or property. Reissuing this order authorizes landowners, operators, tenants, and employees of entities engaged in aquaculture to take double-crested cormorants that are causing or threatening harm at aquaculture facilities and state and federal fish hatcheries.
Interior must reissue the depredation order with updates, including an expansion of (1) the number of states covered by the order, and (2) the entities to whom the order applies (i.e., private lake and pond managers who are licensed by the state).
Under the bill, Interior must renew the depredation order every five years.
Cosponsors 3
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Mar 24, 2025.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MS | Bennie G. Thompson | Original | Mar 24, 2025 |
| R-MS | Michael Guest | Original | Mar 24, 2025 |
| R-MS | Trent Kelly | Original | Mar 24, 2025 |
Actions 17
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 10, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Dec 9, 2025Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5076-5077)
- Dec 9, 2025DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2293.
- Dec 9, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Dec 9, 2025Mr. Hurd (CO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1255 | Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 | Related bill | Apr 2, 2025 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Animals.
- Alabama
- Animals
- Aquaculture
- Arkansas
- Birds
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Lakes and rivers
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
- Wisconsin
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 10, 2025Referred in Senate
- Dec 9, 2025Engrossed in House
- Sep 15, 2025Reported in House
- Mar 24, 2025Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.