US Congress · H.R. 2293 · Passed the House

Cormorant Relief Act of 2025

Introduced

Moved

Reached a final decision

Introduced 2025-03-24

Derived from the official record below.

Officially: “Cormorant Relief Act of 2025” Read the full text

Animals

What it does

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 aquacult

Summary by the Congressional Research Service, from the official record. Plain-language version below. Not legal advice.

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1Short title

This section would give the Act the short title "Cormorant Relief Act of 2025."

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Official text, verbatim from the record

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 .

2Regulations relating to taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities

This section would require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to reissue the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities that was contained in section 21.47 of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations as that order was in effect on January 1, 2016. The reissued order would have to be the same as that original order, except for two additions. First, it would have to apply to the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, on top of and in the same way as the states the original order already covered. Second, it would have to apply to lake managers and pond managers, on top of and in the same way as the entities the original order already covered. A lake manager is defined as a person licensed by a state regulatory agency to manage a private lake, and a pond manager is defined as a person licensed by a state regulatory agency to manage a private pond.

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Official text, verbatim from the record

2. Regulations relating to taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities (a) In general The Secretary shall reissue the original depredation order in accordance with subsection (b). (b) Requirements The depredation order reissued under subsection (a) shall be the same as the original depredation order, except that the depredation order reissued under subsection (a)— (1) shall apply to each of the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in addition to and in the same manner as each of the States to which the original depredation order applied; and (2) shall apply to lake managers and pond managers in addition to and in the same manner as each of the entities to which the original depredation order applied. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Lake manager The term lake manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private lake. (2) Original depredation order The term original depredation order means the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities contained in section 21.47 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 1, 2016). (3) Pond manager The term pond manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private pond. (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Where it is

Introduced · 2025-03-24

In the House.

Committee hearing · 2025-04-08

Passed the House · 2025-12-09

Senate floor vote · next · the next step

Official documents

Full bill textread it on this site, version rfs (Referred in Senate), as published by GovInfo

official

Congressional Budget Office cost estimatewhat it would cost, by the nonpartisan CBO

official

The on-site text is shown verbatim from the GovInfo publication, captured 2026-07-23. The same version at GovInfo.

The numbers

29%

of bills that passed one chamber became law in the 118th Congress, 2023 to 2024 (n=939)

sponsors, out of 218 needed to pass

Who is lobbying on this

AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDvia AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED

6 filings

From 6 filings in federal lobbying disclosures (LDA), via lda.gov, naming this bill (2025 to 2026). Filings are self-reported by lobbying firms and show who is paid to influence this bill. They do not say which side, or whether it worked.

Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record. Last action: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (2025-12-10).