What This Bill Does
This bill changes the Endangered Species Act to prevent the federal government from protecting certain populations of lesser prairie chickens in five states. The bill requires the federal government to remove lesser prairie chickens from the list of threatened and endangered species in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of the Interior (the federal official who manages endangered species) is directly affected. Residents and businesses in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico may be affected by changes to protections for lesser prairie chickens in their states.
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of the Interior may not declare any population of lesser prairie chicken in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, or New Mexico to be threatened or endangered (Sec. 2(a))
- Within 60 days after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of the Interior must remove all populations of lesser prairie chicken in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico from the federal list of threatened and endangered species (Sec. 2(b))
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, lesser prairie chickens in these five states will no longer receive federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. The federal government loses the power to protect these bird populations based on their threatened or endangered status.
Important Definitions
None defined in this bill.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 248
To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to exclude certain populations
of the lesser prairie chicken from the authority of such Act, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 10, 2023
Mr. ESTES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to exclude
certain populations of the lesser prairie chicken from
the authority of such Act, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Local Man-
4
agement of the Lesser Prairie Chicken Act’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
03:37 Jan 20, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H248.IH
H248
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2
•HR 248 IH
SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN POPULATIONS OF LESSER
1
PRAIRIE CHICKEN UNDER ENDANGERED SPE-
2
CIES ACT OF 1973.
3
(a) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN POPULATIONS OF LESS-
4
ER PRAIRIE CHICKEN.—Section 4(a) of the Endangered
5
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(a)) is amended—
6
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The Sec-
7
retary shall by regulation’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as
8
provided in paragraph (4), the Secretary shall by
9
regulation’’; and
10
(2) by adding at the end the following:
11
‘‘(4) APPLICABILITY
TO LESSER PRAIRIE CHICK-
12
EN.—The Secretary may not make a determination under
13
this subsection that any population of the lesser prairie
14
chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) in Kansas, Okla-
15
homa, Texas, Colorado, or New Mexico is threatened or
16
endangered.’’.
17
(b) DELISTING OF CERTAIN POPULATIONS OF LESS-
18
ER PRAIRIE CHICKEN.—Not later than 60 days after the
19
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the
20
Interior shall remove each population of the lesser prairie
21
chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) in Kansas, Okla-
22
homa, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico from the lists
23
of threatened species and endangered species that are pub-
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
03:37 Jan 20, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H248.IH
H248
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3
•HR 248 IH
lished pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973
1
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
2
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
03:37 Jan 20, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H248.IH
H248
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB