Grizzly Bear State Management Act

House Bill

H.R. 281

119th Congress

Grizzly Bear State Management Act

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 281.

Introduced:Jan 9, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Elise M. Stefanik

Representative

Republican

NY-21

Cosponsors

4

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Environmental Protection

Summary

This bill requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue the 2017 final rule that removed the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act list. That rule was later vacated by a court decision. The bill also exempts this reissued rule from judicial review, preventing future legal challenges. By transferring management to states and blocking court review, the legislation aims to allow Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho to manage grizzly bear populations, potentially including regulated hunting.

Latest Action

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 281.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue the 2017 final rule that removed the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act list. That rule was later vacated by a court decision. The bill also exempts this reissued rule from judicial review, preventing future legal challenges. By transferring management to states and blocking court review, the legislation aims to allow Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho to manage grizzly bear populations, potentially including regulated hunting.

Last updated: 1/4/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Grizzly Bear State Management Act of 2025This bill requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue the final rule titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Population of Grizzly Bears From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and published on June 30, 2017.In addition, the bill exempts the rule from judicial review.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Requires reissuance of 2017 grizzly bear delisting rule
Removes Greater Yellowstone grizzlies from endangered species list
Exempts the rule from judicial review
Transfers management authority to states
Enables state wildlife agencies to manage grizzly populations

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

For state wildlife agencies: Authority to manage grizzly bear populations. For ranchers and farmers: Potential relief from grizzly-livestock conflicts. For hunting interests: Possibility of regulated grizzly bear hunting. For conservationists: Concerns about removing federal protections. For courts: Removal of jurisdiction to review delisting decision.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Environmental Protection

Related Subjects

Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Department of the Interior

Endangered and threatened species

Idaho

Judicial review and appeals

Mammals

Montana

Wyoming

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

281, 119th Congress (2025). "Grizzly Bear State Management Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-281