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H.R. 2293

U.S. House•In Senate Committee

Summary

H.R. 2293, the Cormorant Relief Act of 2025, was introduced in the House on Mar 24, 2025 by Rep. Mike Ezell (R) with 3 co-sponsors. It was referred to Environment And Public Works, and last saw action on Dec 10, 2025: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Record

Text

H.R. 2293 has 3 co-sponsors.

hb2293/engrossed-in-house.txt
119 HR 2293 EH: Cormorant Relief Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 IB
 119th CONGRESS  1st Session
 H. R. 2293
 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 AN ACT
To require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Cormorant Relief Act of 2025  .
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) shall—
(1)
apply to—
(A)
each of the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and any other State or territory of the United States the Secretary determines appropriate in addition to and in the same manner as each of the States to which the original depredation order applied; and
(B)
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;
(2)
incorporate modern terminology;
(3)
simplify the provisions contained in the original depredation order related to compliance with other Federal law;
(4)
modernize the recordkeeping requirements contained in the original depredation order; and
(5)
remove the June 30, 2014, expiration date contained in the original depredation order.
(c)
Renewal
Not less than once every 5 years after the date on which the Secretary reissues the original depredation order under subsection (a), the Secretary shall renew the depredation order reissued under subsection (a).
(d)
Rule of construction
Nothing in this Act may be construed to waive the obligation of the Secretary to comply with the—
(1)
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ); or
(2)
Migratory Bird Treaty Act ( 16 U.S.C. 703 et seq. ).
(e)
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.
     Passed the House of Representatives December 9, 2025.  Kevin F. McCumber,  Clerk.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-03-24
  2. Passed House2025-12-09
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Reported to House Sep 15, 2025

hb2293/reported-to-house.md

Shown Here:
Reported to House (09/15/2025)

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.

Sponsors

Rep. Mike Ezell (R) sponsors H.R. 2293, and 3 members have co-sponsored it, all of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 2293 went before 3 committees: Environment and Public Works, Natural Resources and Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee.

Environment and Public Works
Environment and Public Works
Referred To · Dec 10, 2025 · 257 Bills
Natural Resources
Natural Resources
Reported By · Sep 15, 2025 · 395 Bills
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
Hearings By (subcommittee) · Apr 8, 2025 · 24 Bills

Reports

1 committee report has been filed on H.R. 2293, the latest H. Rept. 119-285.

Actions

H.R. 2293 has taken 16 actions since Mar 24, 2025, the latest on Dec 10, 2025.

ChamberAction
Dec 10, 2025
Senate
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.Environment and Public Works Committee
Dec 9, 202515:19
House
Mr. Hurd (CO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Dec 9, 202515:19
House
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5076-5077)
Dec 9, 202515:19
House
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2293.
Dec 9, 202515:26
House
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5076-5077)

Votes

H.R. 2293 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to H.R. 2293.

Titles

H.R. 2293 goes by 7 titles, 4 of them short titles.

  • Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 — Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
  • Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 — Short Title(s) as Passed House
  • To require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities. — Official Titles from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text
  • Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 — Short Title(s) as Reported to House
  • Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 — Display Title
  • Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities. — Official Title as Introduced

Cost estimate

The Congressional Budget Office has filed 1 estimate for H.R. 2293, the latest on Sep 29, 2025.

Lobbying

1 client hired 1 firm and 13 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 2293 in 6 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Agriculture, Animals, Budget/Appropriations, Clean Air and Water (quality), Chemicals/Chemical Industry, Education, Energy/Nuclear, Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED—District of Columbia16—

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED16—

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
BRIAN GLENN116
COURTNEY BRIGGS116
DAVID SALMONSEN116
JOHNIE BOATRIGHT116
RUDOLPH LAYHER116
RYAN YATES116
SHELBY HAGENAUER116
TRAVIS CUSHMAN116
AUTUMN LANKFORD114
JOHN NEWTON114
CODY LYON113
EMILY BUCKMAN112
SAMUEL KIEFFER112

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDAMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED2025 second_quarter$340K2nd Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDAMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED2026 second_quarter$293.8K2nd Quarter - Amendme…
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDAMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED2026 first_quarter$290K1st Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDAMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED2025 third_quarter$270K3rd Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDAMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED2025 fourth_quarter$250K4th Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDAMERICAN FARM BUREAU FED2026 second_quarter$176.6K2nd Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 2293 under Animals, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 29 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 2293’s is Animals.

hr2293/policy-areas.txt
AnimalsAgriculture and FoodArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

H.R. 2293 carries 29 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Alabama to Wisconsin.

hr2293/subjects.txt
AlabamaAquacultureArkansasBirdsCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaIowaKentuckyLakes and riversLouisianaMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriNew JerseyNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasWildlife conservation and habitat protectionWisconsin

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 2293, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. EZELL:H.R. 2293.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article 1, Section 8[Page H1219]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com