Bills · HR 8195
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 8195Environmental assessment, monitoring, researchWildlife conservation and habitat protection
Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act of 2026
This bill requires regional plans to control double-crested cormorant populations and allows local agencies and private property managers to hunt the birds to protect fisheries and ecosystems.AI-written
INTRO APR 2· LAST ACTION APR 16
READING
4MIN
COSPONSORS
5
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
tl;dr
AI-writtenEmpowers states, tribes, and private landowners to hunt or remove double-crested cormorants to prevent them from destroying fish populations and damaging local water quality.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenVoters should care because this bill balances the protection of a native bird species with the economic and environmental reality of overpopulation. In many parts of the U.S., particularly the Great Lakes and the South, cormorant populations have boomed, leading to the destruction of local fisheries and the death of trees and vegetation where the birds nest in large numbers.
If this becomes law, it moves management power away from a one-size-fits-all federal approach and into regional hands, potentially saving millions of dollars in fish stock and protecting local water quality. If it doesn't pass, current restrictions on killing these birds remain in place, which many local communities argue prevents them from effectively protecting their natural resources and local economies.
KEY PROVISIONS
4AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Requires the creation of regional management frameworks within 180 days.
It forces the government to move quickly to address bird overpopulation on a local level rather than a national one.
PROVISION 02
Expands the list of people allowed to 'take' (kill or remove) cormorants to include licensed hunters and private pond managers.
This significantly increases the number of people who can actively reduce bird populations on private and public lands.
PROVISION 03
Mandates a population survey and plan update every five years.
This ensures that the birds aren't over-hunted and that management stays based on the most recent scientific data.
PROVISION 04
Allows bird management actions to occur within National Wildlife Refuges.
It permits the removal of birds even in protected areas if they are harming the refuge's goals or surrounding fisheries.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 5
R· Michigan
YRS IN OFFICE
19
BILLS LED
27
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 0 REP 5 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
6 EVENTSAPR 16
Subcommittee Hearings Held
APR 9
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
APR 9
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
APR 2
Introduced in House
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 8195
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedApr 2, 2026
Last actionApr 16, 2026
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED APR 2, 2026
House BillHR 8195Environmental assessment, monitoring, researchWildlife conservation and habitat protection
Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act of 2026
This bill requires regional plans to control double-crested cormorant populations and allows local agencies and private property managers to hunt the birds to protect fisheries and ecosystems.AI-written
INTRODUCED APR 2, 2026· LAST ACTION APR 16, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
4 min
COSPONSORS
5
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
