[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H5078-H5080]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MAKE STATE WILDLIFE ACTION PLANS EFFICIENT ACT OF 2025
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1676) to amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to
require the Secretary of the Interior to
[[Page H5079]]
approve the wildlife conservation and restoration program of a State
within a certain period of time, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1676
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Make SWAPs Efficient Act of
2025'' or the ``Make State Wildlife Action Plans Efficient
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. TIMING OF APPROVAL OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND
RESTORATION PROGRAM.
Section 4(e)(3) of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife
Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669c(e)(3)) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``, not later than 180 days after the date
on which the State submitted the comprehensive plan,'' after
``, the Secretary'';
(2) by striking ``, as redesignated'';
(3) by striking ``If the Secretary'' and inserting ``(A) If
the Secretary''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Upon submission of a comprehensive plan by a State
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall conditionally
authorize the implementation of the wildlife conservation and
restoration program of the State and shall set aside amounts
as described in subparagraph (A).
``(C) The Secretary, in consultation with the States, shall
develop a process to ensure sufficient and timely review of
comprehensive plans submitted by States under paragraph (1)
and final approval of the wildlife conservation and
restoration program of such States not later than 180 days
after the date on which a State submits such a comprehensive
plan.
``(D) It is the intent of Congress that the Secretary
prioritize the--
``(i) timely review of comprehensive plans submitted by
States under paragraph (1); and
``(ii) approval of the wildlife conservation and
restoration programs of such States.
``(E) Not later than June 1 of the year immediately
following the year in which a State submits a comprehensive
plan under paragraph (1), if the Secretary does not approve
the wildlife conservation and restoration program of the
State under subparagraph (A) within the time described in
that subparagraph, the Secretary shall submit to the Chair
and Ranking Member of the Committee on Natural Resources of
the House of Representatives and the Environment and Public
Works Committee of the Senate a report regarding the status
of such comprehensive plan and including the reason why the
wildlife conservation and restoration program was not so
approved.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Crank) and the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Randall)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
General Leave
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on H.R. 1676, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Colorado?
There was no objection.
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1676, the Make SWAPs Efficient
Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Donalds from Florida.
This bill advances a goal shared by both House Republicans and the
Trump administration to promote government efficiency by holding the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service accountable when reviewing State
Wildlife Action Plans, or SWAPs.
SWAPs serve as blueprints for identifying each State's and
territory's unique conservation needs. By law, States must have an
updated SWAP to receive funding through the State Wildlife Grants
program, and SWAPs must be updated every 10 years.
The SWAPs of 44 States, the District of Columbia, and three
territories are up for renewal in 2025. In the past, the approval
process for SWAPs has taken as long as 18 months due to bureaucratic
delays at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Last year, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service entered into a memorandum of understanding to
simplify the review process for these plans. This bill is intended to
complement that work by directing the Secretary of the Interior to
approve SWAPs within 180 days of submission.
I commend Representative Donalds for his continued leadership, and I
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1676.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1676 will improve the State-led conservation of
priority fish and wildlife resources by improving the efficiency of the
State Wildlife Action Plan review process.
State wildlife managers in every U.S. State are facing increasing
challenges. Nationwide, more than one-third of all plant and animal
species face heightened risks of extinction.
State Wildlife Action Plans are essential to proactively conserving
fish and wildlife, rather than waiting for populations to decline to a
point where they need Endangered Species Act protections. These plans
provide a comprehensive assessment of the status of States' wildlife
populations, key habitats, and strategies to keep the populations
strong.
Each year, these funds provide States with upwards of $54.4 million
to conserve species and critical habitats. These funds have enabled
numerous success stories, including research and conservation for the
rare Sierra Nevada red fox in California and the Cook Inlet beluga
whales in Alaska.
States must update and resubmit their action plans every 10 years to
qualify for annual State wildlife funds. This year, dozens of States
are going through their annual process. They are concerned than an
already thin Fish and Wildlife workforce will have a difficult time
processing these plans in a timely fashion.
This bill would redirect the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
States to work together to speed up State Wildlife Action Plan review
processes, and it would codify the Fish and Wildlife Service's current
practice of automatic implementation, while a plan is in review, to
ensure that States don't lose access to these critical conservation
funds while the service reviews their plans.
At the same time, this bill would maintain the standards by which
these plans are reviewed, ensuring that these Federal dollars are used
responsibly and as Congress intended.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1676,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Donalds), the lead sponsor of this bill.
Mr. DONALDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill,
H.R. 1676, the Make SWAPs Efficient Act.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of State Wildlife Action Plans,
a major milestone for fish and wildlife conservation. Statewide action
plans serve as a vital blueprint for identifying the unique
conservation needs of each State and territory and are required for
States to take part in the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant program.
These plans play a leading role in helping to prevent and recover
endangered species and guide the conservation of over 12,000 species in
the greatest conservation need.
Currently, there is no deadline for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service to approve a State-submitted wildlife action plan, with most
taking over 18 months to simply get an approval. This is something that
is unacceptable, and my legislation seeks to change that.
The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to approve a State's
SWAP within 180 days, once the Secretary determines the SWAP complies
with the requirements of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration
Act. If the Department of the Interior fails to authorize the SWAP
within 180 days, the SWAP is deemed approved.
It is time to take a real swipe to unnecessary red tape, minimize
self-induced delays, and streamline the regulatory process for the
allocation of much-needed conservation funding to our States.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very good piece of legislation. It was my
pleasure to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this. I
recommend that the body approve this legislation.
Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my
colleagues to do so, as well.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, this bill will help make the Federal
Government more efficient and ensure our conservation programs work as
they were intended.
Once again, I thank Mr. Donalds for his diligent work and attention
to this issue. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
[[Page H5080]]
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crank) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1676, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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