[House Report 119-192]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-192
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TO RENAME THE ANAHUAC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE LOCATED IN THE STATE OF
TEXAS AS THE ``JOCELYN NUNGARAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE''
_______
July 10, 2025.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
_______
Mr. Westerman, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3179]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 3179) to rename the Anahuac National Wildlife
Refuge located in the State of Texas as the ``Jocelyn Nungaray
National Wildlife Refuge'', having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the
bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 3179 is to rename the Anahuac National
Wildlife Refuge located in the State of Texas as the ``Jocelyn
Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge''.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Jocelyn Nungaray was a 12-year-old girl from Houston,
Texas, whose life was tragically cut short on June 16, 2024,
when she was raped and murdered by two Venezuelan nationals who
entered the U.S. illegally and are allegedly members of the
notorious Tren de Aragua gang.\1\ Jocelyn's death quickly
garnered national attention and renewed calls for more
stringent immigration policies.\2\
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\1\``Department of the Interior Renames Anahuac National Wildlife
Refuge in Honor of Jocelyn Nungaray,'' March 10, 2025. https://
www.doi.gov/document-library/secretary-order/so-3425-renaming-anahuac-
national-wildlife-refuge-honor-jocelyn.
\2\Id.
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To permanently commemorate Ms. Nungaray, who was known for
her special affinity for animals, President Trump signed
Executive Order (E.O.) 14229 on March 4, 2025. This order
directed the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to change
the name of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge to the
``Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.''\3\
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\3\Executive Order 14229, The White House, March 2025, https://
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/honoring-jocelyn-
nungaray/.
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Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn's mother, was a special guest of
the President during his March 4, 2025, address to Congress.
During his speech, the President said:
One thing I have learned about Jocelyn is that she
loved animals so much. She loved nature. Across
Galveston Bay from where Jocelyn lived in Houston, you
will find a magnificent national wildlife refuge. A
pristine, peaceful, 34,000-acre sanctuary for all of
God's creatures on the edge of the Gulf of America.\4\
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\4\``Remarks By President Trump in Joint Address to Congress,''
March 4, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/remarks/2025/03/remarks-by-
president-trump-in-joint-address-to-congress/.
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On March 7, 2025, Secretary Doug Burgum signed a
Secretary's Order to implement President Trump's E.O.\5\ H.R.
3179, introduced by Representative Brian Babin on May 5, 2025,
would codify the E.O. to ensure that this renaming cannot be
overturned by a future administration without Congressional
action.
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\5\Secretary Order 3425, U.S. Department of the Interior, March
2025, https://www.doi.gov/document-library/secretary-order/so-3425-
renaming-anahuac-national-wildlife-refuge-honor-jocelyn.
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Established in 1963 along the Texas coast of the Gulf of
America, the refuge protects coastal marsh and prairie,
providing habitat for migratory and resident waterfowl,
shorebirds, and waterbirds.\6\ In addition to serving as a
sanctuary, it offers the public numerous opportunities for
fishing, waterfowl hunting, and wildlife viewing, hosting more
than 800,000 visitors a year.\7\
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\6\``Joceyln Nungaray national Wildlife Refuge,'' U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/jocelyn-nungaray/about-us.
\7\Id.
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The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.\8\
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\8\Id.
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COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 3179 was introduced on May 5, 2025, by Representative
Brian Babin (R-TX). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee
on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. On May 20, 2025, the
Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a hearing on
the bill. On June 25, 2025, the Committee on Natural Resources
met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife
and Fisheries was discharged from further consideration of H.R.
3179 by unanimous consent. The bill was ordered favorably
reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
held on May 20, 2025.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Findings
Congress finds the following:
On June 17, 2024, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray
was brutally murdered in Houston, Texas.
Two illegal aliens who were allegedly members
of the Tren de Aragua gang have been charged with her
murder.
On March 5, 2025, President Donald J. Trump
signed E.O. 14229 renaming the area known as the
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge as the ``Jocelyn
Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge''.
Ms. Nungaray loved animals and, given the
close proximity of her hometown of Houston, it is
fitting that the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge be
renamed in her honor.
Section 2. Renaming of Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
H.R. 3179 codifies the renaming of the Anahuac National
Wildlife Refuge as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife
Refuge. This ensures any reference in law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States referring
to the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge is changed to the
Joceyln Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of House rule XIII and section
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and pursuant to
clause 3(c)(3) of House rule XIII and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested
but not received from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office a budgetary analysis and a cost estimate of this bill.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to rename the Anahuac National
Wildlife Refuge located in the State of Texas as the ``Jocelyn
Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge''.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee, if such
estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional Budget
Office website.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
As ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources,
H.R. 3179 would make no changes in existing law.
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