Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act
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Would bar the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service from prohibiting or regulating lead ammunition or tackle on federal land and water open to hunting or fishing.
The bill would allow narrow exceptions only where an agency shows lead is the primary cause of a wildlife population decline at a specific site, and the affected state's fish and wildlife agency agrees, limiting federal authority to restrict lead-based hunting and fishing gear.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would prohibit the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, acting through the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service, from banning the use of lead ammunition or tackle, or issuing regulations on lead levels in ammunition or tackle, on federal land or water under their jurisdiction that is open to hunting or fishing. The prohibition would not apply to certain existing federal wildlife regulations already in effect, nor would it apply to a site-specific restriction if the relevant agency determines, based on field data, that a wildlife population decline at that specific unit of land or water is primarily caused by lead ammunition or tackle, and the restriction is consistent with or approved by the state's fish and wildlife department. Any such exception would require a Federal Register notice explaining how it meets these conditions.
Key provisions
- 1Would prohibit the applicable Secretary from banning lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water made available for hunting or fishing
- 2Would prohibit the applicable Secretary from issuing regulations on lead levels in ammunition or tackle used on such federal land or water
- 3Would exempt existing regulations under 50 C.F.R. 20.21 or 20.108 as in effect on enactment from the new prohibition
- 4Would allow a site-specific exception if the agency finds lead primarily caused a wildlife population decline there, based on field data, and the restriction aligns with or is approved by the state fish and wildlife department
- 5Would require a Federal Register notice explaining how any such exception meets the population-decline and state-consistency requirements
Who would be affected
Hunters and anglers who use federal land and water managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service, as well as those three agencies, the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, and state fish and wildlife departments that would review any proposed site-specific exceptions.
Why it matters
Hunters and anglers would retain broad access to lead ammunition and tackle on federal land and water, limiting agencies' ability to impose blanket restrictions meant to protect wildlife from lead exposure. Wildlife agencies would face a higher bar—site-specific data plus state approval—before restricting lead use anywhere, narrowing a tool some use for conservation.
What would change
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates the bill would have no significant effect on the federal budget, with all direct spending, revenue, and deficit effects falling between -$500,000 and $500,000 over the 2026–2035 period.
H.R. 556 would prohibit the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior from banning or limiting lead hunting ammunition and fishing tackle on their properties, with a narrow exception where lead is determined to be the primary cause of a wildlife decline. CBO estimates implementation costs — such as reviewing existing lead prohibitions — would be less than $500,000 over the 2026–2030 period, subject to appropriated funds. The bill's effect on revenues is indeterminate in both magnitude and direction: if hunters shift back to lead ammunition from pricier alternatives, excise tax revenues deposited into the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund could fall, but overall ammunition sales increases could offset that. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
Under the bill, the three land-management agencies would be barred by default from restricting lead ammunition or tackle on hunting and fishing land. To impose a site-specific restriction, an agency would need to compile field data showing lead is the primary cause of a wildlife population decline at that specific unit, confirm the restriction is consistent with or approved by the state's fish and wildlife department, and then publish a Federal Register notice explaining how those conditions were met before the restriction could take effect.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill bars the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Forest Service from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water. The bill makes exceptions for specified existing regulations and where the FWS, the BLM, or the Forest Service determines that a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from such unit, and the state approves the regulations.
Legislative subjects
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances; Hunting and fishing; Land use and conservation; Metals; Public Lands and Natural Resources; Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-385