The record

LegislationLegislation· Dec 2025
HR 2293 Passed House — in Senate

Sponsored by Mike Ezell (R)

Cormorant Relief Act of 2025

Lets aquaculture operators kill cormorants damaging fish farms without federal permits.

Tradeoff

Authorizes taking cormorants at fish farms and hatcheries across 12 named states plus others Interior deems appropriate. Requires Interior to renew the order every five years and comply with environmental and migratory bird laws.

What's in it

See official bill text

Negligible effect on the federal deficit over 2025-2035; cost is between zero and $500,000.

The $500,000 or less is the federal cost to administer the new rule; the policy's real economic impact is on aquaculture businesses and hatcheries that no longer need permits to control cormorants at their facilities.

H.R. 2293, Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 · Sep 2025

Passed the House by on December 9, 2025 — sitting in the Senate.

  1. House

    Introduced

    (Mar 24, 2025)

  2. House

    Committee on Natural Resources(Mar 24, 2025)

  3. House

    The Committee on Natural Resources voted to send it to the floor

    Reported(Jul 15, 2025)

    Committee report H. Rept. 119-285.

  4. House

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Dec 9, 2025)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  5. Senate

    Received from the House

    on Environment and Public Works(Dec 10, 2025)