The record

LegislationLegislation· Sep 2026
HR 9191 Passed House — in Senate

Sponsored by Erin Houchin (R)

National Fossil Act of 2026

Designates the American Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex as national fossils.

Tradeoff

This bill has no fiscal cost or policy trade-off. It adds two fossils to the list of official national symbols.

What's in it

See official bill text

No estimated federal cost or deficit impact.

This bill amends federal law to designate two national fossil symbols (American mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex), similar to existing designations like the national bird; the CBO found no significant federal cost because the bill creates no new programs, enforcement machinery, or substantive regulatory burden beyond symbolic updates to law.

H.R. 9191, National Fossil Act of 2026 · Aug 2026

Passed the House by on September 16, 2026 — sitting in the Senate.

  1. House

    Introduced

    (Jun 8, 2026)

  2. House

    Committee on the Judiciary(Jun 8, 2026)

  3. House

    The Committee on Judiciary voted to send it to the floor

    Reported 22 - 1(Jul 15, 2026)

    Committee report H. Rept. 119-803.

  4. House

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Sep 16, 2026)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  5. Senate

    Received from the House

    on the Judiciary(Sep 17, 2026)