December 10, 2025
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
To require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities.
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 Cormorant Relief Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Regulations relating to taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities
(a) In general
The Secretary shall reissue the original depredation order in accordance with subsection (b).
(b) Requirements
The depredation order reissued under subsection (a) shall be the same as the original depredation order, except that the depredation order reissued under subsection (a) shall—
(1)
apply to—
(A)
each of the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and any other State or territory of the United States the Secretary determines appropriate in addition to and in the same manner as each of the States to which the original depredation order applied; and
(B)
lake managers and pond managers in addition to and in the same manner as each of the entities to which the original depredation order applied;
(2)
incorporate modern terminology;
(3)
simplify the provisions contained in the original depredation order related to compliance with other Federal law;
(4)
modernize the recordkeeping requirements contained in the original depredation order; and
(5)
remove the June 30, 2014, expiration date contained in the original depredation order.
(c) Renewal
Not less than once every 5 years after the date on which the Secretary reissues the original depredation order under subsection (a), the Secretary shall renew the depredation order reissued under subsection (a).
(d) Rule of construction
Nothing in this Act may be construed to waive the obligation of the Secretary to comply with the—
(1)
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); or
(2)
Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.).
(e) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Lake manager
The term lake manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private lake.
(2) Original depredation order
The term original depredation order means the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities contained in section 21.47 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 1, 2016).
(3) Pond manager
The term pond manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private pond.
(4) Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.