Environment

This resolution establishes the majority party's membership on the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Energy and Natural Resources; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Special Committee on Aging.

Freedom for Farmers Act of 2025 This bill abolishes the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Currently, this agency, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), investigates and responds to environmental exposures to hazardous substances in communities. The bill requires HHS to transfer authority regarding certain national disease and toxic exposure registries to another appropriate HHS entity.

Paws Off Act of 2025 This bill forbids the sale of food that contains xylitol unless the food's label contains a warning about the toxic effects of xylitol for dogs if ingested.

Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2025 This bill requires the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to (1) jointly evaluate the container aerial firefighting system to assess its use to mitigate and suppress wildfires, and (2) report on the results of the evaluation to Congress. The system allows for the use of airdrop-capable disposable containers of water or fire retardant in order to increase the number of airlift assets available for wildfire emergencies.

This bill requires naturally propagated animals (i.e., wild animals) and artificially propagated animals to be treated the same under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Specifically, distinctions between naturally propagated animals and artificially propagated animals may not be made when the federal government makes determinations under the ESA, such as determinations to designate endangered species, threatened species, or critical habitats. In addition, the bill requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to authorize the use of artificial propagation of animals of a species when mitigation is required under the ESA. This bill applies to all endangered or threatened species regardless of when they were listed as endangered or threatened.

This bill increases funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program. As background, this Department of Agriculture program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to maintain and improve existing conservation systems and to adopt additional conservation activities in a comprehensive manner on a producer's entire operation.

This joint resolution nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency rule titled Trichloroethylene (TCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (89 Fed. Reg. 102568) and published on December 17, 2024. Among other elements, the rule prohibits the manufacturing, import, processing, and distribution in commerce of trichloroethylene (TCE) for all uses (including consumer uses), and prohibits the industrial and commercial use of TCE.

Armed Forces Endangered Species Exemption Act This bill establishes exemptions from the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) for defense-related operations. First, the bill prohibits the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) from designating military installations or state-owned National Guard installations as critical habitat under the ESA. It also prohibits FWS and NMFS from designating other lands, waters, or geographical areas as critical habitats if the Department of Defense (DOD) determines that the areas are necessary for military training, weapons testing, or other reasons. While DOD must submit such determinations in writing to the FWS, DOD is not required to consult with the FWS under the ESA about such determinations.  Next, the bill exempts military personnel engaged in national defense-related operations (actions or duties that DOD deems necessary to support its mission) from ESA prohibitions on (1) taking (e.g., harming or killing) of endangered species or threatened species; (2) importing or exporting such species; and (3) damaging, destroying, removing, cutting, or digging up such species. Further, the bill exempts any injury to or mortality of a threatened or endangered species that results from, but is not the purpose of, a national defense-related operation. The term military personnel means a member of the Armed Forces as well as a civilian employee or contractor of (1) DOD; or (2) any other federal agency, or any provisional authority, to the extent such employment relates to supporting the mission of DOD overseas.

Protecting Agricultural Spaces Through Effective Ranching Strategies Act or the PASTURES Act This bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior from imposing penalties on livestock owners for grazing on certain public lands.  Under the bill, covered lands are National Forest System lands, lands administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or public lands (1) on which grazing is allowed by a permit or lease on or after the date of the bill's enactment and is then subsequently prohibited, and (2) that border private property. Specifically, the departments may not impose a penalty on an owner of livestock (including cattle, bison, horses, sheep, and goats) for grazing on covered lands that do not have a fence to prevent grazing. The bill specifies that USDA or Interior, depending on the covered land, is responsible for any expense related to the construction or maintenance of a fence for the prevention of grazing by livestock.

Increasing Public Access to Recreation Act This bill increases the amount made available from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for recreational public access projects on federal land.

Strategic Production Response and Implementation Act This bill modifies the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to prohibit the Department of Energy (DOE) from drawing down petroleum products in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until DOE develops and implements a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production. The increase must be equal to the percentage of petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that is to be drawn down. However, the bill does not apply to a drawdown of petroleum products in the case of a severe energy supply interruption, which is permitted under current law.  The plan must not provide for a total increase in the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production in excess of 10%.

Less Imprecision in Species Treatment Act of 2025 or the LIST Act of 2025 This bill modifies the process for removing a species from the endangered or threatened species lists and makes related requirements.  A species must be removed from the endangered or threatened species lists if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service produces or receives substantial scientific or commercial information demonstrating that the species is recovered or that recovery goals set for the species have been met. The publication and notice of a proposed regulation to remove a species from the lists must consist solely of a notice of the removal. The bill establishes a process for removing species from the lists if they were erroneously or wrongfully listed. The bill prohibits a person from submitting a petition to list a species as a threatened or endangered species for 10 years if the person knowingly submitted a petition with information that was inaccurate beyond scientifically reasonable margins of error, fraudulent, or misrepresentative.

This resolution establishes the majority party's membership on and designates chairs of the following committees: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Indian Affairs Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans' Affairs Joint Economic Committee Select Committee on Ethics Select Committee on Intelligence Special Committee on Aging