To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to expand the exemption process under section 7 of that Act with respect to national security and significant adverse national or regional economic impacts.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 9, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
H.R. 3845 would expand exemptions to the Endangered Species Act by making it easier for federal agencies, state governors, and permit applicants to bypass protections for endangered or threatened species when national security or significant economic impacts are at stake. Currently, exemptions are narrow and difficult to obtain; this bill broadens the grounds for exemption to include cases where protecting endangered species would impair national security or cause serious adverse economic effects at the national or regional level. The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to consult with the National Security Council and the Director of the National Economic Council when evaluating such exemptions, giving those agencies a formal role in the decision-making process. The changes would streamline the exemption approval process and potentially allow more federal projects—such as infrastructure, defense, or resource development initiatives—to proceed even if they harm protected species. The bill has no specific funding mechanism or implementation timeline specified in the text provided.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.