Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Don't Feed the Bears Act of 2025 prohibits the intentional feeding of bears on all federal public lands, a hunting practice known as bear baiting. Currently, the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service have regulations against bear baiting, but the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management do not consistently enforce such prohibitions. The bill requires these agencies to adopt and enforce bear-baiting regulations within one year of enactment. According to the bill's findings, bear baiting habituates bears to human food, increases dangerous human-bear encounters, causes millions of dollars in property damage annually, and often results in bears being killed as nuisance animals—despite the fact that a majority of states already ban the practice. The legislation includes a narrow exception allowing bear feeding only in extraordinary circumstances when necessary for bear welfare, public safety, or authorized research.
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.