Legislative Activity

The Expedited Appeals Review Act (EARA) aims to expedite the resolution of appeals to the Board of Land Appeals regarding Department of the Interior decisions. It allows parties to request an expedited review, mandating the Board to issue a final decision within 6 months of the written notice, but no earlier than 18 months after the initial appeal filing. Failure by the Board to meet this deadline results in the Department of the Interior's decision being considered a final agency action, subject to judicial review. This Act prioritizes these timelines over conflicting deadlines in other laws.

The Landowner Easement Rights Act limits the term of new conservation easements to 30 years and allows landowners with existing easements to request detailed maps, fair market value assessments, and renegotiation of terms, including shortening the easement term or buying it back. The Secretary of the Interior is required to notify landowners of these rights. It defines a conservation easement as a voluntary legal agreement, excluding those with Indian Tribes or related to utilities, and specifies "eligible conservation easements" based on their duration or lack of official maps.

The GUARD Act amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to protect the rights of parents or guardians to oppose gender identity affirmation interventions for minors whose gender identity is inconsistent with their biological sex. States that discriminate against these parents or guardians will not receive federal funding. Parents or guardians who experience discrimination can sue the Department of Health and Human Services to stop funding to the state.

This bill renames the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, to honor Barbara L. Cubin. The newly named center will be known as the "Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center". The bill also directs that any law, regulation, map, record, or other official paper of the United States refer to the center as the "Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center".

The Postal Processing Protection Act amends title 39 of the United States Code to include any Postal Service owned or operated acceptance, processing, shipping, delivery, or distribution facility that supports one or more post offices. This change broadens the scope of facilities subject to specific requirements when the Postal Service considers closing or consolidating them.

The Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Act of 2025 designates several wilderness areas and releases certain Wilderness Study Areas for other uses, including motorized recreation. It establishes the Dubois Badlands National Conservation Area and the Dubois Motorized Recreation Area, along with several Special Management Areas aimed at enhancing natural and recreational values. The Act also mandates land transfer studies and the creation of implementation teams for land management and recreation in specific counties. Finally, the bill requires studies for potential motorized recreation areas in Hot Springs and Washakie Counties.

The "Parental Oversight and Educational Transparency Act" ensures parents are informed about school activities that involve surveys or evaluations concerning personal beliefs, sexual behavior, or illegal behaviors. Schools must notify parents 14 days in advance of such activities. Written consent from parents is required before students can participate.

The "POSTAL Act" prevents the Postal Service from closing or downgrading processing and distribution centers, ensuring each state maintains at least one such facility. This aims to maintain local mail processing capabilities across the country. "Processing and distribution center" is defined as a central mail facility that handles incoming and outgoing mail for a specific area, provides mailing instructions, and is a sectional center facility, a general mail facility, or a dedicated mail processing facility without a station or branch. "State" is defined as the 50 States and the District of Columbia.

The INFORM Act of 2025 mandates that the Postal Service must submit planned changes to postal services to the Postal Regulatory Commission for review. The Postal Service is also required to post notices in post offices regarding these changes, including details, timelines, and opportunities for public comment. These notices must be displayed for at least 30 days after the change is implemented.

This bill directs the Secretaries of Interior and Energy to develop a memorandum of understanding to assess the effects of the Glen Canyon Dam record of decision on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund. The assessment will address the decision's impact on the Fund's obligations, hydropower production, and endangered species. It requires examination of infrastructure maintenance, replacement power costs, and grid reliability. The bill does not alter existing legal rights or obligations.

The "Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act of 2025" reauthorizes and extends the Colorado River System conservation pilot program. It updates the program's references and extends key deadlines, allowing the program to continue through 2026 and be finalized by 2027.

The "PLCAA Federal Jurisdiction Act" allows firearm manufacturers, sellers, or trade associations to move civil lawsuits from state court to federal court if they believe the suit qualifies as a "qualified civil liability action." The federal court will then determine if the case meets this definition and can dismiss the case if it does.

The PASTURES Act limits the ability of the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to penalize livestock owners for grazing on specific federal lands where grazing was previously allowed but is now prohibited, unless a fence is present to prevent such grazing. The relevant Secretary will be responsible for all costs associated with building and maintaining the fence. This applies to National Forest System lands, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, and public lands bordering private property.

The "No Net Gain in Federal Lands Act of 2025" limits federal land ownership by requiring that any land acquired by the federal government be offset by an equal amount of land disposed of in the same state during the same fiscal year. The Secretary of Interior or Agriculture must conduct annual inventories of federal land and report any net increases to Congress and the President. If a net increase occurs, the President must convey an equivalent amount of federal land to the state within 24 months.

This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985, modifying how the Secretary of Agriculture manages non-federal contributions for conservation programs. It allows the creation of dedicated sub-accounts for each conservation program to receive funds. The bill also removes several existing requirements related to the use and management of these contributions.

The Expression of Interest Sensibility Act amends the Mineral Leasing Act to replace bonus bids with fees for expressions of interest in oil and gas leases. The Secretary will assess a fee for the expression of interest against the person who submitted the first expression of interest if no bid is received, or against the successful bidder if land receives a successful bid at a lease sale. An expression of interest remains active for at least 5 years, unless the land is offered at a lease sale.

This bill exempts federal actions concerning energy and mineral activities on federal lands from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This includes leases, easements, or rights-of-way for oil, gas, or coal under the Mineral Leasing Act, and permits/authorizations for critical mineral exploration/extraction under the Mining Law of 1872. Effectively, these activities would not require environmental impact assessments typically mandated by NEPA.

The "Regulatory Cooling Off Act of 2025" amends Title 5 of the United States Code to modify the rule implementation process. It enforces a minimum 60-day feedback period, extends the waiting period for new rules to take effect from 30 days to 6 months, and mandates agencies to submit finalized rules to Congress for review at least 6 months before the rule's effective date. Additionally, it requires agencies to announce the effective date of finalized rules in the Federal Register and on their website at least 24 hours before official publication, and it modifies the review period for Congress to consider the rule from 60 days to 6 months.

The "Seventh Amendment Restoration Act" allows individuals or businesses involved in administrative agency disputes to move their case from an agency hearing to a federal district court. This change aims to provide an alternative venue for resolving disputes with federal agencies, similar to the process of moving cases from state to federal courts. It defines an agency hearing officer as administrative law judges or authorized agency employees.

The COAL Act of 2025 aims to expedite the approval process for certain pending coal lease applications and mining operations. It mandates the Secretary to promptly publish environmental assessments, determine fair market value, and approve these applications. Additionally, the act requires the Secretary to grant approvals necessary for already-awarded coal leases to commence mining. Finally, the act nullifies Secretarial Order 3338, which had impacted the Federal coal leasing program.