Legislative Activity

The Grizzly Bear State Management Act mandates the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the 2017 rule delisting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear population within 180 days. This reissuance must occur without regard to other applicable laws governing final rules. Furthermore, the reissued 2017 rule is explicitly shielded from judicial review.

The Wyoming Education Trust Modernization Act updates existing state law regarding revenue generated from public lands set aside for education. This legislation revises statutory language to consistently refer to the income from these lands as "earnings" instead of "interest" or "income thereof." The goal is to modernize terminology within the original 1890 Act governing these educational trust funds.

The Small Projects Expedited Execution and Delivery (SPEED) Act aims to speed up the delivery of certain transportation projects by increasing the federal funding thresholds for categorical exclusions. This allows projects with greater federal investment, up to $\$12$ million or $\$70$ million depending on the category, to qualify for a streamlined environmental and planning review process. By raising these limits, the bill seeks to accelerate the execution and delivery of smaller-scale infrastructure improvements.

The Expedited Appeals Review Act (EARA) establishes new, accelerated timelines for the Board of Land Appeals (BOLA) to decide on certain appeals from the Department of the Interior upon request by the appellant. If BOLA fails to meet this expedited deadline, the original decision is automatically treated as final agency action, allowing the appellant to seek immediate judicial review. This review by the court will be conducted *de novo*, meaning the court will examine the case without deference to the agency's prior findings.

This bill mandates the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Secretaries of the Interior and Energy to address the financial impacts of the recent Glen Canyon Dam Record of Decision on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund. The resulting plan must ensure the Fund can meet its obligations for maintenance and equipment replacement, account for any changes in hydropower production costs, and address impacts on listed threatened or endangered species. This action aims to safeguard the Fund's financial stability despite the new operational plan.

This Act prohibits the issuance of F and M student visas to individuals planning to attend educational institutions located within designated "sanctuary jurisdictions." A sanctuary jurisdiction is defined as any state or local government that actively obstructs federal immigration enforcement efforts, such as refusing to comply with ICE detainers. The visa restrictions remain in place until the Secretary of Homeland Security determines the jurisdiction is no longer impeding immigration enforcement.

The Landowner Easement Rights Act limits new federal conservation easements to a maximum term of 30 years. It grants landowners the option to renegotiate existing easements for a new 30-year term, receiving payment for the current fair market value minus the original payment, or to buy back the easement. The Act also establishes new notification requirements for the Secretary of the Interior regarding landowner rights for eligible easements.

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 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 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 "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.

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.

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 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.

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.