This bill, titled "Pet and Livestock Protection Act," is misleading; it actually focuses on gray wolf management. It requires the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a 2020 rule removing gray wolves from the endangered species list within 60 days of enactment. The bill also prohibits courts from reviewing this reissuance. This directly affects gray wolf populations and management policies in states where wolves are present, shifting regulatory control away from federal endangered species protections.
The PERMIT Act (HR 3898) amends the definition of "navigable waters" under the Clean Water Act to exclude specific water features from federal regulation. It explicitly removes waste treatment systems, ephemeral streams (flowing only after rain), prior converted cropland, groundwater, and other features designated by regulators. This change directly affects federal agencies like the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, reducing their jurisdiction over these excluded water bodies. The bill aims to streamline permitting by clarifying which waters fall under federal Clean Water Act oversight.
This bill makes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the sole lead agency for environmental reviews (NEPA) of natural gas pipeline projects, replacing the current multi-agency process. It requires FERC to coordinate early with other federal, state, or tribal agencies that issue permits, sets strict 90-day deadlines for final approvals after FERC's review, and mandates that other agencies defer to FERC's environmental assessment scope. The bill also streamlines water quality reviews by shifting certification requirements to FERC coordination and requires public tracking of all agency actions and deadlines through FERC's website. Pipeline applicants, FERC, and all agencies involved in permitting (like environmental or water quality authorities) are directly affected by these coordination and timeline requirements.
HJRES 131 blocks a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule that would have allowed oil and gas leasing in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain. The bill uses the Congressional Review Act to formally disapprove this specific rule, making it legally void. It directly affects the BLM's ability to advance the leasing program and companies seeking permits for oil and gas development in that area. The resolution became law after passing both chambers of Congress in late 2025.
HJRES 130 is a congressional disapproval resolution that blocks a specific rule issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for its Buffalo Field Office. The resolution, enacted December 11, 2025, prevents the "Buffalo Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment" from taking effect under federal law. This action directly affects the BLM's management of public lands in the Buffalo area by invalidating the resource management plan amendment. The resolution follows the Congressional Review Act process, which allows Congress to reject agency rules within a specified timeframe.
This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) relating to the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Alaska’s Central Yukon planning area and issued on November 12, 2024. By way of background, an RMP guides the management of lands administered by the BLM. This Central Yukon RMP modified the prior RMP for the area, including by designating 21 areas of critical environmental concern or research natural areas, encompassing approximately 3,611,000 acres.
HJRES 105 is a procedural resolution that blocks a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule concerning North Dakota's resource management plan. It directs Congress to disapprove the BLM's "North Dakota Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan" (issued January 2025), which the Government Accountability Office determined qualified as a "rule" under the Congressional Review Act. The resolution states this BLM rule will have no legal effect once enacted. This action directly affects the implementation of the BLM's resource management plan for North Dakota's public lands.
HR 1676, the "Make SWAPs Efficient Act of 2025," requires the federal government to approve or deny state wildlife conservation plans within 180 days of receiving them. This directly affects states that submit comprehensive wildlife conservation plans under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. If the Secretary fails to act within that timeframe, the state's plan is automatically approved as of the 180th day. The bill streamlines the approval process to prevent federal delays from blocking state conservation funding.
This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exclusive authority to approve U.S. LNG export terminal projects, requiring FERC to deem such exports consistent with the public interest. It directly affects natural gas companies seeking to build or expand export facilities and streamlines FERC's review process by removing prior requirements for interagency coordination. The bill clarifies that FERC's decisions won't override existing sanctions laws, including restrictions on trade with countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism under current law. This change aims to accelerate domestic LNG export projects while maintaining legal safeguards for national security and foreign policy.
This bill (SJRES 80) is a joint resolution disapproving a specific rule issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) concerning oil and gas activities in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. It directly affects the BLM's management of the reserve by nullifying its 2022 "Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision," which outlined drilling and leasing plans. The resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act (chapter 8 of title 5 U.S. Code) to formally block the rule, stating it "shall have no force or effect." This procedural action was passed by Congress and signed into law on December 5, 2025, reversing the BLM's regulatory framework for the Alaska reserve.