Sponsors (4)
The bill promotes ecological and long-term cost benefits by prioritizing native plants and increasing transparency in federal landscaping, at the expense of some short-term project costs, contractor compliance burdens, and ongoing agency reporting work.
Local governments, rural communities, and the public will benefit from more habitat and better support for native pollinators because federal projects will prioritize native-plant use in landscape work.
Federal facilities and taxpayers may see lower long-term maintenance costs and reduced landscape water and stormwater use as native-plantings can cut ongoing operating expenses.
Agencies and contractors will have clearer guidance and greater accountability through CEQ guidance and biennial public reporting, improving transparency and spreading best practices across projects.
Taxpayers and contractors may face higher short-term project costs or delays when native plant stock is limited or more expensive.
Contractors will face increased compliance burdens from mandated contract and subcontract requirements, raising administrative costs for federal projects.
Agencies and staff must perform recurring biennial reporting and standards updates, creating ongoing administrative work that diverts staff time and resources.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires federal agencies to prioritize native plants in qualifying projects, update standards, and directs CEQ guidance and biennial public reporting.
Introduced February 21, 2025 by Mikie Sherrill · Last progress February 21, 2025
Requires federal agencies to prioritize use of native plants in qualifying federal construction and maintenance projects, consider lifecycle benefits of native planting choices, and incorporate these requirements into contracts and subcontracts. Directs the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to issue guidance within 180 days and every two years thereafter, and to publish a public report on native plant use every two years beginning within two years of enactment. Also requires agencies that maintain facility design or landscape standards to update those standards to reflect the native-plant priority. The law defines key terms by reference to existing statutes and a prior appropriations act and includes an exception for turfgrass/lawns.