Sponsors (9)
The bill would substantially reduce immediate poisoning risks to people, pets, and nontarget wildlife by restricting and removing M–44 cyanide devices and clarifying oversight, but it shifts costs and operational burdens onto ranchers, state and local governments, and may complicate predator management and enforcement.
Children, families, pet owners, and people who recreate or work on public lands will face a reduced near-term risk of accidental cyanide poisoning because the bill requires removal of M–44 devices and enables restrictions on their use.
Endangered species and other nontarget wildlife will likely experience fewer fatalities and reduced ecosystem harm if agencies limit or ban M–44 deployment in sensitive areas.
The public and health systems may benefit from stronger oversight because the bill prompts regulatory review and improves agency accountability for a hazardous pesticide registered under FIFRA.
Ranchers and livestock owners will likely face higher predator-control costs or need to adopt more expensive or less-effective alternatives if M–44 use is restricted.
State and local governments and taxpayers will bear the costs to locate, remove, monitor, and enforce restrictions on M–44 devices, which could strain budgets and shift expenses to public coffers.
Wildlife management programs may lose an established tool for controlling predators, potentially increasing human–wildlife conflicts and livestock losses in some communities.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Bans placement or use of M–44 cyanide ejector devices on federal public land and requires agencies to remove existing devices within 30 days of enactment.
Introduced June 26, 2025 by Jeff Merkley · Last progress June 26, 2025
Prohibits placing, installing, setting, deploying, or otherwise using M–44 cyanide ejector devices on public (federal) land and requires any such devices to be removed by federal, state, or county agencies within 30 days of the law taking effect. The bill defines M–44 devices as sodium cyanide–propelling predator control devices and lists which federal land agencies count as public land managers. The bill also finds that sodium cyanide is a highly toxic pesticide ingredient used in M–44s, documents accidental human and nontarget animal poisonings and deaths, notes limited killing effectiveness for intended targets, and cites threats to endangered species and public safety from M–44 use on public lands.