Sponsors (16)
The bill shifts national monument authority from the President to Congress—giving state and local governments more control and reducing sudden federal restrictions for nearby businesses—but at the cost of slower, more politicized protections that raise the risk of delayed conservation and management uncertainty.
State and local governments would gain direct authority and greater public deliberation over new national monument designations, increasing local control of land-use decisions.
Businesses near potential monument areas (e.g., energy, mining, utilities) would face fewer sudden federal land-use restrictions from presidential proclamations, reducing regulatory uncertainty for nearby commercial operations.
Conservation groups, scientists, and nearby communities would lose the ability to obtain rapid federal protection via presidential proclamation, meaning important cultural, scientific, or natural sites could remain unprotected longer and be at greater risk of development or degradation.
Federal land managers and staff (e.g., National Park Service) would face greater uncertainty and planning delays while awaiting congressional action, complicating management, maintenance, and infrastructure planning on affected lands.
Residents and local governments could see monument decisions become more politicized, potentially shifting outcomes toward development interests in some districts and weakening conservation protections.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Eliminates the president's authority under the Antiquities Act to create or expand national monuments and requires explicit congressional authorization instead.
Changes how national monuments are created or expanded by removing the president's ability to act by proclamation and requiring an explicit act of Congress for any new or enlarged national monument. It amends the federal statute that implements the Antiquities Act so monument designations require congressional authorization rather than unilateral executive action. This is a narrow statutory change: it does not itself fund programs or create a new agency, but it shifts decision-making power from the president to Congress and will affect how quickly and through what process lands and historic sites can receive monument protections.
Introduced January 16, 2025 by Celeste Maloy · Last progress January 16, 2025