Sponsors (6)
The bill directs federal funding and training to expand nonlethal human–wildlife conflict solutions—benefiting farmers, rural and tribal communities, and wildlife—while imposing a modest federal cost and risking uneven geographic access, reduced lethal-option flexibility in some cases, and limited funds for research and innovation.
Livestock owners and agricultural producers will receive federal assistance and training to deploy nonlethal measures that reduce livestock losses from predators.
Rural and tribal communities will get funding for demonstration projects and state plan assistance to lower human–wildlife conflicts that damage crops, property, or infrastructure.
Conservation outcomes may improve because the program prioritizes nonlethal strategies that reduce harm to wildlife while addressing conflicts.
In situations where lethal control may be necessary, focusing funding and assistance on nonlethal methods could leave some producers facing continued or increased livestock losses.
Prioritizing states where the existing APHIS Nonlethal Initiative operates may leave producers in other states without immediate access to resources, creating uneven geographic coverage and equity concerns.
Capping research spending at 10% of program funds could slow development of new nonlethal technologies and limit rigorous evaluation of which strategies work best.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes a USDA Human–Wildlife Conflict Reduction Program to expand APHIS nonlethal strategies, assistance, research, and pilot projects with $20M/year for FY2027–FY2031.
Official title: Amend the Act of March 2, 1931, to establish a Human-Wildlife Conflict Reduction Program, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 4, 2026 by Adam Schiff · Last progress August 4, 2026
Creates a new USDA Human–Wildlife Conflict Reduction Program that builds on and incorporates APHIS’s existing Nonlethal Initiative to develop, coordinate, and deliver nonlethal strategies to reduce conflicts among people, livestock, agriculture, infrastructure, and wildlife. The program directs USDA to pursue research, training, demonstrations, and state planning assistance, and requires an annual report to Congress on activities and effectiveness. Authorizes $20 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031 (with up to 10% of each year’s funds for research), and prioritizes States where APHIS’s Nonlethal Initiative is operating as of enactment and places with documented livestock depredation or other wildlife-related harms.