Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025

This bill blocks the Interior and Agriculture Departments from banning the use of lead ammunition or fishing tackle on federal lands and waters that are open to hunting or fishing, and it stops them from setting lead-level rules for that gear on those areas. Two existing federal rules remain in place as they are on the date the bill becomes law.

There is a narrow exception: a ban or limit can apply to a specific refuge, forest, or lake only if field data from that exact place show wildlife are declining mainly because of lead from ammo or tackle, and the action matches state law or policy or is approved by the state’s fish and wildlife agency. If that happens, the agency must publish a notice explaining how the decision meets these requirements.

• Who is affected: Hunters and anglers on federal lands and waters; the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service.
• What changes: No blanket federal bans or new lead-content rules for ammo or tackle on open federal hunting and fishing areas, unless a site-specific, data-based case is made and the state is on board.
• When: If enacted, the policy would apply going forward; the two listed existing rules stay as they are on the date of enactment.