Sponsors
Ask me about this bill
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Creates an explicit exception in the Endangered Species Act for sturgeon that are born and kept in captivity: farmed sturgeon and their progeny would not be subject to certain ESA prohibitions while they remain in captivity. People or businesses holding those sturgeon must document eligibility and keep records that they must provide to the Secretary of the Interior on request.
Adds a new paragraph titled “Sturgeon” to Section 9(b) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1538(b)).
Subsection (a)(1) and section 7(a)(2) of the Act shall not apply to any sturgeon that is farmed and legally held in captivity or in a controlled environment as of the date of enactment, until the sturgeon is intentionally returned to a wild state.
Subsection (a)(1) and section 7(a)(2) of the Act shall not apply to progeny of a sturgeon described above, until the progeny is intentionally returned to a wild state.
Any person holding a sturgeon or progeny covered by this paragraph must be able to demonstrate that the animal qualifies for the exemption and must maintain and submit, on the Secretary’s request, inventories, documentation, and records that the Secretary may require by regulation as reasonably appropriate to carry out this paragraph.
The record-keeping and submission requirements described above must not unnecessarily duplicate requirements of other rules and regulations the Secretary has promulgated under the Act.
Directly affected: aquaculture facilities, hatcheries, fish breeders, and anyone who holds captive sturgeon will gain regulatory relief from specified ESA prohibitions while the fish remain in captivity, making captive production and commercial activities (for example, caviar production or breeding programs) easier under federal law. Those holders also face new administrative duties to document eligibility and maintain records that must be produced to the Secretary, which creates modest compliance costs and potential enforcement risks if records are inadequate. Conservation groups, fisheries managers, and scientists may be concerned about risks to wild sturgeon if captive fish escape or if wild-caught fish are mischaracterized as farmed; these concerns could drive monitoring, inspection, or additional state-level regulation. Federal agencies (Fish and Wildlife Service / Department of the Interior) would have an added oversight role to verify claims of captivity and ensure the exemption is not abused; the change does not include new funding for that oversight. The law does not change protections for wild sturgeon outside captivity but could have downstream effects on wild populations, market dynamics for sturgeon products, and enforcement workloads.
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Introduced June 17, 2025 by Richard Lynn Scott · Last progress June 17, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Introduced in Senate