Sponsors (6)
The bill lets lawful captive holders continue breeding and reduces duplicate paperwork, but raises the risk that exempted captive fish or progeny could harm wild populations and shifts monitoring and compliance costs to taxpayers and holders.
Nonprofits, state and local governments that lawfully hold sturgeon in captivity can continue husbandry and breed progeny without immediately triggering ESA prohibitions or consultation, helping maintain captive-breeding and propagation activities.
Recordkeeping rules that avoid unnecessary duplication reduce administrative burden for holders already subject to ESA rules.
Wild sturgeon populations and communities that depend on them face increased risk if exempted captive fish or their progeny are accidentally or intentionally released without ESA protections.
Taxpayers may incur additional costs because the Department must monitor, regulate, and audit holders to verify compliance with documentation and exemption rules.
Nonprofits and state/local governments that hold sturgeon may face new compliance costs to document qualification and maintain required records under the Secretary's regulations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Exempts sturgeon in captivity (and their progeny) from certain ESA prohibitions and consultation while captive, requiring qualified holders to keep inventories and records.
Official title: To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to allow certain activities to be conducted with respect to sturgeon held in captivity or in a controlled environment, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 17, 2025 by Randy Fine · Last progress June 17, 2025
Excludes sturgeon held in captivity or other controlled environments (and their progeny) from certain prohibitions and consultation requirements under the Endangered Species Act while they remain in captivity or until intentionally returned to the wild. People or institutions that hold these sturgeon must qualify under rules the Secretary issues and keep inventories, documentation, and records the Secretary reasonably requires, with an instruction to avoid unnecessary duplication of existing ESA recordkeeping rules.