Sponsors (2)
The bill speeds and formalizes exemption routes (benefiting state governments, utilities, and national-security interests) at the cost of increased risk to endangered species, potential politicization of environmental review, and greater legal uncertainty for communities and conservation groups.
State governments and permit/license applicants can request formal exemptions to avoid project delays, speeding approvals for infrastructure and energy projects that affect state governments and utilities/energy companies.
Federal decision-making must explicitly weigh national security and major regional economic harms, allowing potential defense and large-sector economic disruptions to be considered when exemption decisions are made.
The Secretary must consult and include analyses from the National Security Council and National Economic Council, increasing interagency oversight and transparency of exemption decisions.
Endangered species and their habitats face greater risk because expanding exemption grounds makes it easier to override ESA protections.
Allowing Governors and private applicants to seek exemptions risks politicizing or pressuring environmental reviews, reducing the independence of scientific assessments.
Relying on NSC and NEC analyses could shift decisions toward short-term economic or security arguments and away from long-term ecological science, biasing outcomes.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands ESA Section 7 exemptions to allow Governors and applicants to seek exemptions for national security or significant national/regional economic impacts and requires NSC/NEC consultation and reporting.
Official title: To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to expand the exemption process under section 7 of that Act with respect to national security and significant adverse national or regional economic impacts.
Introduced June 9, 2025 by Adam Gray · Last progress June 9, 2025
Expands the Endangered Species Act Section 7 exemption process to let Governors and permit/license applicants request exemptions when a required modification or a proposed reasonable and prudent alternative would create national security harms or significant adverse national or regional economic impacts. It requires the Secretary to consult the National Security Council and the Director of the National Economic Council when those bases are used, include their analyses in the Secretary's report to the congressional committee, and consider whether biological assessment and avoidance of irreversible commitments occurred before granting an exemption.