Congress bans cyanide bombs on public lands after decades of poisoning families
H.R. 4180 — Canyon’s Law · Filed by Jared Huffman (D-CA) · 16 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 26, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill prohibits the use of M-44 devices—spring-loaded traps that eject sodium cyanide when triggered—on all federal public lands managed by the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Forest Service. The bill requires federal, state, and county agencies to remove any M-44 devices already deployed on public land within 30 days of enactment. M-44s are used to kill coyotes and other predators suspected of attacking livestock, but the bill's findings document that they kill nontarget animals (including family dogs, eagles, and endangered species) at high rates, have poisoned at least 42 people since 1984, and succeed in killing their intended target only 53% of the time.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a straightforward prohibition on a specific toxic device on public lands, supported by detailed findings documenting harm to humans and nontarget wildlife. It is a protective measure, not a regulatory carve-out or subsidy.
What the text implies
- Livestock producers relying on M-44s for predator control will need to adopt alternative methods (lethal or nonlethal); the bill does not fund transition assistance or alternative predator-management programs, potentially shifting costs to ranchers.
- The prohibition applies only to public lands, not private land; ranchers on private property may continue using M-44s, creating a patchwork of regulation that may complicate enforcement and wildlife management.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Ordinary citizens and their families gain protection from accidental exposure to a highly toxic pesticide on public lands they use for recreation, and nontarget wildlife (including endangered species and family pets) are protected from indiscriminate poisoning. The bill removes a hazard that has documented history of harming children and adults, with no offsetting public cost.