Lead ammunition ban on federal hunting lands protects wildlife and public health

What it does

This bill requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ban lead ammunition on all federal wildlife lands within one year of enactment. Hunters and shooters on these lands must use certified nonlead ammunition instead. The bill exempts law enforcement, military personnel, and government officials performing non-wildlife duties. Violators face civil penalties of up to $500 for a first offense and $1,000–$5,000 for subsequent violations. The stated rationale is that lead ammunition poisons wildlife, contaminates soil and water, and poses health risks to humans through game meat consumption.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a straightforward regulatory prohibition on lead ammunition on federal wildlife lands, justified by public health and environmental protection findings. It is not a tax measure, subsidy, or deregulation—it is a direct environmental and health protection mandate.

What the text implies

• The bill may increase ammunition costs for hunters on federal lands, as nonlead alternatives are typically more expensive than lead rounds, creating a de facto user fee that may reduce hunting participation among lower-income hunters.
• State and Tribal governments are consulted on nonlead ammunition certification but have no veto power; the Director retains final authority, potentially creating friction with states that manage their own hunting regulations on overlapping lands.
• The 'trace amounts' definition (≤1% by weight) may create compliance uncertainty for ammunition manufacturers and enforcement challenges if testing protocols are not clearly specified in implementing regulations.
• The bill does not address lead ammunition on non-federal private lands, shooting ranges, or military installations (except active-duty personnel), leaving significant lead contamination pathways unregulated.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill protects public health by reducing lead exposure through game meat consumption and environmental contamination, and protects wildlife and endangered species from lead toxicosis. The burden falls on hunters using federal lands—a narrow group—who have readily available nonlead alternatives that perform equally well. The public gains cleaner water, soil, and food supplies.

Who stands to gain

• nonlead ammunition manufacturers
• ammunition testing and certification services

Named in the bill

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Secretary of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, State and Tribal governments, nonlead ammunition manufacturers, hunters and sport shooters

Where it stands

12 cosponsors: 12 Democrats.

• Nov 21, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Nov 21, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $370,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 58 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Ted Lieu, the sponsor, reported $639,279 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Defenders of Wildlife — $370,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 17, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.