Congress moves to restore endangered species protections after recent rollback
H.R. 9901 — To provide that the final rule of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration titled "Rescinding the Definition of 'Harm' Under the Endangered Species Act" shall have no force or effect. · Filed by Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) · 11 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 23, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill voids a recent federal rule that rescinded the definition of 'harm' under the Endangered Species Act. The rule being voided had narrowed what counts as illegal harm to protected species. By nullifying that narrowing rule, the bill restores the broader definition of harm that was in place before—meaning more activities that injure or kill endangered species will once again be illegal.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to restore prior endangered species protections by voiding a deregulatory rule. It is a straightforward restoration of environmental safeguards, not a new regulatory regime.
What the text implies
- Restoring the broader 'harm' definition may increase compliance costs for development, agriculture, and resource extraction industries operating in or near critical habitat.
- The rule being voided (issued July 14, 2026) is very recent; this bill signals a sharp reversal of a deregulatory action taken just days or weeks prior, suggesting active legislative conflict over ESA interpretation.
- Restoration of the prior definition may trigger re-litigation of permits and projects approved under the narrower definition, creating legal uncertainty for existing operations.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Ordinary citizens benefit from stronger endangered species protections: cleaner ecosystems, preserved biodiversity, and maintained natural resources for future generations. The bill restores legal tools to prevent habitat destruction and species harm that would otherwise proceed under the narrower definition.
Named in the bill
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Endangered Species Act of 1973, Federal Register (91 Fed. Reg. 43300)
Where it stands
11 cosponsors: 11 Democrats.
- Jul 23, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jul 23, 2026 — 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.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,262 characters) on Sep 25, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 14,975 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-09-25.
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