Congress blocks a rule that would weaken rare animal protections
S.J.Res. 204 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration relating to "Rescinding the Definition of 'Harm' Under the Endangered Species Act". · Filed by Adam Schiff (D-CA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Aug 3, 2026 · Reported out
Your members of Congress
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What it does
This joint decision stops a rule from two government agencies. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wrote the rule. The rule would have changed what 'harm' means under the Endangered Species Act. A weaker meaning would have made protections for rare and at-risk animals weaker.
Who it affects
People gain stronger protections for rare and at-risk animals. Companies and people who work with land and water are also affected.
One thing to notice
Congress can reject this rule, but the agencies could write a new rule later. If Congress does not stop it, a court might block it instead.
From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.
Where it stands
2 cosponsors: 2 Democrats.
- Aug 3, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- Aug 3, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works”
- Sep 15, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works discharged, by petition, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 802(c)”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Words to know
- Endangered Species Act — A law that protects animals and plants at risk of dying out.
- harm — Actions that hurt rare animals or the places where they live.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,369 characters) on Sep 17, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 14,342 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 2026-09-18.
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