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S. 2194Senate116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

PREDATORS Act

Sponsored by John BarrassoSen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
Introduced July 22, 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 7:25 AM UTC

The PREDATORS Act amends the John D. Dingell Conservation Act to create the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize, a competition that awards cash prizes for non‑lethal technologies that reduce conflicts between humans and large predators. It establishes an advisory board, sets up prize administration, and requires reporting to Congress. The law mainly affects the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Secretary of the Interior, and wildlife‑management stakeholders.

Key Provisions

  • Creates the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize competition within 180 days of enactment, awarding annual cash prizes for innovative, non‑lethal solutions to human‑predator conflict.
  • Establishes a nine‑member Reducing Human‑Predator Conflict Technology Advisory Board to select topics, issue problem statements, advise the Secretary, and help implement winning technologies.
  • Allows the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to administer the prize under an agreement with the Secretary.
  • Requires at least three judges to select winners, with the Secretary able to withhold awards if no entry merits a prize.
  • Mandates a report to Congress within 60 days after a cash prize is awarded, detailing board activities, foundation administration, and judges’ selection rationale.
  • Sets the authority for the board and related provisions to terminate on December 31, 2023, and includes a sense of Congress that predator‑tagging data can aid conflict management.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 116-54.

Environment and Public Works Committee

July 24, 2019

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 22, 2019

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Environment and Public Works Committee

July 22, 2019

SenateCommittee

Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 116-54.

Environment and Public Works Committee

July 24, 2019

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued July 22, 2019

II

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2194

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 22, 2019

Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to establish the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for reducing human-predator conflict, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Promoting Resourceful and Effective Deterrents Against Threats Or Risks involving Species Act or the PREDATORS Act.

2.

Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for reducing human-predator conflict

(a)

In general

Section 7001(d) of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 742b note; Public Law 116–9) is amended—

(1)

in paragraphs (2)(C)(v), (3)(C)(v), (4)(C)(v), (5)(C)(v), and (6)(C)(v), by striking paragraph (7)(A) each place it appears and inserting paragraph (8)(A);

(2)

in paragraphs (2)(D)(ii), (2)(F)(ii), (3)(D)(ii), (3)(F)(ii), (4)(D)(ii), (4)(F)(ii), (5)(D)(ii), (5)(F)(ii), (6)(D)(ii), and (6)(F)(ii) by striking paragraph (7)(B) each place it appears and inserting paragraph (8)(B);

(3)

in paragraph (6)(C)(iv), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting clause (iii);

(4)

by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8);

(5)

by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:

(7)

Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for reducing human-predator conflict

(A)

Definitions

In this paragraph:

(i)

Board

The term Board means the Reducing Human-Predator Conflict Technology Advisory Board established by subparagraph (C)(i).

(ii)

Prize competition

The term prize competition means the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for reducing human-predator conflict established under subparagraph (B).

(B)

Authority

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the PREDATORS Act, the Secretary shall establish under section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719) a prize competition, to be known as the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for reducing human-predator conflict—

(i)

to encourage technological innovation with the potential to advance the mission of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service with respect to reducing the frequency of human-predator conflict using nonlethal means; and

(ii)

to award 1 or more prizes annually for a technological advancement that promotes reducing human-predator conflict using nonlethal means, which may include the application and monitoring of tagging technologies.

(C)

Advisory board

(i)

Establishment

There is established an advisory board, to be known as the Reducing Human-Predator Conflict Technology Advisory Board.

(ii)

Composition

The Board shall be composed of not fewer than 9 members appointed by the Secretary, who shall provide expertise in—

(I)

predator-human interactions;

(II)

the habitats of large predators;

(III)

biology;

(IV)

technology development;

(V)

engineering;

(VI)

economics;

(VII)

business development and management; and

(VIII)

any other discipline, as the Secretary determines to be necessary to achieve the purposes of this paragraph.

(iii)

Duties

Subject to clause (iv), with respect to the prize competition, the Board shall—

(I)

select a topic;

(II)

issue a problem statement;

(III)

advise the Secretary regarding any opportunity for technological innovation to reduce human-predator conflict using nonlethal means; and

(IV)

advise winners of the prize competition regarding opportunities to pilot and implement winning technologies in relevant fields, including in partnership with conservation organizations, Federal or State agencies, federally recognized Indian Tribes, private entities, and research institutions with expertise or interest relating to reducing human-predator conflict using nonlethal means.

(iv)

Consultation

In selecting a topic and issuing a problem statement for the prize competition under subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (iii), respectively, the Board shall consult widely with Federal and non-Federal stakeholders, including—

(I)

1 or more Federal agencies with jurisdiction over the management of native wildlife species at risk due to conflict with human activities;

(II)

1 or more State agencies with jurisdiction over the management of native wildlife species at risk due to conflict with human activities;

(III)

1 or more State, regional, or local wildlife organizations, the mission of which relates to the management of native wildlife species at risk due to conflict with human activities; and

(IV)

1 or more wildlife conservation groups, technology companies, research institutions, institutions of higher education, industry associations, or individual stakeholders with an interest in the management of native wildlife species at risk due to conflict with human activities.

(v)

Requirements

The Board shall comply with all requirements under paragraph (8)(A).

(D)

Agreement with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

(i)

In general

The Secretary shall offer to enter into an agreement under which the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation shall administer the prize competition.

(ii)

Requirements

An agreement entered into under clause (i) shall comply with all requirements under paragraph (8)(B).

(E)

Judges

(i)

Appointment

The Secretary shall appoint not fewer than 3 judges who shall, except as provided in clause (ii), select the 1 or more annual winners of the prize competition.

(ii)

Determination by Secretary

The judges appointed under clause (i) shall not select any annual winner of the prize competition if the Secretary makes a determination that, in any fiscal year, none of the technological advancements entered into the prize competition merits an award.

(F)

Consultation with NOAA

The Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the case of a cash prize awarded under the prize competition for a technology that addresses conflict between marine predators under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and humans.

(G)

Report to Congress

Not later than 60 days after the date on which a cash prize is awarded under this paragraph, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report on the prize competition that includes—

(i)

a statement by the Board that describes the activities carried out by the Board relating to the duties described in subparagraph (C)(iii);

(ii)

if the Secretary has entered into an agreement under subparagraph (D)(i), a statement by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that describes the activities carried out by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation relating to the duties described in paragraph (8)(B); and

(iii)

a statement by 1 or more of the judges appointed under subparagraph (E) that explains the basis on which the winner of the cash prize was selected.

(H)

Termination of authority

The Board and all authority provided under this paragraph shall terminate on December 31, 2023.

; and

(6)

in paragraph (8) (as so redesignated)—

(A)

in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking or (6)(C)(i) and inserting (6)(C)(i), or (7)(C)(i); and

(B)

in subparagraph (B)—

(i)

in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking or (6)(D)(i) and inserting (6)(D)(i), or (7)(D)(i); and

(ii)

in clause (i)(VII), by striking and (6)(E) and inserting (6)(E), and (7)(E).

(b)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that data collected from the tagging of predators can inform innovative management of those predators and innovative education activities to minimize human-predator conflict.