S. 1255Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Cormorant Relief Act of 2025

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Updated November 24, 2025 at 1:26 AM UTC

The Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 directs the Interior Secretary to reissue a 2016 federal depredation order that allows control of double‑crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities. The reissued order must expand the original geographic coverage to include twelve additional states and extend its reach to licensed lake and pond managers. This change affects aquaculture operators, lake and pond managers, and wildlife officials who enforce cormorant control measures.

Key Provisions

The Secretary of the Interior must reissue the 2016 depredation order for double‑crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities within one year of the law’s enactment.
The new order must be identical to the original except that it will also apply to the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The order will additionally cover “lake managers” and “pond managers” – individuals licensed by state agencies to manage private lakes or ponds – extending the same cormorant‑control rules to them.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

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

Environment and Public Works Committee

April 2, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 2, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

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

Environment and Public Works Committee

April 2, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued April 2, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1255

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 2, 2025

Mr. Cotton (for himself, Mr. Tuberville, Mrs. Britt, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, and Mr. Wicker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Cormorant Relief Act of 2025.

Regulations relating to taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Lake manager

The term lake manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private lake.

(2)

Original depredation order

The term original depredation order means the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities contained in section 21.47 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 1, 2016).

(3)

Pond manager

The term pond manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private pond.

(4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

(b)

Reissuance required

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall reissue the original depredation order in accordance with subsection (c).

(c)

Requirements

The depredation order reissued under subsection (b) shall be the same as the original depredation order, except that the depredation order reissued under that subsection shall apply—

(1)

to each of the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in addition to, and in the same manner as, each of the States to which the original depredation order applied; and

(2)

to lake managers and pond managers in addition to, and in the same manner as, each of the entities to which the original depredation order applied.