S. 537 – Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:45 AM UTC

The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025 bars the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from prohibiting lead ammunition or tackle on federal lands and waters used for hunting and fishing, and from creating lead‑level regulations, except in limited cases where a specific site shows wildlife harm from lead and the action aligns with state wildlife laws or policies. It also mandates public notice explaining any such site‑specific restrictions.

Key Provisions

Stops the Interior and Agriculture secretaries from banning lead ammunition or fishing tackle on any federal land or water that is open to hunting or fishing, and from setting lead‑level rules for those areas.
Allows a ban or regulation only on a specific federal site if the Secretary shows that wildlife decline there is mainly caused by lead, and the action follows the state’s wildlife laws, policies, or approvals.
Requires the Secretary to publish a Federal Register notice explaining how any site‑specific ban or rule meets the above conditions.

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

February 12, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 12, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

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

Environment and Public Works Committee

February 12, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued February 12, 2025

II

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 537

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 12, 2025

Mr. Daines (for himself, Mr. Moran, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Risch, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Lee, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Marshall, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Wicker, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Rounds, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Justice, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Thune, Mrs. Capito, and Mr. Budd) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025.

2.

Protecting access for hunters and anglers on Federal land and water

(a)

In general

Except as provided in section 20.21 or 20.108 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act), and subsection (b), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (referred to in this section as the applicable Secretary), may not—

(1)

prohibit the use of lead ammunition or tackle on Federal land or water that is—

(A)

under the jurisdiction of the applicable Secretary; and

(B)

made available for hunting or fishing activities; or

(2)

issue regulations relating to the level of lead in ammunition or tackle to be used on Federal land or water described in paragraph (1).

(b)

Exception

Subsection (a) shall not apply to a prohibition or regulations described in that subsection that are limited to a specific unit of Federal land or water, if the applicable Secretary determines that—

(1)

a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit of Federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from the specific unit of Federal land or water; and

(2)

the prohibition or regulations, as applicable, are—

(A)

consistent with the law of the State in which the specific Federal land or water is located;

(B)

consistent with an applicable policy of the fish and wildlife department of the State in which the specific Federal land or water is located; or

(C)

approved by the applicable fish and wildlife department of the State in which the specific Federal land or water is located.

(c)

Federal register notice

The applicable Secretary shall include in a Federal Register notice with respect to any prohibition or regulations that meet the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) an explanation of how the prohibition or regulations, as applicable, meet those requirements.