PUBLIC LAW 114–152—MAY 9, 2016 130 STAT. 373 

Public Law 114–152 

114th Congress 

An Act 

To adopt the bison as the national mammal of the United States. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Bison Legacy Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds that— 

(1) bison are considered a historical symbol of the United 

States; 

(2) bison were integrally linked with the economic and 

spiritual lives of many Indian tribes through trade and sacred 

ceremonies; 

(3) there are more than 60 Indian tribes participating 

in the Intertribal Buffalo Council; 

(4) numerous members of Indian tribes are involved in 

bison restoration on tribal land; 

(5) members of Indian tribes have a combined herd on 

more than 1,000,000 acres of tribal land; 

(6) the Intertribal Buffalo Council is a tribal organization 

incorporated pursuant to section 17 of the Act of June 18, 

1934 (commonly known as the ‘‘Indian Reorganization Act’’) 

(25 U.S.C. 477); 

(7) bison can play an important role in improving the 

types of grasses found in landscapes to the benefit of grasslands; 

(8) a small group of ranchers helped save bison from extinction in the late 1800s by gathering the remnants of the decimated herds; 

(9) bison hold significant economic value for private producers and rural communities; 

(10) according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture of the 

Department of Agriculture, as of 2012, 162,110 head of bison 

were under the stewardship of private producers, creating jobs 

and providing a sustainable and healthy meat source contributing to the food security of the United States; 

(11) on December 8, 1905, William Hornaday, Theodore 

Roosevelt, and others formed the American Bison Society in 

response to the near extinction of bison in the United States; 

(12) on October 11, 1907, the American Bison Society sent 

15 captive-bred bison from the New York Zoological Park, now 

known as the ‘‘Bronx Zoo’’, to the first wildlife refuge in the 

United States, which was known as the ‘‘Wichita Mountains 

Wildlife Refuge’’, resulting in the first successful reintroduction 

National Bison 

Legacy Act. 

36 USC 301 note 

prec. 

May 9, 2016 

[H.R. 2908] 


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130 STAT. 374 PUBLIC LAW 114–152—MAY 9, 2016 

of a mammal species on the brink of extinction back into 

the natural habitat of the species; 

(13) in 2005, the American Bison Society was reestablished, 

bringing together bison ranchers, managers from Indian tribes, 

Federal and State agencies, conservation organizations, and 

natural and social scientists from the United States, Canada, 

and Mexico to create a vision for the North American bison 

in the 21st century; 

(14) there are bison herds in National Wildlife Refuges 

and National Parks; 

(15) there are bison in State-managed herds across 11 

States; 

(16) there is a growing effort to celebrate and officially 

recognize the historical, cultural, and economic significance of 

the North American bison to the heritage of the United States; 

(17) a bison is portrayed on 2 State flags; 

(18) the bison has been adopted by 3 States as the official 

mammal or animal of those States; 

(19) a bison has been depicted on the official seal of the 

Department of the Interior since 1912; 

(20) the buffalo nickel played an important role in modernizing the currency of the United States; 

(21) several sports teams have the bison as a mascot, 

which highlights the iconic significance of bison in the United 

States; 

(22) in the 2nd session of the 113th Congress, 22 Senators 

led a successful effort to enact a resolution to designate 

November 1, 2014, as the third annual National Bison Day; 

and 

(23) members of Indian tribes, bison producers, conservationists, sportsmen, educators, and other public and private 

partners have participated in the annual National Bison Day 

celebration at several events across the United States and 

are committed to continuing this tradition annually on the 

first Saturday of November. 

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADOPTION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN 

BISON AS THE NATIONAL MAMMAL. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The mammal commonly known as the ‘‘North 

American bison’’ is adopted as the national mammal of the United 

States. 

(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act or the adoption of the North American bison as the national mammal of the 

United States shall be construed or used as a reason to alter, 


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PUBLIC LAW 114–152—MAY 9, 2016 130 STAT. 375 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2908 (S. 2032): 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 114–483 (Comm. on Oversight and Government Reform). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 162 (2016): 

Apr. 26, considered and passed House. 

Apr. 28, considered and passed Senate. 

Æ 

change, modify, or otherwise affect any plan, policy, management 

decision, regulation, or other action by the Federal Government. 

Approved May 9, 2016. 


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