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 eco-
nomic and spiritual lives of many Indian tribes 
through trade and sacred ceremonies; 
(3) there are more than 60 Indian tribes par-
ticipating in the Intertribal Buffalo Council; 
(4) numerous members of Indian tribes are in-
volved 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 improv-
ing 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 Agri-
culture of the Department of Agriculture, as of 
2012, 162,110 head of bison were under the stew-
ardship of private producers, creating jobs and pro-
viding a sustainable and healthy meat source con-
tributing to the food security of the United States; 
(11) on December 8, 1905, William Hornaday, 
Theodore Roosevelt, and others formed the Amer-
ican 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 re-
introduction of a mammal species on the brink of ex-
tinction 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, Can-
ada, 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 eco-
nomic 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 resolu-
tion to designate November 1, 2014, as the third an-
nual 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 MAM-
MAL. 
(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 na-
tional mammal of the United States shall be construed 
or used as a reason to alter, change, modify, or otherwise 
affect any plan, policy, management decision, regulation, 
or other action by the Federal Government. 
Passed the House of Representatives April 26, 2016. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2908 
AN ACT 
To adopt the bison as the national mammal of the 
United States.