(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 pri-
vate 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 secu-
rity 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 Ref-
uge’’, resulting in the first successful reintroduction 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, man-
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agers from Indian tribes, Federal and State agencies, 
conservation organizations, and natural and social 
scientists from the United States, Canada, and Mex-
ico 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 of-
ficially 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 resolution 
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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 pub-
lic and private partners have participated in the an-
nual National Bison Day celebration at several events 
across the United States and are committed to con-
tinuing 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 national 
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 ac-
tion by the Federal Government. 
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House Calendar No. 104 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2908 
[Report No. 114–483] 
A BILL 
To adopt the bison as the national mammal of the 
United States. 
APRIL 12, 2016 
Reported with an amendment, referred to the House 
Calendar, and ordered to be printed 
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