I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 405 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to prohibit the use of lead ammunition 
on United States Fish and Wildlife Service lands, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 21, 2021 
Mr. LIEU introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to prohibit the 
use of lead ammunition on United States Fish and Wild-
life Service lands, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lead Endangers Ani-
mals Daily Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘LEAD Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) In 1991, the United States Fish and Wild-
life Service required the use of nontoxic ammunition 
for all waterfowl hunting. 
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(2) Research has shown that the presence of 
lead in the environment poses a threat to human 
and wildlife health. 
(3) The Environmental Protection Agency has 
determined that lead is toxic to both humans and 
animals, and can negatively affect nearly every 
organ and system in the human body, including the 
heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive 
and nervous systems. Lead exposure interferes with 
the development of the nervous system and is there-
fore particularly toxic to children, causing potentially 
permanent learning and behavioral disorders. 
(4) Lead is a potent neurotoxin, for which no 
safe exposure level exists for humans. The use of 
lead has been outlawed in and removed from paint, 
gasoline, children’s toys, and many other items to 
protect human health and wildlife. 
(5) Wildlife, including federally listed threat-
ened and endangered species, is at risk of lead toxi-
cosis through the ingestion of lead ammunition, ei-
ther directly by ingesting lead from spent ballistic 
materials while foraging, or indirectly by scavenging 
carcasses and viscera left by hunters. Lead may also 
pollute soil and water around outdoor shooting 
ranges. 
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(6) Lead ammunition also endangers human 
food supplies. Dairy and beef cattle have developed 
lead poisoning after feeding in areas where spent 
lead ammunition has accumulated. Spent lead am-
munition can also contaminate crops, vegetation, 
and waterways. 
(7) Humans are at risk of lead toxicosis 
through the consumption of game meat harvested 
with lead ammunition. 
(8) Alternatives to lead ammunition are readily 
available, and studies have shown that nonlead am-
munition performs just as well as lead-based ammu-
nition. 
(9) In January 2017, the outgoing Director of 
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service issued 
Director’s Order 219. In March 2017, the Principal 
Deputy Director of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service repealed this Order. 
SEC. 3. NONTOXIC AMMUNITION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(c), and not later than 1 year after enactment, the Sec-
retary, acting through the Director, shall issue final regu-
lations prohibiting the discharge of any firearm using am-
munition other than nonlead ammunition certified under 
subsection (b) on all lands and waters under the jurisdic-
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tion and control of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service. 
(b) CERTIFICATION.—The Director shall, for the pur-
poses of enforcing this section and in consultation with 
State and Tribal governments, establish and annually up-
date a list of nonlead ammunition. 
(c) EXCEPTIONS.—The prohibition under subsection 
(a) shall not apply to— 
(1) a Government official or agent carrying out 
a statutory duty unrelated to the management of 
wildlife; 
(2) a State, local, Tribal, or Federal law en-
forcement officer or the agent of such officer when 
carrying out a statutory duty; and 
(3) an active member of the United States mili-
tary when carrying out official duties. 
(d) PENALTIES.—A person that knowingly violates 
subsection (a) may be assessed a civil penalty by the Sec-
retary of no more than $500 for the first violation. A sec-
ond or subsequent violation shall be punishable by a fine 
of not less than $1,000 or more than $5,000. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AMMUNITION.—The term ‘‘ammunition’’ 
means any bullet, ball, sabot, slug, buckshot, shot, 
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pellet, or other projectile that is expelled from a fire-
arm through a barrel by force. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service. 
(3) EXPLOSIVE.—The term ‘‘explosive’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 844 of title 18, 
United States Code. 
(4) FIREARM.—The term ‘‘firearm’’ means any 
weapon which expels ammunition by the action of an 
explosive or compressed air. 
(5) 
NONLEAD
AMMUNITION.—The 
term 
‘‘nonlead ammunition’’ means ammunition in which 
there is no lead content, excluding the presence of 
trace amounts of lead. 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(7) 
TRACE
AMOUNTS.—The 
term 
‘‘trace 
amounts’’ means one percent or less by weight of the 
total weight of the ammunition. 
Æ 
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