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 ‘‘Cormorant Relief Act 
of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. REGULATIONS RELATING TO TAKING OF DOUBLE- 
CRESTED CORMORANTS AT AQUACULTURE 
FACILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall reissue the 
original depredation order in accordance with subsection 
(b). 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The depredation order reissued 
under subsection (a) shall be the same as the original depre-
dation order, except that the depredation order reissued 
under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) apply to— 
(A) each of the States of California, Colo-
rado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 
Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsyl-
vania, and Wisconsin and any other State or 
territory of the United States the Secretary de-
termines appropriate in addition to and in the 
same manner as each of the States to which the 
original depredation order applied; and 
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(B) lake managers and pond managers in 
addition to and in the same manner as each of 
the entities to which the original depredation 
order applied; 
(2) incorporate modern terminology; 
(3) simplify the provisions contained in the 
original depredation order related to compliance with 
other Federal law; 
(4) modernize the recordkeeping requirements 
contained in the original depredation order; and 
(5) remove the June 30, 2014, expiration date 
contained in the original depredation order. 
(c) RENEWAL.—Not less than once every 5 years after 
the date on which the Secretary reissues the original depre-
dation order under subsection (a), the Secretary shall renew 
the depredation order reissued under subsection (a). 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
may be construed to waive the obligation of the Secretary 
to comply with the— 
(1) National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); or 
(2) Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 
et seq.). 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) LAKE MANAGER.—The term ‘‘lake manager’’ 
means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory 
agency to manage a private lake. 
(2) ORIGINAL DEPREDATION ORDER.—The term 
‘‘original depredation order’’ means the depredation 
order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture fa-
cilities contained in section 21.47 of title 50, Code of 
Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 1, 
2016). 
(3) POND MANAGER.—The term ‘‘pond manager’’ 
means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory 
agency to manage a private pond. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 
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Union Calendar No. 241 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2293 
[Report No. 119–285] 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue 
certain regulations relating to the taking of dou-
ble-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities. 
SEPTEMBER 15, 2025 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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