I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4997 
To provide for determination of the grizzly bear species consistent with 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2023 
Mr. FULCHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To provide for determination of the grizzly bear species con-
sistent with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 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 ‘‘Grizzly Bear Review 
and Resource Restart Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the entity of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos 
horribilis) in the conterminous lower 48 States of 
the United States, included on the List of Endan-
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gered and Threatened Wildlife under section 
17.11(h) of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
a successor regulation), is not a species (as defined 
in section 3 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(16 U.S.C. 1532)), a threatened species (as defined 
in that section), an endangered species (as defined 
in that section), a taxonomic species, a taxonomic 
subspecies, or a distinct population segment that 
interbreeds when mature, and should not be subject 
to the protections of the Endangered Species Act of 
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 
(2) removal of protections for the entity of griz-
zly 
bear 
(Ursus 
arctos 
horribilis) 
in 
the 
conterminous lower 48 States of the United States 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), when those protections are in-
consistent with that Act or otherwise unnecessary, 
supports prioritization of Federal conservation ac-
tions and resources for species in much greater need 
of protections under that Act; and 
(3) continuing protections under the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 
for the entity of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos 
horribilis) in the conterminous lower 48 States of 
the United States to not later than the date that is 
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2 years after the date of enactment of this Act pro-
vides adequate time for the Secretary of the Interior 
(referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) to deter-
mine, by regulation promulgated in accordance with 
section 4(a) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 1533(a)), wheth-
er any distinct population segment of grizzly bear 
that interbreeds when mature is an endangered spe-
cies or a threatened species that should be added to 
the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 
pursuant to that Act. 
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF GRIZZLY BEAR SPECIES 
UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT OF 
1973. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall remove 
the entity of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the 
conterminous lower 48 States of the United States and 
the associated entity of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos 
horribilis) in portions of the States of Idaho and Montana 
listed as an experimental population from the List of En-
dangered and Threatened Wildlife under section 17.11(h) 
of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor 
regulation). 
(b) EFFECT ON OTHER DETERMINATIONS.—Nothing 
in this Act limits the ability of the Secretary to make fu-
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ture determinations of threatened species or endangered 
species, by regulation promulgated in accordance with sec-
tion 4(a) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1533(a)), for any distinct population segment of 
brown bear (Ursus arctos) that interbreeds when mature, 
including any distinct population segment of grizzly bear 
(Ursus arctos horribilis) or other brown bear subspecies, 
subject to the conditions that the Secretary shall not— 
(1) add any distinct population segment of griz-
zly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) to the List of En-
dangered and Threatened Wildlife under section 
17.11(h) of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
a successor regulation), unless the Secretary identi-
fies objective, measurable criteria that, when met, 
would result in a determination that the distinct 
population segment be removed from the list; and 
(2) be required to designate critical habitat for 
a distinct population segment of grizzly bear (Ursus 
arctos horribilis) described in paragraph (1). 
(c) DELISTING PROCESS FOR DISTINCT POPULATION 
SEGMENTS.—If the Secretary identifies a distinct popu-
lation segment of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) in 
the conterminous lower 48 States of the United States 
that has met the established recovery criteria for that dis-
tinct population segment, the Secretary shall initiate the 
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