IB 
Union Calendar No. 421 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 717 
[Report No. 115–560] 
To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require review of the 
economic cost of adding a species to the list of endangered species 
or threatened species, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 27, 2017 
Mr. OLSON (for himself, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. GOHMERT, and Mr. BABIN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources 
FEBRUARY 15, 2018 
Additional sponsors: Mr. GOSAR, Mr. GIANFORTE, and Mr. SESSIONS 
FEBRUARY 15, 2018 
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:28 Feb 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H717.RH
H717
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS
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 ‘‘Listing Reform Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CONSIDERATION OF ECONOMIC COST IN REVIEW 
OF LISTING PETITIONS UNDER ENDANGERED 
SPECIES ACT OF 1973. 
(a) CONSIDERATION REQUIRED.—Section 4(b)(3) of 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1533(b)(3)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘To the maximum extent 
practicable, within 90 days after’’ and inserting 
‘‘(i) After’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary may prioritize the consideration 
of petitions under this subparagraph other than in the 
order in which the petitions are received, except the Sec-
retary may not give general priority to petitions to add 
species to such a list over petitions to remove a species 
from such a list.’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
striking ‘‘Within 12 months’’ and inserting ‘‘As 
expeditiously as practicable’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:28 Feb 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H717.RH
H717
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS
(b) CONSIDERATION OF SIGNIFICANT, CUMULATIVE 
ECONOMIC EFFECTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 4(b)(3)(B) of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1533(b)(3)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(iv)(I) In the case of a petition to add a spe-
cies to a list of threatened species, the petitioned ac-
tion may be warranted but is precluded due to the 
likelihood of significant, cumulative economic effects 
that would result from listing or, to the extent it can 
be determined, from the likely resulting designation 
of critical habitat of the species. 
‘‘(II) The Secretary may not reconsider such 
finding unless— 
‘‘(aa) the Secretary determines there is 
endangerment of extinction of the species; or 
‘‘(bb) the Secretary receives a new petition 
to add such species to such list that includes a 
written qualitative and quantitative analyses re-
examining the incremental and significant, cu-
mulative economic effects of likely actions to 
protect the petitioned species and its potential 
habitat upon each State and locality that is af-
fected by the petitioned species listing and that, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:28 Feb 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H717.RH
H717
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS
in the opinion of the Secretary, credibly con-
cludes that alternative actions are possible 
other than those resulting in significant, cumu-
lative economic effects. 
‘‘(III) In this clause the term ‘significant, cu-
mulative economic effects’ includes economic effects 
on— 
‘‘(aa) public land and, to the maximum ex-
tent practicable, private land and property val-
ues; 
‘‘(bb) the provision of water, power, or 
other public services; 
‘‘(cc) employment; and 
‘‘(dd) revenues available for State and 
local governments.’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
4(b)(1) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1533(b)(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(except 
as provided in clause (iv) of paragraph (3)(B))’’ 
after ‘‘solely’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:28 Feb 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H717.RH
H717
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 421 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 717 
[Report No. 115–560] 
A BILL 
To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to 
require review of the economic cost of adding a 
species to the list of endangered species or 
threatened species, and for other purposes. 
FEBRUARY 15, 2018 
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:28 Feb 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H717.RH
H717
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS