Extinction Crisis Emergency Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4182 | Sponsor: Rep. Newman, Marie (D-IL)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Extinction Crisis Emergency Act of 2021
This bill requires the President to declare the global wildlife extinction crisis a national emergency and to take certain actions to restore wildlife.
Specifically, the President shall direct the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to
The Departments of Commerce and the Interior must, after accepting public comment, conduct annual reviews of every nation's compliance with any international fishery conservation program or international program for endangered or threatened species, and take specified actions.
The President must enlist all federal agencies to help fight the wildlife extinction crisis by directing each federal agency to take specified actions to prioritize the recovery of endangered species and to rebuild healthy wildlife and plant populations, including by fully integrating climate change concerns into the conservation and recovery of endangered species.
The President must direct the Department of Defense to prioritize the protection of endangered species and rare habitats on U.S. military installations around the world.

To require the President to declare the global wildlife extinction 
crisis a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Extinction Crisis Emergency Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     Congress finds the following:
            (1) The world is in the midst of a global wildlife 
        extinction crisis.
            (2) The extinction rate today is 1,000 times greater than 
        the natural background rates established over millions of 
        years.
            (3) Wildlife and plant populations are rapidly declining, 
        with 1,000,000 species facing extinction in the coming decades 
        due to threats of habitat loss, climate change, wildlife 
        exploitation, pollution and other human activities.
            (4) Unlike past mass-extinction events, the current sixth 
        mass extinction is a problem entirely caused by human-driven 
        forces.
            (5) The drivers of the global wildlife extinction crisis 
        will also degrade the life-support systems of societies around 
        the world, including water purification, oxygen production, 
        carbon sequestration, and disease regulation.
            (6) Stopping the extinction crisis and restoring abundant 
        wildlife populations will require strong implementation of the 
        Endangered Species Act and other wildlife laws including the 
        Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
            (7) The global wildlife extinction crisis and the 
        destruction of the planet's natural life-support systems 
        represents a fundamental threat to humanity and constitutes an 
        emergency of the highest order.

SEC. 3. EMERGENCY DECLARATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the President shall declare a national emergency under 
section 201 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1621) with 
respect to the wildlife extinction crisis.
    (b) Response.--In responding to the national emergency declared 
pursuant to subsection (a), the President shall--
            (1) direct the Secretary of Interior, through the United 
        States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Secretary of 
        Commerce, through the National Marine Fisheries Service (as 
        applicable), to--
                    (A) move rapidly to--
                            (i) review all species within the United 
                        States that are identified as--
                                    (I) critically imperiled by 
                                NatureServe; or
                                    (II) critically endangered, 
                                endangered, or vulnerable by the 
                                International Union for the 
                                Conservation of Nature; and
                            (ii) to use all authorities to propose and 
                        finalize protections for all species that may 
                        warrant protection under the Endangered Species 
                        Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
                    (B) establish new national wildlife refuges and new 
                marine protected areas pursuant to the authority 
                granted in--
                            (i) National Wildlife Refuge System 
                        Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et 
                        seq.);
                            (ii) sections 320301 through 320303 of 
                        title 54, United States Code; and
                            (iii) the National Marine Sanctuary Act (16 
                        U.S.C. 1431 et seq.);
                    (C) pursuant to the section 8(a)(3) of the 
                Fishermen's Protective Act (22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(3)), the 
                Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of the Interior 
                shall--
                            (i) after accepting public comment, conduct 
                        annual reviews of every nation's compliance 
                        with any international fishery conservation 
                        program or international program for endangered 
                        or threatened species, including the Convention 
                        on International Trade in Endangered Species of 
                        Wild Fauna and Flora (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249), 
                        and publish a Federal Register notice 
                        identifying each nation violating one or more 
                        international fishery conservation program or 
                        international program for endangered or 
                        threatened species;
                            (ii)(I) for any such nations identified, if 
                        the Secretary of Commerce or Secretary of 
                        Interior finds that significant efforts are 
                        being made to come into compliance but 
                        additional resources or capacity are needed, 
                        provide financial aid, capacity building or 
                        technology transfers, and a set a compliance 
                        schedule of less than 3 years that, if not met, 
                        will result in certification under subclause 
                        (II);
                            (II) unless subclause (I) applies, certify 
                        that such nation is violating an international 
                        fishery conservation program or international 
                        program for endangered or threatened species; 
                        and
                            (iii) no later than 90 days after a 
                        certification is made, impose trade penalties 
                        unless the President objects;
            (2) enlist all Federal agencies to help fight the wildlife 
        extinction crisis by directing each Federal agency to--
                    (A) prioritize the recovery of endangered species 
                and rebuild healthy wildlife and plant populations by 
                developing and finalizing, not later than 12 months 
                after the date of enactment of this Act, proactive 
                conservation programs pursuant to section 7(a)(1) of 
                the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(1)), that 
                advance the conservation of endangered species and help 
                restore declining wildlife and plants;
                    (B) work with the United States Fish and Wildlife 
                Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to 
                identify and protect, not later than 12 months after 
                the date of enactment of this Act, all lands within 
                their respective jurisdictions that may meet the 
                statutory requirements of critical habitat pursuant to 
                section 4(a)(3)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 
                1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(a)(3)(B)), and to manage those 
                lands primarily for the recovery of endangered species; 
                and
                    (C) fully integrate climate change concerns into 
                the conservation and recovery of endangered species, 
                including in all aspects of domestic and international 
                conservation laws and treaties; and
            (3) direct the Department of Defense to prioritize the 
        protection of endangered species and rare habitats on United 
        States military installations around the world.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and each year thereafter, the President shall submit to 
Congress a report describing actions taken in response to the national 
emergency declared pursuant to subsection (a).
                                 <all>