119-hr4591

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4591 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4591

 To establish grant programs to sustain populations of species of 
migratory waterfowl through the deployment of tools and practices that 
 complement habitat conservation, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 22, 2025

 Mrs. Fischbach (for herself, Mr. LaMalfa, and Mr. Thompson of 
 California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish grant programs to sustain populations of species of 
migratory waterfowl through the deployment of tools and practices that 
 complement habitat conservation, 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 ``Habitat Enhancement Now Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAMS TO SUSTAIN POPULATIONS OF SPECIES OF MIGRATORY 
 WATERFOWL.

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-Congress finds that--

    (1) the maintenance of healthy populations of migratory 
 birds in North America is largely dependent on the protection, 
 restoration, and management of wetland ecosystems and other 
 habitats, as identified in the Implementation Plans of Joint 
 Ventures authorized under the North American Waterfowl 
 Management Plan;

    (2) duck populations in North America are being threatened 
 by the loss in the quantity and quality of breeding habitat, 
 which leads to declining nest success;

    (3) low nest success has been widely documented to be the 
 key annual driver in duck populations;

    (4) additional tools can be employed to increase nest 
 success to complement the private, State, and Federal habitat 
 conservation programs and efforts in order to sustain healthy 
 waterfowl populations;

    (5) relatively modest investments in management can make 
 meaningful impacts towards supplementing waterfowl production 
 in areas where waterfowl production outcomes have not been 
 fully met;

    (6) numerous studies have made it clear that nesting 
 structures, in particular ``hen houses'', are the most 
 efficient and cost-effective tool for increasing nest success; 
 and

    (7) providing incentives to private landowners to establish 
 nesting cover, create or restore brood ponds, and provide brood 
 water is a priority to enhance production of mallards, 
 gadwalls, and other breeding ducks in California.

    (b) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
        (A) a State, local, or Tribal government;
        (B) a nonprofit organization; and
            (C) an individual.

    (2) Hen house.--The term ``hen house'' means a type of 
 cylindrical nest structure installed on a post in a prairie 
 pothole.

    (3) Prairie pothole.--The term ``prairie pothole'' means a 
 depressional wetland, including a freshwater marsh, that 
 provides vital habitat to species of nesting waterfowl and 
 other species.

    (4) Prairie pothole region.--The term ``prairie pothole 
 region'' means the primary nesting grounds of the majority of 
 North American ducks.

    (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior.
            (c) Grant Programs.--

    (1) Hen house grant program.--
        (A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
 establish a competitive grant program to award amounts 
 to eligible entities to strategically place, build, and 
 maintain hen houses in the prairie pothole region for 
 the purpose of improving the nesting success rates of 
 populations of species of migratory waterfowl.
        (B) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a 
 grant under this paragraph, an eligible entity shall 
 submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at 
 such time, and containing such information as the 
 Secretary determines appropriate.

    (2) Breeding habitat grant program.--
        (A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
 establish a competitive grant program to award amounts 
 to eligible entities to develop breeding habitat for 
 species of migratory waterfowl within California for 
 the purpose of enhancing the breeding success rates of 
 populations of species of migratory waterfowl, 
 including by--
            (i) establishing nesting cover;
            (ii) creating brood ponds; and
            (iii) providing incentives to willing 
 landowners to carry out the activities 
 described in this subparagraph on land under 
 the control of those landowners within 
 California.
        (B) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a 
 grant under this paragraph, an eligible entity shall 
 submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at 
 such time, and containing such information as the 
 Secretary determines appropriate.
            (d) Funding.--For each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, of the 
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the ``Department of 
the Interior--Office of the Secretary--Departmental Operations'' 
account for each such fiscal year--

    (1) $3,500,000 shall be made available to carry out 
 subsection
            (c) (1) ; and

    (2) $3,500,000 shall be made available to carry out 
 subsection
            (c) (2) .
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