H.R. 556 · Passed House · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act

Sponsor: Robert J. Wittman (R-VA)

What it does

• Bars the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service from prohibiting or regulating lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water.
• Preserves specified existing regulations.
• Allows regulation where the agency finds, from field data, that lead ammunition or tackle is the primary cause of a wildlife population decline at a specific unit and the state approves.

Official summary

Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025 This bill bars the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Forest Service from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water. The bill makes exceptions for specified existing regulations and where the FWS, the BLM, or the Forest Service determines that a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from such unit, and the state approves the regulations.

Latest action

Mar 19, 2026: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works