House Natural Resources Committee Advances Key Hunting Bills

On July 15, 2025, the House Natural Resources Committee advanced two NRA-ILA supported bills — the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R. 556) sponsored by Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA-1), and the Grizzly Bear State Management Act (H.R. 281) sponsored by Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY-AL). These important pieces of legislation for hunters and shooters now await a vote on the House floor.

H.R. 556 would prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from arbitrarily banning the use of traditional ammunition on federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture. This bill was introduced in response to attacks on the hunting and shooting community by past administrations. This legislation would ensure that hunters can use the ammunition that they prefer and is the most cost-effective and that federal agencies cannot close areas to hunting with these products without showing a scientific need to do so. NRA-ILA has fought to protect the right to use traditional ammunition both on Capitol Hill and in courtrooms for years.

“As a lifelong hunter and recreational fisherman, I was appalled by the Biden-Harris administration’s quest to restrict access for our nation’s sportsmen and women who use traditional lead fishing tackle and ammunition on federal lands and waters,” said Congressman Wittman. “We cannot allow a ridiculous ban like this to happen again. Effective environmental stewardship and wildlife conservation rely on the valuable contributions of our hunters and anglers, and affordable lead ammunition and tackle are crucial to reducing financial barriers that limit accessibility for sportsmen and women.”

H.R. 281 requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) population of grizzly bears from the endangered and threatened wildlife list. For background, the original recovery goal for the area was set at 500 bears, and today, the population has more than doubled that goal. The recovery of grizzly bears is a testament to the success of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and should be viewed as such. But anti-hunting activists have used the courts time and again to politicize the issue and prevent returning the management of the bears to the states, where it belongs.

“Federal officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, influenced by wildlife lobbyists, have disregarded recovery data and the unique needs of states like Wyoming for far too long,” said Congresswoman Hageman. “The Greater Yellowstone Grizzly has far exceeded its recovery goals, yet Washington bureaucrats continue to obstruct delisting with needless delays and politicized decisions. These desk activists aren’t the ones dealing with the realities of an overgrown grizzly population—Wyoming families are. With the grizzly population exploding, we’ve seen a troubling uptick in attacks on people, livestock, and property. Families shouldn’t have to live in fear of grizzly bears rummaging through their trash or endangering their children. My legislation addresses the concerns of the people of Wyoming that are being ignored by Washington.”

Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the Senate companion to the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (S. 537), and Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Senate companion to the Grizzly Bear State Management Act (S. 316). Both bills are still awaiting review by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Furthermore, similar language preventing the ban of traditional ammunition and fishing tackle and language to delist the GYE population of grizzly bears passed out of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee on July 15, 2025, and is awaiting review by the full Appropriations Committee.

NRA-ILA will continue to work diligently with policymakers to ensure these NRA backed priorities are passed out of the House and Senate and signed in to law by President Trump.