Habitat Enhancement Now Act

[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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