No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6268 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6268
To require the Secretary of the Interior to prohibit the use of lead
ammunition on United States Fish and Wildlife Service lands, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 21, 2025
Mr. Lieu (for himself, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Brownley, Ms. Norton, Ms. Dean
of Pennsylvania, Mr. Nadler, Ms. McCollum, and Mr. Min) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Interior to prohibit the use of lead
ammunition on United States Fish and Wildlife Service lands, 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 ``Lead Endangers Animals Daily Act of
2025'' or the ``LEAD Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In 1991, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
required the use of nontoxic ammunition for all waterfowl
hunting.
(2) Research has shown that the presence of lead in the
environment poses a threat to human and wildlife health.
(3) The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that
lead is toxic to both humans and animals, and can negatively
affect nearly every organ and system in the human body,
including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and
reproductive and nervous systems. Lead exposure interferes with
the development of the nervous system and is therefore
particularly toxic to children, causing potentially permanent
learning and behavioral disorders.
(4) Lead is a potent neurotoxin, for which no safe exposure
level exists for humans. The use of lead has been outlawed in
and removed from paint, gasoline, children's toys, and many
other items to protect human health and wildlife.
(5) Wildlife, including federally listed threatened and
endangered species, is at risk of lead toxicosis through the
ingestion of lead ammunition, either directly by ingesting lead
from spent ballistic materials while foraging, or indirectly by
scavenging carcasses and viscera left by hunters. Lead may also
pollute soil and water around outdoor shooting ranges.
(6) Lead ammunition also endangers human food supplies.
Dairy and beef cattle have developed lead poisoning after
feeding in areas where spent lead ammunition has accumulated.
Spent lead ammunition can also contaminate crops, vegetation,
and waterways.
(7) Humans are at risk of lead toxicosis through the
consumption of game meat harvested with lead ammunition.
(8) Alternatives to lead ammunition are readily available,
and studies have shown that nonlead ammunition performs just as
well as lead-based ammunition.
(9) In January 2017, the outgoing Director of the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service issued Director's Order 219.
In March 2017, the Principal Deputy Director of the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service repealed this Order.
SEC. 3. NONTOXIC AMMUNITION.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (c), and not
later than 1 year after enactment, the Secretary, acting through the
Director, shall issue final regulations prohibiting the discharge of
any firearm using ammunition other than nonlead ammunition certified
under subsection (b) on all lands and waters under the jurisdiction and
control of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
(b) Certification.--The Director shall, for the purposes of
enforcing this section and in consultation with State and Tribal
governments, establish and annually update a list of nonlead
ammunition.
(c) Exceptions.--The prohibition under subsection (a) shall not
apply to--
(1) a Government official or agent carrying out a statutory
duty unrelated to the management of wildlife;
(2) a State, local, Tribal, or Federal law enforcement
officer or the agent of such officer when carrying out a
statutory duty; and
(3) an active member of the United States military when
carrying out official duties.
(d) Penalties.--A person that knowingly violates subsection (a) may
be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary of no more than $500 for
the first violation. A second or subsequent violation shall be
punishable by a fine of not less than $1,000 or more than $5,000.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Ammunition.--The term ``ammunition'' means any bullet,
ball, sabot, slug, buckshot, shot, pellet, or other projectile
that is expelled from a firearm through a barrel by force.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
(3) Explosive.--The term ``explosive'' has the meaning
given such term in section 844 of title 18, United States Code.
(4) Firearm.--The term ``firearm'' means any weapon which
expels ammunition by the action of an explosive or compressed
air.
(5) Nonlead ammunition.--The term ``nonlead ammunition''
means ammunition in which there is no lead content, excluding
the presence of trace amounts of lead.
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(7) Trace amounts.--The term ``trace amounts'' means one
percent or less by weight of the total weight of the
ammunition.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line