Skip to main content
CivicGate

HR 556
Passed House Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act

H. R. 556 To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes.

Introduced Jan 16, 2025

Latest action (Mar 19, 2026) Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Referred to
Environment and Public Works Committee Natural Resources Committee Agriculture Committee
Issues
Gun Policy

Summary

The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act prohibits the federal Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from banning the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land and water managed for hunting and fishing activities. The law also prevents these agencies from issuing regulations to limit the level of lead in ammunition or tackle used on such federal lands and waters. An exception allows the Secretaries to restrict lead ammunition or tackle on specific federal units if they determine that declining wildlife populations are primarily caused by lead use, supported by field data from that specific location, and the restriction is consistent with or approved by the relevant state's fish and wildlife policies. Any such restriction must be published in the Federal Register with an explanation of how it meets the legal requirements. Existing federal regulations on this topic that were in effect at the time of the act's passage are preserved.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
83 cosponsors

Actions (22)
  1. Mar 19, 2026 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. · senate
  2. Mar 18, 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  3. Mar 18, 2026 On passage Passed by recorded vote: 215 - 202 (Roll no. 93). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2576) · house
  4. Mar 18, 2026 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 215 - 202 (Roll no. 93). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2576)
  5. Mar 18, 2026 On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 206 - 209 (Roll no. 92). · house
  6. Mar 18, 2026 Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2581-2582) · house
  7. Mar 18, 2026 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 556, the Chair put the question on the motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Mrs. Dingell demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced. · house
  8. Mar 18, 2026 The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX. · house
  9. Mar 18, 2026 Mrs. Dingell moved to recommit to the Committee on Natural Resources. (text: CR H2580) · house
  10. Mar 18, 2026 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. · house
  11. Mar 18, 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 556. · house
  12. Mar 18, 2026 Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 556, H.R. 1958 and H.R. 4638. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 556, H.R. 1958, and H.R. 4638 under a closed rule. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each bill. · house
  13. Mar 18, 2026 Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1115. (consideration: CR H2576-2580) · house
  14. Mar 16, 2026 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1115 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 556, H.R. 1958 and H.R. 4638. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 556, H.R. 1958, and H.R. 4638 under a closed rule. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each bill. · house
  15. Nov 25, 2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 335. · house
  16. Nov 25, 2025 Committee on Agriculture discharged. · house
  17. Nov 25, 2025 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-385, Part I. · house
  18. Jul 15, 2025 Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 17. · house
  19. Jul 15, 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
  20. Feb 20, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture. · house
  21. Jan 16, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
  22. Jan 16, 2025 Introduced in House

How your representatives voted

Sign in to see how your own representatives voted on HR 556.

Roll-call votes (2)

How the chamber voted on this bill — the outcome, the tally by party, and every member's recorded position. A factual record.

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • S 537 — Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025 · Introduced Feb 12, 2025 · Cong. 119 79%
  • HR 6268 — LEAD Act of 2025 · Introduced Nov 21, 2025 · Cong. 119 76%
  • HR 9719 — Federal Lands Lawful Carry Act · Introduced Jul 16, 2026 · Cong. 119 67%
  • HR 8680 — Armed Forces Carry Rights Protection Act of 2026 · Introduced May 7, 2026 · Cong. 119 63%
  • HR 4422 — Don’t Feed the Bears Act of 2025 · Introduced Jul 15, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • HRES 1115 — Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 556) to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1958) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify that aliens who have been convicted of defrauding the United States Government or the unlawful receipt of public benefits are inadmissible and deportable; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4638) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that an alien who has been convicted of harming animals used in law enforcement is inadmissible and deportable, and for other purposes; and relating to consideration of motions to suspend the rules. · Passed House Mar 17, 2026 · Cong. 119 63%

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 16, 2025

Mr. Wittman (for himself, Mr. McGuire, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Ms. De La Cruz, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Bean of Florida, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Norman, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Guest, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, Mr. Webster of Florida, Mr. Finstad, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Biggs of Arizona, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Mr. Fulcher, Mr. Bost, Mr. Hudson, Ms. Hageman, Ms. Boebert, Mr. Cline, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Tiffany, Mr. Williams of Texas, Mr. Bergman, Mr. Balderson, Mr. Messmer, Mrs. Fischbach, Mr. Fitzgerald, Ms. Letlow, and Mr. Fleischmann) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

November 25, 2025

Additional sponsors: Mr. Gosar, Mr. Owens, Mr. Self, Mr. Carter of Texas, Mr. Grothman, Mrs. Biggs of South Carolina, Mr. Fallon, Mr. Hurd of Colorado, Mr. Langworthy, Mr. Babin, Mr. Moore of North Carolina, Mr. Womack, Mr. McDowell, Mr. Estes, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Fry, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Kustoff, Mr. Rulli, Mr. Donalds, Mr. Mann, Mrs. Hinson, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Harrigan, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Wied, Mr. Downing, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, Mr. Crank, Mr. Latta, Mr. Crenshaw, Ms. Van Duyne, Mr. Pfluger, Mr. Steube, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Harris of North Carolina, Mr. DesJarlais, Mr. Evans of Colorado, Mr. Jackson of Texas, Mr. Miller of Ohio, Mr. Roy, and Mr. Nehls

November 25, 2025

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

November 25, 2025

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 16, 2025]

A BILL

To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, 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 “Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act”.

SEC. 2. PROTECTING ACCESS FOR HUNTERS AND ANGLERS ON FEDERAL LAND AND WATER.

(a) In General.—Except as provided in section 20.21 or 20.108 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act), and subsection (b), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (referred to in this section as the “applicable Secretary”), may not—

(1) prohibit the use of lead ammunition or tackle on Federal land or water that is—

(A) under the jurisdiction of the applicable Secretary; and

(B) made available for hunting or fishing activities; or

(2) issue regulations relating to the level of lead in ammunition or tackle to be used on Federal land or water described in paragraph (1).

(b) Exception.—Subsection (a) shall not apply to a prohibition or regulations described in that subsection that are limited to a specific unit of Federal land or water, if the applicable Secretary determines that—

(1) 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 the specific unit of Federal land or water; and

(2) the prohibition or regulations, as applicable, are—

(A) consistent with the law of the State in which the specific Federal land or water is located;

(B) consistent with an applicable policy of the fish and wildlife department of the State in which the specific Federal land or water is located; or

(C) approved by the applicable fish and wildlife department of the State in which the specific Federal land or water is located.

(c) Federal Register Notice.—The applicable Secretary shall include in a Federal Register notice with respect to any prohibition or regulations that meet the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) an explanation of how the prohibition or regulations, as applicable, meet those requirements. Union Calendar No. 335

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 556

[Report No. 119-385, Part I]

A BILL

To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes.

November 25, 2025

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment

November 25, 2025

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Comments

Comments

Loading comments…