Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported legislation to support Indian Country and rural communities across the country, boost Maine’s legendary lobster fishing industry and enhance natural resources conservation. Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

“Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources advanced a slate of bills supporting tribal and rural communities, restoring American seafood competitiveness and investing in water infrastructure and research, and species conservation. This continues our work to ensure responsible stewardship of our natural resources and support the rural way of life. I look forward to seeing these bills advance through the House.”

Background

H.R. 726, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Troy Downing (R-Mont.), revises the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010, which was entered into by the Crow Tribe of Montana and the state of Montana.

H.R. 2317, the Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), addresses federal lands in Douglas, Elko and Pershing Counties, the cities of Carson City, Fernley and Sparks and the Incline Village General Improvement District, in northern Nevada.

H.R. 2827, introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), gives jurisdiction to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to hear a single, treaty-based damages claim raised by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma under the 1805 Treaty of Grouseland and authorizes monetary action against the United States. The bill also extinguishes any remaining land and title claims to the specified Illinois lands.

H.R. 6251, introduced by U.S. Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska), amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow for the importation of polar bear trophies legally taken in sport hunts in Canada before May 15, 2008, when the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

H.R. 7889, the Advancing Water Research and Collaboration (AWRC) Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), bolsters research and education initiatives designed to improve the scientific understanding, management and sustainability of the nation’s water resources. It reauthorizes the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, which implements and helps fund these initiatives at universities.

H.R. 8658, the Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah), protects Tribal patients from medical debt by providing a reasonable window of 15 days to notify the Indian Health Service after receiving outside emergency care, an expansion of the current 72-hour requirement.

H.R. 9436, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), supports Maine’s iconic lobster fishery and the fishermen who work it by extending the deadline for implementation of new National Marine Fisheries Service regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

H.R. 2406, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), enhances reporting, improves the reporting system and expands the categories of employees covered by existing sexual assault and sexual harassment protections at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

H.R. 6893, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration and Science (WATERS) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), reauthorizes NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office.

For more information on the markup, click here.