A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Habitat Enhancement Now Act seeks to create grant programs to support migratory waterfowl populations. It establishes a competitive grant program for the placement and maintenance of hen houses in the prairie pothole region. Additionally, the bill creates a program to develop breeding habitat specifically within California. This includes establishing nesting cover, creating brood ponds, and providing incentives to landowners. The Secretary of the Interior is tasked with establishing these programs within 180 days of enactment. Funding is allocated through fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +5
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill provides funding for habitat conservation and restoration of wetland ecosystems to support migratory waterfowl.
- Scored +5
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill provides financial incentives for landowners to engage in habitat development activities.
- Scored +4
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?
The bill funds specific habitat management practices to support biodiversity in wetland ecosystems.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Hen house grant program: This program provides funding to eligible entities to build and maintain hen houses to improve nesting success for migratory waterfowl in the prairie pothole region (Sec. 2(c)(1)).
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Breeding habitat grant program: This program allows for the development of breeding habitat in California by establishing nesting cover and creating brood ponds (Sec. 2(c)(2)(A)).
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Landowner incentives: The bill provides for incentives for willing landowners in California to carry out activities that enhance the production of species like mallards and gadwalls (Sec. 2(c)(2)(A)(iii); Sec. 2(a)(7)).
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Broad eligibility for grants: The grant programs are available to a wide range of eligible entities, including States, local or Tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and individuals (Sec. 2(b)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill provides funding for habitat conservation and restoration of wetland ecosystems to support migratory waterfowl. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — The bill funds specific habitat management practices to support biodiversity in wetland ecosystems. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill incentivizes habitat development on private lands within the prairie pothole region and California.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill provides financial incentives for landowners to engage in habitat development activities. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The program targets land use and economic opportunities within the prairie pothole and California regions.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill empowers the Secretary of the Interior to establish and manage competitive grant programs.
- 12/17/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/16/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico