Recovering America’s Wildlife Act

On June 14, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA, H.R.2773) with a bipartisan 231-190 vote. Of the 231 votes in favor of the bill, sixteen were Republicans including Texas Congressman Michael McCaul. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate, which advanced it out of committee in April. Introduced by lead sponsors Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), the bill would provide $1.3 billion per year to states nationally, including more than $50 million to Texas, to recover imperiled fish and wildlife species and restore habitats. The Coastal Prairie Conservancy could benefit from these funds.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act has broad bipartisan support with over 190 co-sponsors in the House and 35 in the Senate. More than 1,500 groups, including sportsmen, conservation organizations, outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and state and federal wildlife agencies support passage of the bill.

“The bill has had a successful hearing and mark-up in the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. We look forward to working with our partners and members to prepare for a vote on the House floor, as well as movement of the bill in the Senate, so it can be passed by the full Congress,” said Janice Bezanson, Senior Policy Director for Texas Conservation Alliance. “All that has to take place before the end of the year, but we’re closer than we’ve ever been to having this game-changing legislation passed."

To see if our U.S. Senators from Texas have already co-sponsored the bill, check the co-sponsors list on the U.S. Senate website. If they haven't, you can contact them and ask that they support the Recovering America's Wildlife Act.

Get draft letters and other resources from this online Action Toolkit.

To learn more, please read the Recovering America's Wildlife Act flyer.