Make SWAPs Efficient Act of 2025
Make SWAPs Efficient Act of 2025 would modify the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to tighten and speed up how quickly the federal government approves a State’s wildlife conservation and restoration program (State Wildlife Action Plans, or SWAPs). The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to act on a State’s comprehensive plan within 180 days of submission, creates a mechanism for conditional authorization and set-aside of funds upon submission, and directs the Secretary to develop a streamlined review process in consultation with States. It also emphasizes congressional intent to prioritize timely review and final approval, and it adds a reporting requirement if a State’s plan is not approved within the specified period. In short, if enacted, States would face a defined 180-day clock for federal approval, with the possibility to begin implementing their plans sooner under conditional authorization, while the federal department must improve processes to meet these timelines and report back if delays occur.
Key Points
- 1180-day timeline: The Secretary must approve a State’s comprehensive plan (SWAP) within 180 days after submission.
- 2Conditional authorization: Upon submission, the Secretary would conditionally authorize the State’s wildlife conservation and restoration program and set aside funds as described in the bill.
- 3streamlined review process: The Secretary, in consultation with States, must develop a process to ensure timely review and final approval not later than 180 days after submission.
- 4congressional intent: The bill expresses that the Secretary should prioritize timely review and approval of State plans.
- 5reporting requirement: If approval does not occur within the specified time, the Secretary must provide a report by June 1 of the following year to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee detailing the status and reasons for delay.