Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Speed Up Endangered Species Recovery
A new bipartisan bill aims to strengthen how the U.S. carries out one of its most important wildlife laws, the Endangered Species Act. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Improving Species Recovery Act on 30 September 2026.
The bill draws on a March 2026 hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee on fisheries, water and wildlife, where Defenders of Wildlife testified. It would not rewrite the law, but it would instead change how agencies apply it through conservation incentives, regular public reporting and faster reviews.
Defenders of Wildlife called the Endangered Species Act “our nation’s most effective conservation law,” and welcomed the bill. It has only just been introduced in the Senate.
Earlier Action, Measurable Progress
The bill would set clear standards for private landowners and states that protect species before they are listed. It would also define how that voluntary work counts in decisions to list or delist a species.
It would create measurable conservation milestones. Landowners and agencies that reach them would gain more regulatory flexibility and priority access to conservation funding.
Each species would get a baseline status when it is listed. Every three years, public reports would track recovery progress, species trends and data gaps against that baseline.
Faster Reviews
The bill would direct the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand digital tools such as Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC). It would also explore whether artificial intelligence could automate and speed up reviews between agencies, while staying within the law.
