Skip to main content
S 855 114th Congress Senate Environmental Protection Administrative law and regulatory procedures Administrative remedies Congressional oversight Department of Commerce Department of the Interior Electric power generation and transmission Endangered and threatened species Environmental regulatory procedures Government studies and investigations Intergovernmental relations Land use and conservation Legal fees and court costs Legislative rules and procedure Property rights Public utilities and utility rates State and local government operations

Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act

Introduced: March 24, 2015 Introduced by: Paul, Rand Republican · Kentucky See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 6, 2015
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-37.
Mar 24, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mar 24, 2015
Introduced in Senate
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act

Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) to require the consent of the governor of a state in which a species is present for: (1) a determination of endangered or threatened species status by regulation, and (2) listing of the species as endangered or threatened by the Department of the Interior upon a determination by the Department of Commerce.

Eliminates a rulemaking procedure involving the petitioning by an interested person for adding a species to, or removing a species from, the lists of endangered and threatened species.

Defines "best scientific and commercial data," for purposes of determinations, to include any scientific evidence made available by any state agency.

Subjects determinations by Interior and Commerce to list species as endangered or threatened to congressional approval by joint resolution. Requires removal of each species listed on an approved list five years after the joint resolution is enacted. Provides a procedure for re-submission by Interior, in consultation with the governor of each state in which the endangered or threatened species is present, of a list including a species so removed and subjects that list to approval by joint resolution.

Eliminates the requirement for guidelines concerning petitions.

Establishes a process for exclusive state regulation of endangered or threatened species determined by a state governor to be present only within that state. Precludes judicial review of any such action. Subjects the following to the process of intrastate regulation: (1) issuance of species conservation regulations, (2) recovery plan implementation, (3) species recovery monitoring, and (4) establishment of agency guidelines.

Requires the Bonneville, Southeastern, Southwestern, and Western Area Power Administrations, except with respect to intrastate species regulation, to include in customer monthly billing statements information on the share of costs to the customer incurred as a result of ESA compliance.

Allows an owner or lessee of any real property to submit to Interior an application that includes any proposed use of the real property for a determination of whether the use will violate ESA. Deems the use to be compliant if Interior fails to respond within 90 days. Allows the owner or lessee to seek compensation (150% of the property's fair market value) if the use is determined to violate ESA and an action of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service diminishes the fair market value of any real property by at least 50% with respect to the intended use.

Eliminates the award of attorney fees in citizen suits under ESA.

What's happening now May 6, 2015

Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-37.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 855: Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-855/
MLA
"S. 855: Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-855/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 855, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-855/.
Markdown link
[S. 855: Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-855/)
Report a problem