Bill · H.R. 4422· House(119-HR-4422)
Don’t Feed the Bears Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 7/15/2025
- Last activity
- 7/15/2025 — Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Shri Thanedar
- Cosponsors
- - 4 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Don't Feed the Bears Act of 2025" aims to prohibit the intentional feeding of bears on Federal public lands. This measure is intended to end the hunting practice known as "bear baiting." By stopping this practice, the bill seeks to reduce dangerous interactions between people and bears. The legislation directs several federal agencies to adopt and enforce these new regulations. These rules would apply to National Park System lands, wildlife refuge areas, Bureau of Land Management lands, and National Forest System lands.
Yes· 3 of 4
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?+6
The bill enhances public land management by creating consistent regulations against bear baiting across various federal lands.
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+5
The bill improves environmental and wildlife protections by preventing human-wildlife conflict through regulated feeding bans.
Does this give the federal government more power?+3
The bill increases federal authority by mandating federal agencies to adopt and enforce these specific prohibitions on public lands.
The opposite
Would gun owners be better off under this?-4
The bill negatively impacts hunters who rely on the bear baiting practice.
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-3
The bill restricts the ability of hunters to use baiting practices that might otherwise be permitted under certain state laws.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Reduced Dangerous Interactions: The bill aims to reduce the number of dangerous interactions between people and bears (Section 2(a)).
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Increased Public Safety: Prohibiting the feeding of bears helps prevent bears from becoming emboldened in approaching people and property, which reduces safety threats and potential attacks (Section 2(a)).
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Protection of Property: By discouraging bears from becoming habituated to human-scented foods, the bill aims to reduce the millions of dollars in property damage caused by human-fed bears every year (Section 2(a)).
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Prevention of Nuisance Labeling: Reducing bear-human conflicts may prevent bears from being labeled as nuisance animals and subsequently killed (Section 2(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Loss of Hunting Practice: The regulations would end the specific hunting practice known as "bear baiting" on Federal public lands (Section 2(a) and Section 2(d)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Public Land Management+6Improves Environmental Protections+5
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+2Good For Gun Owners-4
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+3Increase States Rights-3
- 3/25/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/15/2025
- Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana
Raja KrishnamoorthiDemocrat · Illinois
Zoe LofgrenDemocrat · California
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia