To prohibit the use of M–44 devices, commonly known as cyanide bombs, on public land, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Huffman (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Ms. DelBene, Ms. Norton, …
Summary
What This Bill Does:
Canyon's Law prohibits the use of M-44 devices (also called "cyanide bombs") on all federal public lands. M-44 devices are spring-loaded cylinders that spray sodium cyanide when triggered by an animal. The bill requires all federal, state, and county agencies to remove any M-44 devices already placed on public lands within 30 days.
Who Benefits and How:
Wildlife, including endangered species like the California Condor, bald eagles, golden eagles, and gray wolves, benefit by avoiding lethal poisoning from M-44 devices. Pet owners and their dogs benefit from reduced risk of accidental poisoning—over 50 family dogs have been killed by these devices since 1990. Hikers, campers, and other public land users gain protection from accidental exposure to deadly cyanide gas that has injured at least 42 people since 1984.
Who Bears the Burden and How:
Livestock and poultry ranchers who graze animals on federal public lands lose access to M-44 devices as a predator control tool against coyotes, foxes, and wild dogs. USDA Wildlife Services and state wildlife control agencies must remove all existing devices from public lands and find alternative methods for predator management. Manufacturers of M-44 devices and sodium cyanide pesticides face a reduced market for their products.
Key Provisions:
- Bans all preparation, placement, installation, and use of M-44 devices on federal lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Forest Service
- Mandates removal of all existing M-44 devices from public lands within 30 days of the law's enactment
- Defines M-44 devices as any device designed to propel sodium cyanide when triggered by an animal
- Applies only to federal public lands, not private property
- Named "Canyon's Law" after a dog killed by an M-44 device in Idaho in 2017, in an incident that also exposed a child to cyanide poisoning
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Prohibit the use of M-44 devices (cyanide bombs) on federal public lands to protect people, pets, and wildlife from sodium cyanide poisoning
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Environmental and public safety protection by banning a hazardous pesticide device on federal lands"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Wildlife (particularly endangered species like California Condor, bald eagles, golden eagles, gray wolves, grizzly bears)
- Pet owners (particularly dog owners)
- Public land users and recreationists
- Environmental and animal welfare advocacy groups
Likely Burden Bearers
- Livestock and poultry ranchers who use M-44 devices for predator control
- USDA Wildlife Services (primary user of M-44 devices)
- Pesticide manufacturers of M-44 devices
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_environmental_protection_agency"
- → Environmental Protection Agency
- "the_united_states_fish_and_wildlife_service"
- → United States Fish and Wildlife Service
- "public_land_management_agency"
- → Any of: National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Forest Service
- "federal_state_or_county_agency"
- → Any Federal, State, or county agency that has deployed M-44 devices
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A device designed to propel sodium cyanide when triggered by an animal. Includes any device commonly known as an M-44 ejector device or M-44 predator control device.
Any Federal land under the administrative jurisdiction of a public land management agency.
The National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, or Forest Service, or a combination thereof.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology