To create dedicated funds to conserve butterflies in North America, plants in the Pacific Islands, freshwater mussels in the United States, and desert fish in the Southwest United States, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates four separate conservation funds administered by the Secretary of the Interior to protect endangered species: butterflies in North America, plants in Pacific Islands, freshwater mussels in the United States, and desert fish in the Southwest. Each fund receives $5 million annually from 2024-2029 to provide competitive grants for conservation projects.
Who Benefits and How
Conservation nonprofits, state wildlife agencies, tribal agencies, and research institutions benefit by gaining access to new grant funding (up to $5 million per program annually) for habitat protection, species monitoring, and restoration projects. These organizations can apply for multi-year grants to conduct conservation work. The Department of the Interior benefits through expanded conservation authority and administrative funding (3% or $80,000 per fund).
Who Bears the Burden and How
Taxpayers bear the cost of $20 million annually ($5 million per fund x 4 funds) for fiscal years 2024-2029, totaling $120 million over six years. Federal agencies cannot directly receive funding or lead projects, though they can participate as partners or collaborators.
Key Provisions
- Creates four dedicated Treasury accounts for species conservation (butterflies, Pacific plants, freshwater mussels, desert fish)
- Authorizes $5 million per year per fund from 2024-2029
- Requires annual reports to Congress on fund status and species populations
- Allows Secretary of Interior to accept private donations for each fund
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes four dedicated conservation funds to protect butterflies in North America, plants in the Pacific Islands, freshwater mussels in the United States, and desert fish in the Southwest United States through competitive grant programs.
Key Policy Areas
Environment, Wildlife Conservation, Appropriations
Primary Purpose
Establishes four dedicated conservation funds to protect butterflies in North America, plants in the Pacific Islands, freshwater mussels in the United States, and desert fish in the Southwest United States through competitive grant programs.
Policy Domains
Title I - North America Butterfly Conservation Fund Act
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Conservation nonprofits
- State wildlife agencies
- Tribal agencies
- Research institutions
- Department of the Interior
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Taxpayers
- Federal agencies (excluded from direct funding)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title II - Pacific Islands Plant Conservation Fund Act
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Conservation nonprofits
- State and territorial agencies
- Tribal agencies
- Research institutions
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Taxpayers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title IV - Southwest Desert Fish Conservation Fund Act
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Conservation nonprofits
- State wildlife agencies
- Tribal agencies
- Research institutions
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Taxpayers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title III - Freshwater Mussel Conservation Fund Act
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Conservation nonprofits
- State wildlife agencies
- Tribal agencies
- Research institutions
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Taxpayers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Blumenthal (for himself, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. Merkley) introduced …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Department of the Interior, Federal agencies, State and territorial agencies (Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, CNMI)
Department of the Interior faces effects in multiple directions
Positive-direction: State and territorial agencies (Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, CNMI), State wildlife agencies, State wildlife agencies (AZ, CA, CO, NV, NM, OR, UT), Tribal agencies, Tribal agencies in Pacific Islands, Tribal agencies in Southwest
Negative-direction: Federal agencies
Conservation grant recipients, Conservation organizations, Conservation organizations in Pacific Islands
No direct economic actors affected
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The use of all methods and procedures necessary to protect habitats of butterflies in North America
The use of all methods and procedures necessary to protect species of plants in the Pacific Islands
The use of all methods and procedures necessary to protect habitats of freshwater mussel species in the United States
The use of all methods and procedures necessary to protect habitats of desert fish species in the Southwest
The United States, Canada, Mexico, and 21 Caribbean and Central American nations
The Hawaiian Islands and the United States territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands
The States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah
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