Florida Congressman Byron Donalds’s (R) “Make SWAPS Efficient Act” (H.R. 1676) passed unanimously with a vote of 400-0 in the House.
The bill will overhaul the state’s approval process for basic wildlife protection plans, cutting wait times from more than 18 months to just 180 days.
“Currently, it takes 18+MONTHS to approve basic state wildlife protection plans. My bill expedites this timeline to just 180 days and will now move to the Senate for consideration,” Rep. Donalds shared in a post on X.
SWAPs or State Wildlife Action Plans are submitted by states to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to identify non-game species that require the greatest conservation and protection needs, so they don’t become threatened or endangered. Currently, there is no deadline for FWS to approve a complete SWAP once submitted by a state, and in most cases, approval can take over 18 months.
"Currently, it's taking over a year and a half to approve basic state wildlife protection plans to ensure non-game species do not become threatened or endangered. This is unacceptable, and this is why I introduced H.R. 1676 to expedite this timeline to just 180 days. We are making our government efficient again, whether bureaucrats in Washington like it or not," Donalds wrote in a press conference.
The “Make SWAPS Efficient Act” would automatically put a SWAP into effect if state officials fail to approve or deny it within 180 days.
Alongside Donalds, fellow Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D) co-led the bill, hoping to aid in the conservation of Florida’s fragile wildlife with a commonsense law.
“Florida depends on the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program to help protect the diverse ecosystems that call our state home, but it takes far too long for the federal government to approve wildlife conservation action plans under it," Moskowitz explained. "So I’m teaming up with Congressman Donalds on commonsense legislation that will institute a timeline for officials to sign off on these strategies. By streamlining this conservation tool, our bill will cut red tape and help ensure our public lands and Florida wildlife stay protected from coast to coast.”
Florida Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (R), also a cosponsor of the bill and founder and co-chair of the Congressional Everglades Caucus, commented on the bill’s passing, explaining how “critical timely action is for protecting Florida’s diverse ecosystems and wildlife.”
