Under the Antiquities Act of 1906, presidents have used their authority to designate national monuments on federal land — sometimes protecting millions of acres at a time — without needing congressional approval. This bill would take that power away from the president entirely and require that any new national monument, or any expansion of an existing one, be specifically authorized by Congress through legislation. It's a one-paragraph change to existing law that would fundamentally shift who controls the designation of protected federal lands.
Environmental Concerns
- Presidential authority under the Antiquities Act — Removed for designating or extending national monuments
- Congressional approval requirement — Express authorization required for any new or extended national monument
Congressional Summary
This bill removes the president's authority to designate or expand national monuments and gives that authority to Congress instead.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-01-23
- Date Added
- 2026-04-09
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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