WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Pearce introduced H.R. 6345, the Ensuring Meaningful Petition Outreach While Enhancing Rights of States Act, also known as the EMPOWERS Act. This legislation will require the federal government to consult with states when making any decisions under the Endangered Species Act.

"This bill would simply require the federal government to consult with states before making a listing decision under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Recent listings under the ESA have lacked adequate consultation and communication with the states which have these animals. Lack of communication is a lost opportunity for the Fish and Wildlife Service to utilize state expertise and information on species under review. Decisions to list species under the ESA often have serious adverse economic consequences, which is why the federal government should review all relevant information before making a decision. The EMPOWERS Act will help prevent rushed decisions that hurt local economies. Improvements must be made to the substance of listing decisions, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this commonsense bill forward."
 
Background: The EMPOWERS Act was cosponsored by twenty-three Members of Congress.