,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dhff  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #ab1 #bjad ,mr4
 ,mullin 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,lucas1 ,mr4
 ,neugebauer1 ,mr4 ,thornberry1 ,mr4    
,cole1 ,mr4 ,tipton1 ,mr4 ,lankford1    
,mr4 ,flores1 ,mr4 ,pearce1 ,mr4        
,huelskamp1 and ,mr4 ,bridenstine7      
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to reverse the  
,department of the ,interior's listing  
of the lesser prairie chicken as a      
threatened species under the ,endangered
 ,species ,act of #aigc1 to prevent     
further consideration of listing of such
 species as a threatened species or     
endangered species under that ,act      
pending implementation of the ,western  
,association of ,fish and ,wildlife     
,agencies' ,lesser ,prairie-,chicken    
,range-,wide ,conservation ,plan and    
other conservation measures1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,lesser        

,prairie ,chicken ,voluntary ,recovery  
,act of #bjad4  #b4 ,implementation of  
,lesser ,prairie-,chicken ,range-,wide  
,conservation ,plan and other           
conservation measures  7a7 ,prohibition 
on treatment as threatened or endangered
 species  7#a7 ,in general              
,notwithstanding any prior action by the
 ,secretary of the ,interior1 the lesser
 prairie chicken shall not be treated as
 a threatened species or endangered     
species under the ,endangered ,species  
,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et   
seq47 before ,january #ca1 #bjbj4  7#b7 
,prohibition on proposal ,on and after  
,january #ca1 #bjbj1 the lesser prairie 
chicken may not be treated as a         
threatened species or endangered species
 under the ,endangered ,species ,act of 
#aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47     
unless the ,secretary publishes a       
determination1 based on the totality of 
the scientific evidence1 that           
conservation 7as that term is used in   
that ,act7 under the ,range-,wide ,plan 

and the agreements1 programs1 and       
efforts referred to in subsection 7b7   
has not achieved the conservation goals 
established by the ,range-,wide ,plan4  
7b7 ,monitoring of progress of          
conservation programs ,the ,secretary   
shall monitor and annually report to the
 ,congress on progress in conservation  
of the ,lesser ,prairie ,chicken under  
the ,range-,wide ,plan and all related  
,candidate ,conservation ,agreements and
 ,candidate and ,conservation           
,agreements ,with ,assurances1 other    
,federal conservation programs          
administered by the ,united ,states     
,fish and ,wildlife ,service1 the       
,bureau of ,land ,management1 and the   
,department of ,agriculture1 ,state     
conservation programs1 and private      
conservation efforts4  7c7 ,definitions 
,in this section3  7#a7 ,candidate      
,conservation ,agreements ,each of the  
terms ,candidate ,conservation          
,agreement and ,candidate and           
,conservation ,agreement ,with          

,assurances means1 respectively1 such an
 agreement referred to in--  7,a7 the   
,announcement of ,final ,policy for     
,candidate ,conservation ,agreements    
with ,assurances published by the       
,department of the ,interior and the    
,department of ,commerce on ,june #ag1  
#aiii 7#fd ,fed4 ,reg4 #cbgbf72 and     
7,b7 sections #ag4bb7;d7 and #ag4cb7;d7 
of title #ej1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations4  7#b7 ,range-,wide ,plan  
,the term ,range-,wide ,plan means the  
,lesser ,prairie-,chicken ,range-,wide  
,conservation ,plan of the ,western     
,association of ,fish and ,wildlife     
,agencies1 as endorsed by the ,united   
,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service on 
,october #bc1 #bjac1 and published for  
comment on ,january #bi1 #bjad 7#gi     
,fed4 ,reg4 #dfeb74