Local Communities &Amp; Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2026

What this does

This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to create the Urban Bird Treaty Program for the voluntary conservation of birds and their habitats in cities. The Director must work with federal, tribal, state, and municipal agencies, nonprofit groups, community groups, and academic institutions to protect and restore urban bird habitat, reduce hazards to birds, and engage the public in monitoring and education. The bill creates a competitive grant program so these same kinds of groups can apply for funding for research, planning, and habitat work. The Director may have the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation administer the grants, and the bill exempts that arrangement, and the funds used for it, from section 10(a) of the Foundation's own establishment act. The Director must try to spread grants fairly across small, midsize, and large cities. The bill authorizes $200,000 a year for the program from 2027 through 2033. The House passed it on September 14, 2026, 345 to 60.