# 119-hr-8438: Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026

119-hr-8438, Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8] (D-VA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-26).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8438
- As of: 2026-09-26
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8438
- Congress: 119
- Title: Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-22
- Sponsor: Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8] (D-VA)
- Cosponsors: 9
- Policy area: Environmental Protection
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-26

## Summary

**A National Wildlife Corridor System to conserve and restore habitat connectivity nationwide.** This bill would map critical movement routes, set a national nomination and management process, create a grant program for non-Federal lands, and require cross-jurisdiction coordination and reporting to help species move, adapt, and maintain genetic exchange. - Private landowners, Tribes, States, local governments, and nonprofit partners could receive grants and technical help to conserve or restore corridors; the bill forbids eminent domain seizures or land-use restrictions on private land without the owner’s consent. - Conservation planners and scientists would get coordinated mapping, data sharing, and research on climate impacts and fragmentation to guide where to protect or restore connectivity and to prioritize corridors that benefit multiple species. - Federal agencies would appoint coordinators, follow deadlines for regulations and reports, and work with a multi-stakeholder Coordinating Committee; the bill authorizes about $75 million a year for the grant program and about $140 million in total annual authorizations. *Would increase federal spending by about $140 million per year, subject to annual appropriations.*

## Cosponsors (9)

- Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] (R-FL), 2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Friedman, Laura [D-CA-30] (D-CA), 2026-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (D-CA), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26] (D-NY), 2026-08-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pallone, Frank [D-NJ-6] (D-NJ), 2026-09-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Private land protections and state authority: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would forbid taking private land by eminent domain under this title. It would also forbid imposing new limits on private land use without the landowner's consent. The bill would not change State or Tribal authority over fish and wildlife in National Wildlife Corridors, includin…
- Grants for wildlife corridor projects: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary of the Interior would run a Wildlife Movement Grant Program. It would authorize $75 million each year starting in fiscal year 2026. At least 10 percent each year (at least $7,500,000) would be reserved for big-game migration or seasonal habitat projects. Beginning not late…
- Federal agency corridor funding: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would authorize annual appropriations for corridor work starting in fiscal year 2026. It would authorize $20 million for Interior, $18 million for Transportation, $10 million for Agriculture, $9 million for Commerce, and $3 million for Defense each year. These funds would suppo…
- Federal habitat mapping and science: benefit, low. If enacted, the U.S. Geological Survey would create a Habitat Connectivity Mapping and Science Program. The program would build public maps and a database of corridors, expand data sharing, and study climate and development effects on connectivity. The bill would authorize $5 million per year start…
- National coordinating committee and partnerships: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretaries would establish a Coordinating Committee within 180 days. The committee would include agency leaders, tribal representatives, and science experts. Within a year it would make a strategy to nominate corridors, coordinate with States and Tribes, do outreach, and support re…
- Military waiver for corridor rules: mixed, low. If enacted, the Secretary of Defense would be able to waive any requirement of this title for a military installation when needed for readiness or mission needs. The Secretary would publish each waiver unless publication would harm national security. This would reduce some corridor conservation req…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3112: Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2253: Puppy Protection Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hres-1641: Honoring the contributions of Indian Americans and supporting the designation of July as "Indian American Heritage Month".
- 119-hr-1993: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-8438 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8438)

## Related
- [119-hr-3112: Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3112)
- [119-hr-2253: Puppy Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2253)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hres-1641: Honoring the contributions of Indian Americans and supporting the designation o…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-1641)
- [119-hr-1993: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1993)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8438 (as of 2026-09-26).