Black Vulture Relief Act

The Black Vulture Relief Act would modify current federal law to permit livestock producers and their employees to take action against black vultures that threaten their livestock. Currently, black vultures are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and producers must obtain permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take any action against them. This bill would allow producers to capture, kill, or disperse black vultures they reasonably believe will cause death, injury, or destruction to livestock, or to cause injury to the bird in the course of attempting to take it. The bill specifically prohibits using poison as a method.

If enacted, livestock producers would be required to submit annual reports to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documenting any black vultures taken under this authority. The Fish and Wildlife Service would need to develop a standardized reporting form and make it available online. This bill has been approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources and is now eligible for a floor vote, though it has not yet passed the full House or become law.