What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
This bill prohibits the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida from being designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The National Park Service currently manages Big Cypress National Preserve, which is a freshwater swamp ecosystem of 729,000 acres. In general, development activities, commercial activities, permanent structures, and roads are prohibited in wilderness areas. In contrast, natural preserves typically allow some development activities, such as hunting or oil and gas exploration.
Action Timeline
2026-02-04
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably and an amendment to the title.
2025-12-09
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
2025-02-06
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
2025-02-06
Introduced in Senate
Frequently Asked Questions
Did S.446 pass?
S.446 is still alive. Current stage: REPORTED. Pass likelihood: 87%.
What does S.446 do?
This bill prohibits the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida from being designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The National Park Service currently manages Big Cypress National Preserve, which is a freshwater swamp ecosystem of 729,000 acres. In general, development activities, commercial activities, permanent structures, and roads are prohibited in wilderness areas. In contrast, natural preserves typically allow some development activities, such as hunting or oil and gas exploration.
Who sponsored S.446?
S.446 was sponsored by Rick Scott (R-Florida).
Full Bill Text
119 S446 IS: To prohibit Big Cypress National Preserve from being designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes. U.S. Senate 2025-02-06 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 446 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025 Mr. Scott of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To prohibit Big Cypress National Preserve from being designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes. 1. Prohibition on designation of Big Cypress National Preserve as wilderness Big Cypress National Preserve may not be designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
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