What This Bill Does · Plain English
GovGreed Synthesis · AI extraction
This bill amends the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program. The program will allocate $100,000 per year for five fiscal years (2026-2030) to fund pilot projects. These projects will test the use of unmanned aerial systems (drones) for the humane gathering, management, and fertility control of wild horses and burros. Grants are to be awarded to organizations, including universities, with expertise in drone technology and equine welfare research.
Carveouts & Earmarks · 2 line items · $1M tagged
Specific dollar amounts in this bill that flow to identifiable companies or programs — the actual cash trail.
$500K
Sec.2 (amending 16 U.S.C. 1338a)
"For each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, from funds made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall allocate $100,000 for grants to support pilot projects that test whether unmanned aerial systems can be used to successfully and humanely gather and manage wild horses and burros."
→ Secretary of the Interior
—
Sec.2 (amending 16 U.S.C. 1338a)
"Grants issued under this subsection shall be awarded to organizations, including institutions of higher learning, with demonstrated expertise in drone technology, and a proven commitment to research which furthers equine welfare."
→ organizations, including institutions of higher learning
Action Timeline
2025-10-24
Introduced in House
2025-10-24
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
2025-10-24
Introduced in House
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.5829 pass?
HR.5829 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: pending.
What does HR.5829 do?
This bill amends the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program. The program will allocate $100,000 per year for five fiscal years (2026-2030) to fund pilot projects. These projects will test the use of unmanned aerial systems (drones) for the humane gathering, management, and fertility control of wild horses and burros. Grants are to be awarded to organizations, including universities, with expertise in drone technology and equine welfare research.
Who sponsored HR.5829?
HR.5829 was sponsored by Eugene Simon Vindman (D-Virginia).
How much money does HR.5829 spend?
HR.5829 contains $1M in identified line-item carveouts to specific programs and companies, across 2 earmarks.
Full Bill Text
119 HR 5829 IH: Leveraging Aerial Systems for Stewardship Operations (LASSO) Act U.S. House of Representatives 2025-10-24 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. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5829 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 24, 2025 Mr. Vindman (for himself and Mr. Buchanan ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to support the use of unmanned aerial systems for the humane roundup and management of wild horses and burros. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Leveraging Aerial Systems for Stewardship Operations (LASSO) Act . 2. Wild free-roaming horses and burros uas program Section 9 of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1338a ) is amended— (1) by striking In administering this Act, and inserting the following: (a) In administering this Act, ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (b) For each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, from funds made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall allocate $100,000 for grants to support pilot projects that test whether unmanned aerial systems can be used to successfully and humanely gather and manage wild horses and burros. Grants issued under this subsection shall be awarded to organizations, including institutions of higher learning, with demonstrated expertise in drone technology, and a proven commitment to research which furthers equine welfare. Grants may also support pilot projects using unmanned aerial systems for humane fertility control application and related herd-health efforts. Reports with results from all funded pilot projects shall be made available to Congress and the public not later than 180 days after the conclusion of each study. Organizations receiving grants under this subsection shall also submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Department of Agriculture a report evaluating the potential uses of unmanned aerial systems for ranching, animal care, and environmental stewardship. .
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