Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Act of 2026

What it does

• •Establishes a Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Fund within the existing Multinational Species Conservation Fund to provide competitive grants for conservation of critically endangered animal species in foreign countries.
• •Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award grants to foreign wildlife management authorities and other qualified organizations for habitat protection, research, anti-poaching enforcement, capacity building, disease management, and community education.
• •Limits grant funding to exclude captive breeding except when designed for release into the wild and no other conservation method is feasible.
• •Requires applicants to obtain free, prior, and informed consent from indigenous peoples and local communities where projects will be conducted, and prohibits double-funding from other U.S. multinational species conservation funds.

Why it matters

• •Provides dedicated funding and a structured grant process for protecting critically endangered animal species globally, defined using International Union Conservation of Nature Red List categories.
• •Establishes procedural requirements including 180-day review timelines, mandatory consultation with foreign governments, preferential consideration for projects with matching funds and long-term conservation design, and public reporting to ensure accountability.
• •Authorizes $5 million annually from fiscal years 2027-2032 to support international conservation efforts beyond U.S. borders.

Who is affected

• •Foreign wildlife management authorities and other organizations with expertise in critically endangered species conservation seeking grant funding.
• •Indigenous peoples and local communities in areas where conservation projects will be conducted, who must provide informed consent.
• •The U.S. Department of the Interior and Secretary of the Interior, responsible for administering the fund and grant program.

What happens next

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources following its introduction on August 10, 2026; it requires congressional appropriation before the authorized funding can be made available.