S. 4412 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Apr 28, 2026
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryBlocks federal wildlife refuge expansion in Texas
This bill stops the Department of the Interior from carrying out its 2023 plan to expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. Under that plan, the department could have bought or secured conservation easements on up to 700,000 acres of land in the Southern High Plains region along the Texas-New Mexico border.
How it affects you
Landowners and ranchers in West Texas and the Texas-New Mexico border area are directly affected. Instead of the federal government potentially purchasing their land or putting conservation restrictions on it, this bill prevents that expansion from happening.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Apr 28, 2026)
No Federal Expansion Designation in West Texas Act or the No FED in West Texas Act
This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from finalizing, implementing, administering, or enforcing its 2023 final land protection plan and environmental assessment for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. The plan allows Interior to expand the refuge and purchase lands or acquire conservation easements on up to 700,000 acres of land in the Southern High Plains region along the Texas-New Mexico border.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionS. 4412
A BILL
No FED in West Texas Act
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) · Introduced Apr 28, 2026 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 28, 2026: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.”