LIST Act of 2025

The "Less Imprecision in Species Treatment Act of 2025" (LIST Act) significantly amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to enhance precision in species management. It mandates the Secretary to initiate delisting procedures for species that have either met the goals of their recovery plan or are determined to have sufficiently recovered even without a formal plan. Furthermore, the bill requires the immediate removal of a species from the list if substantial scientific or commercial information demonstrates its recovery or that its recovery goals have been achieved. A crucial provision addresses species potentially listed based on flawed information, requiring the Secretary to investigate within 90 days if a listing was less likely to occur without inaccurate, fraudulent, or misrepresentative scientific data . If a positive finding is made that a species was erroneously listed, its removal from the list becomes mandatory , and this specific finding is not subject to judicial review . Conversely, a negative finding by the Secretary is subject to judicial review , and individuals who knowingly submit fraudulent information for a petition face a 10-year ban from being considered an interested person for future petitions. The bill also expands the considerations during the mandatory 5-year reviews of listed species. These reviews must now evaluate whether the species meets the objective criteria outlined in its recovery plan or, if such criteria are absent, the original factors used for its listing. Additionally, the reviews must consider any findings of error in the initial listing determination or a new assessment that the species is no longer endangered or threatened.