National Fossil Act

Erin Houchin

Republican · IN · Representative

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2)Original· 2026-06-08
• Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6)Original· 2026-06-08
• Dusty Johnson (R-SD)Original· 2026-06-08
• Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY-23)Original· 2026-06-08
• Tracey Mann (R-KS-1)Original· 2026-06-08
• Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6)· 2026-06-30
• Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5)· 2026-06-30
• Robert F. Onder, Jr. (R-MO-3)· 2026-06-30
• Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24)· 2026-07-13

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 22 - 1.

2026-07-15

Source: Congress.gov

The bill would officially designate the American mastodon as the national fossil mammal and the Tyrannosaurus rex as the national fossil dinosaur of the United States, giving these prehistoric creatures the same symbolic status as the bald eagle or other national symbols. This change would primarily be symbolic and wouldn't directly affect most Americans' daily lives, though it could influence educational materials, museum exhibits, and how the country represents its natural history. The bill is currently under review by the House Judiciary Committee.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 9191 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9191 To amend chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, to designate the American mastodon as the national fossil mammal and the Tyrannosaurus rex as the national fossil dinosaur of the United States, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 8, 2026 Mrs. Houchin (for herself, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Ms. Maloy, Mr. Langworthy, and Mr. Mann) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, to designate the American mastodon as the national fossil mammal and the Tyrannosaurus rex as the national fossil dinosaur of the United States, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``National Fossil Act''. SEC. 2. NATIONAL FOSSIL MAMMAL AND DINOSAUR OF THE UNITED STATES. (a) Designation.--Chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``Sec. 307. National fossil mammal and dinosaur ``The fossil of-- ``(1) the genus Mammut americanum, commonly known as the American mastodon, is the national fossil mammal; and ``(2) the Tyrannosaurus rex is the national fossil dinosaur.''. (b) Conforming Amendments.--The table of sections for chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in the chapter heading, by striking ``AND BIRD'' and inserting ``BIRD, AND FOSSIL''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``307. National fossil mammal and dinosaur.''. <all>

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