Environment

HJRES 78 is a joint resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that granted endangered species status to the San Francisco Bay-Delta population of the longfin smelt, a fish native to California's Bay-Delta region. If passed, this resolution would block the rule from taking effect, preventing the smelt from receiving federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. The rule, published in the Federal Register in July 2024, aimed to protect this specific fish population from threats like habitat loss and water management practices. This resolution does not create new policy but directly reverses an existing regulatory action affecting the smelt and its ecosystem.