Data / Federal rules / 2026-14195
Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on July 14, 2026. It took effect on September 14, 2026.
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What the agency says
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS; collectively referred to as the "Services") rescind the regulatory definition of "harm" in our Endangered Species Act (ESA or the Act) regulations. This rescission removes the regulatory definition of "harm" from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in Title 50 parts 17 and 222.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-14195
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service; Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Published
- July 14, 2026
- Takes effect
- September 14, 2026
- Dates
- This final rule is effective September 14, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0034; FXES11160900000-267-FF09E23000; Docket No. NMFS-250411-0064
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 0648-BN93; 1018-BI38
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 50 CFR 17; 50 CFR 222
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Endangered and threatened species; Exports; Imports; Plants; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Transportation; Wildlife
- Significant
- Yes, under Executive Order 12866
- Pages
- 18
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Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-24. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.