Bill
S 1596
Renames Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (TX) to Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge; no boundary, funding, or management changes; agencies update maps, signage, and records.
Status and key dates
- Became law: July 24, 2025 (Public Law No. 119‑30).
- Presented to the President: July 17, 2025.
- House passage: July 14, 2025 (suspension of the rules; Yeas 372 – Nays 0).
- Senate passage: May 13, 2025 (voice vote).
Main purpose
- To rename the federal Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (Texas) as the “Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.”
Congressional findings (as stated in the Act)
- The Act recites that on June 17, 2024, 12‑year‑old Jocelyn Nungaray was murdered in Houston, Texas; that persons charged in the case have been described in the findings; that President Trump signed an Executive Order on March 4, 2025, renaming the area; and that, given Ms. Nungaray’s love of animals and the proximity of Houston, it is fitting to rename the refuge in her honor.
Key provisions and changes
- Section 3(a): Official renaming — Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (located in Texas) “shall be known as the ‘Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge’.”
- Section 3(b): Conforming references — Any reference in law, maps, regulations, documents, papers, or other U.S. records to the former name shall be deemed a reference to the new name.
- Short title: “Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act.”
Scope and impact
- The Act effects a nominal change only — it does not alter refuge boundaries, management authorities, funding, or operational responsibilities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Directly affected parties/agencies: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, federal map and document custodians, state and local agencies that reference the refuge, operators of navigational/maps databases, signage contractors.
- Administrative impacts: Updating signage, maps, brochures, websites, and legal/regulatory references to reflect the new name. Costs are expected to be routine, one‑time administrative expenses borne by relevant federal and state agencies.
Procedural notes
- The Act includes a general provision to treat prior references to the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge as references to the renamed refuge to avoid the need to amend other statutes or regulations.
- The bill moved quickly through Congress under suspension of the rules in the House and passed the Senate by voice vote before enactment.
Note on source materials
- The packet provided included other unrelated legislative texts and state bills (e.g., state proposals on nuclear fuel monitoring and commemorative license plates). The enacted federal law for S. 1596 is the renaming described above.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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