Update on Paleontological Resources Legislation

Well, the effort has resumed to enact a uniform policy governing the collecting of fossils on federal land. The United States Senate is scheduled to consider legislation as soon as Sunday, January 11 (I'm impressed -- apparently, the Senate will be in session on Sunday).

On January 7, 2009, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced S. 22, Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which contains language nearly identical to the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act as considered in the Senate during the previous Congress (see S. 320 and S. 3123, 110th Congress -- see previous posts on this legislation). Bingaman is chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. This legislation appears to be on a fast track, since it has been placed on the Senate calendar and, on January 9, a motion was filed to proceed to full Senate consideration. A cloture motion on the motion to proceed was also filed that day in an effort to end any debate on the motion to proceed. A vote is scheduled for Sunday, January 11th, on the cloture motion.