With 2025 concluded and 2026 legislative sessions convening, we, at the Sportsmen’s Alliance, thank you for taking action and staying engaged in 2025. We look forward to continuing the fight with you in 2026 to protect and preserve our hunting, fishing, and trapping legacies.
As we transition into 2026, we just want to take a moment to evaluate the “highs and lows” of the past year.
Federal Legislative Highlights
Advocacy at the federal level yielded several pivotal developments for conservation and management:
- Public Land Preservation: Successfully removed language from the budget reconciliation process that would have authorized the sale of millions of acres of public lands.
- Gray Wolf Management: The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 845 (the Pet and Livestock Protection Act), which directs the Secretary of the Interior to delist gray wolves in the Lower-48 states and return management authority to state agencies.
- ESA Reform: H.R. 1897 (the ESA Amendments Act of 2025) has moved to the U.S. House of Representatives for further consideration, marking a step toward modernized species management.
State-Level Victories
Pro-sportsmen initiatives saw considerable success across several states in 2025:
- Pennsylvania: The long-standing ban on Sunday hunting was officially repealed.
- New Mexico: Reformed the Game Commission appointment process and established a Wildlife Commission Nominating Committee to ensure balanced representation.
- West Virginia: Secured manufacturer liability protections and legalized the use of dogs or drones to track wounded big game (deer, elk, turkey, bear, and wild boar).
- Nevada: Established a formal coyote contest season.
- Privacy & Protection: South Dakota enacted enhanced protections for sportsmen’s credit card privacy, while Georgia expanded hunter safety options by authorizing fluorescent pink as an alternative to fluorescent orange.
Despite these gains, we did face disappointment in Arizona, where two critical pieces of pro-sportsmen legislation were passed by the legislature but vetoed by the Governor. These bills sought to protect sportsmen’s credit card privacy and strengthen the state’s firearms preemption laws by allowing civil penalties for local violations.
Positive Outcomes and Successful Defenses
Several legislative efforts that may have negatively impacted firearms owners and sportsmen were successfully defeated across various states:
- Assault Weapons Legislation Defeated: Legislation aimed at reclassifying common hunting rifles as banned assault weapons failed in Hawaii, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Utah.
- “Sin” Taxes Halted: Proposed “sin” taxes on firearms and ammunition were successfully stopped in Maryland, Illinois, Nebraska, and Washington.
- Nevada Veto: Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed legislation that would have prohibited individuals under the age of 21 from handling, possessing, or controlling semi-automatic rifles or shotguns.
- Washington Bill Pulled: The sponsor of a bill requiring firearm liability insurance withdrew the legislation after confirming a lack of votes for passage.
- Virginia Vetoes: Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed several anti-sportsmen bills, including measures related to age restrictions for semi-automatic firearms, a 5-day waiting period, manufacturer’s liability, and mandatory storage requirements.
Setbacks and Challenges
Conversely, several legislative changes that restrict the rights of sportsmen and firearms owners were enacted in other states:
- Oregon Trapping Restrictions: Beaver trapping is now banned on certain classified waters or watersheds, as well as on public lands within those watersheds or within 200 feet of the ordinary high-water mark of such waters.
- Colorado Ammunition Restrictions: Young adults aged eighteen to twenty are now prohibited from purchasing ammunition either in person or by delivery in Colorado.
- Colorado Permit-to-Purchase: A firearms safety course eligibility card, functioning as a permit-to-purchase card, is now required before an individual can purchase a firearm in Colorado.
2026 Expectation:
We are expecting the usual array of anti-sportsmen-related issues to be introduced, including semi-automatic firearms bans, “sin” tax on firearms and ammunition, age restrictions on the possession and purchase of firearms, and the tracking of sportsmen’s credit card purchases.
We also expect just as many pro-sportsmen-related issues to be introduced, including bills to protect credit card privacy, protect firearms manufacturers, repeal age restrictions, reform the game commission, and many others to promote hunting, fishing, and trapping.
2026 also contains mid-term elections. To help sportsmen participate effectively, we will launch our NEW Sportsmen’s Vote Tracker in 2026. We must hold our elected officials accountable for the votes they take. This new tool can help every sportsman do that by checking on how public officials are voting on important sportsmen-related bills. Keep an eye out for our email on the release date.
When we stand together, we remain among the most powerful political forces in American history. This new year, make a commitment to yourself and future generations to stand up to fight, protect, and defend against the rising tide of animal extremism and gun control activism. Please share this email with your family and friends. Urge them to join you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance in committing to the future. Our values and way of life must be secured today, and together, we can guarantee our cherished traditions for future generations.
