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Built from the Congressional Record and Congress.gov. Every summary links to its source.

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Summaries are AI-generated from primary sources. Verify anything important against the original record.

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3 versions
CosmeticWhat changed in ENGROSSED IN HOUSEcompared with REPORTED IN HOUSE (Sep 8, 2026)

Technical corrections only. v3 removes the committee report information and formatting instructions present in v2, and adds the attestation that the bill passed the House of Representatives. There are no substantive policy changes between the two versions.

H.R. 9191·119th Congress·Introduced Jun 8, 2026

National Fossil Act of 2026

Passed HouseGovernment Operations and PoliticsNarrow
View bill text
Sponsor
Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9]
Committees
Judiciary Committee (primary)
Last action
Sep 17, 2026

This analysis was written for v2 (REPORTED IN HOUSE, Sep 8, 2026). ENGROSSED IN HOUSE changed too little to need its own, so it reuses that one rather than a rewrite. The differences between the two are summarized above. View v2

Bottom line

The National Fossil Act of 2026 formally establishes the American mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex as the national fossil mammal and dinosaur, respectively, by updating the U.S. Code.

What it actually does

This bill amends chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, to officially designate the American mastodon (Mammut americanum) as the national fossil mammal and the Tyrannosaurus rex as the national fossil dinosaur of the United States. It also makes conforming amendments to the chapter heading and table of sections within title 36 to reflect the inclusion of these fossil designations.

Section 2(a)

Designation of National Fossil Mammal and Dinosaur

prominently featuredstraightforward

This section amends chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, to officially recognize two specific fossils as national symbols. It designates the genus Mammut americanum, commonly known as the American mastodon, as the national fossil mammal. Simultaneously, it designates the Tyrannosaurus rex as the national fossil dinosaur. Additionally, it updates the chapter heading of chapter 3 to include 'AND FOSSIL' and adds a new entry to the table of sections for 'National fossil mammal and dinosaur', ensuring these designations are properly integrated into the U.S. Code.

About this analysis. AI-Generated from the official bill text and available committee reports. Gaps in available data are noted explicitly. Verify important details with the official Congress.gov record.

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