21 Department of Commerce

What happened

Sep 10, 2026 Attempted

The question went into a decennial rulemaking, as an option and not as a proposal. The Census Bureau's proposed rule on residence criteria and demographic questions says the Bureau "could, in addition, include a question about legal status on the short-form decennial census questionnaire", cites Department of Commerce v. New York for the Secretary's power "to inquire about citizenship on the census questionnaire", and "welcomes comments on the inclusion of a legal-status question". The proposed text would clear the way for one. Part 60 would count for apportionment only citizens and lawful permanent residents (§60.4). Part 70's new restrictions, including the rule that other demographic questions are voluntary, would not apply to "questions that seek information related to the application of the residence criteria" (§70.2(d)). The text itself adds no question, and the Bureau's stated first route to legal status is administrative records. The subjects report to Congress the Quote names is still due by 2027-04-01. Comments close 2026-10-13. The rung is unchanged at `attempted`.

• Census Bureau proposed rule: Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions (91 FR 57524)

  Primary Executive branch Sep 10, 2026

What happened

Jul 29, 2026 Partially done

NMFS opened the Marine Mammal Protection Act half, announcing "a comprehensive review of the import regulations" and soliciting input on revisions to the fish and fish-product import provisions — the comparability-finding regime the fishing industry treats as the Act's heaviest burden. A review, not a rule: as of the end of the window the MMPA regulations are unchanged, and the joint ESA interagency-cooperation and listing rules that bind NMFS are also still proposals.

• NOAA/NMFS proposed rule: Implementation of Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act

  Primary Executive branch Jul 29, 2026

What happened

Jul 14, 2026 Partially done

The first piece landed: FWS and NOAA jointly finalized the rescission of the ESA definition of "harm". A regulation implementing the Endangered Species Act was actually rewritten — the change most directly aimed at habitat-based restrictions on economic activity. A House bill (H.R. 9901, referred 2026-07-23) and a Senate CRA resolution (S.J.Res. 204, referred 2026-08-03) to void the rule were introduced but had gone nowhere by the end of the window.

• FWS and NOAA final rule: Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act

  Primary Executive branch Jul 14, 2026

• FWS final rule: Regulations Pertaining to Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (blanket 4(d) rule rescinded)

  Primary Executive branch Jul 21, 2026

• FWS final rule: Regulations for Designating Critical Habitat

  Primary Executive branch Jul 21, 2026

What happened

Apr 1, 2026 Attempted

The FY2027 President's Budget renewed both halves of the proposal: another $1.6 billion cut to NOAA operations, research and grants, and consolidation of ESA and MMPA permitting "into a single program at DOI" so that "NOAA [can] refocus on management of commercial and recreational fisheries". NOAA's FY2027 Congressional Justification again requests $0 and 0 FTE for OAR.

• Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2027 — Department of Commerce: ESA/MMPA permitting consolidated at DOI; NOAA Operations, Research, and Grants (–$1.6 billion)

  Primary Executive branch Apr 1, 2026

• NOAA Budget Estimates, Fiscal Year 2027, Congressional Submission — Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: $0 and 0 FTE requested

  Primary Executive branch Apr 1, 2026

What happened

Apr 1, 2026 Attempted

NOAA's FY2027 Congressional Justification repeated the request — "$0 and 0 FTE/ 0 positions … a net decrease of $473,388 and 736 FTE/ 664 positions" — again eliminating all funding for climate, weather and ocean laboratories and Cooperative Institutes. Two budget cycles in, the climate-research program is still funded and running.

• NOAA Budget Estimates, Fiscal Year 2027, Congressional Submission — Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: $0 requested, –$473,388 thousand and –736 FTE

  Primary Executive branch Apr 1, 2026

• Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2027 — NOAA Operations, Research, and Grants (–$1.6 billion): terminating climate research and grant programmes

  Primary Executive branch Apr 1, 2026