Bills/119th Congress · Senate

S. 1596

Became law

Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act

Sponsor

RJohn Cornyn· Texas

Introduced

May 5, 2025

Policy area

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Latest action

Became Public Law No: 119-30.July 24, 2025

Full text of the bill

Official source on Congress.gov ↗

[119th Congress Public Law 30]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

[[Page 139 STAT. 473]]

Public Law 119-30
119th Congress

An Act

To rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge located in the State of 
Texas as the ``Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge''. <<NOTE: July 
24, 2025 - [S. 1596]>> 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Jocelyn Nungaray 
National Wildlife Refuge Act.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 16 USC 668dd note.>> SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife 
Refuge Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) On June 17, 2024, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was 
brutally murdered in Houston, Texas.
(2) Two illegal aliens who were allegedly members of the 
Tren de Aragua gang have been charged with her murder.
(3) On March 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed 
Executive Order 14229 (90 Fed. Reg. 11585; relating to honoring 
Jocelyn Nungaray) renaming the area known as the Anahuac 
National Wildlife Refuge to ``Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife 
Refuge''.
(4) Ms. Nungaray loved animals and, given the close 
proximity of her hometown of Houston, it is fitting that the 
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge be renamed in her honor.
SEC. 3. RENAMING OF ANAHUAC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

(a) Renaming.--The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge located in the 
State of Texas shall be known as the ``Jocelyn Nungaray National 
Wildlife Refuge''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the national

[[Page 139 STAT. 474]]

wildlife refuge referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a 
reference to the ``Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge''.

Approved July 24, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1596 (H.R. 3179):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 119-192 (Comm. on Natural Resources) accompanying 
H.R. 3179.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 171 (2025):
May 13, considered and passed Senate.
July 14, considered and passed House.

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Plain-language analysis

AI analysis · 100% confidence

AI-generated breakdown of the bill text above, checked by an independent review pass before publishing. It is analysis, not the law itself — the verbatim text and official source are the record.

In plain terms

This bill renames the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. It is named in honor of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was murdered in Houston, Texas. The bill acknowledges her love for animals and the proximity of the refuge to her hometown.

Hidden provisions

SEC. 3. RENAMING OF ANAHUAC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.
The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge located in the State of Texas shall be known as the 'Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge'.

Questionable / off-intent provisions

No off-intent or questionable provisions were flagged.

Junk / unrelated provisions

No filler or unrelated riders were flagged.