Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Anahuac Refuge Rename Jocelyn Nungari topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Panel hears support for renaming Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge after slain Texas girl
Summary
Congressman Brian Babin's bill, HR 3179, would rename Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge to honor Jocelyn Nungari. Family testimony and Fish and Wildlife Service officials expressed support; the sponsor linked the renaming to a broader border-security message.
A House subcommittee hearing included testimony supporting HR 3179, a bill to rename Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas as the Jocelyn Nungari National Wildlife Refuge.
Rep. Brian Babin, sponsor of the bill, said the renaming would honor a 12-year-old girl from Houston who was murdered in June 2024 and that the refuge offered "a fitting way to honor her love for animals and preserve her spirit within the Texas landscape." Babin tied the renaming to presidential action and to a broader policy message about border enforcement: he noted President Trump's March 2025 executive order directing the renaming and said the legislation would "permanently codify this change into law."
Alexis Nungari, Jocelyn's mother, testified about her daughter's attachment to animals and the outdoors. She described small examples of care — nursing an injured pigeon back to health and rescuing animals — and said the refuge's renaming would be "an honor to an amazing young girl who lived and breathed all things nature and wildlife creatures."
Dave Maiko, acting deputy director for operations at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the committee the Service "supports HR 3179," noting the refuge protects more than 39,000 acres of coastal marsh and prairie and receives substantial visitation. Maiko extended condolences to the family and described the refuge's role as habitat for migrating birds and recreation.
No opposition witnesses appeared during the hearing. Members and witnesses framed the bill as a tribute to Jocelyn's memory; members also asked for procedural follow-up as the bill moves through the House calendar.
