[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1845 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1845

 To establish the Biological Survey in the Department of the Interior.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 1993

  Mr. Studds introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
               Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Biological Survey in the Department of the Interior.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Biological Survey Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the Department of the 
Interior an office which shall be known as the Biological Survey. The 
purpose of the Survey is to ensure--
            (1) the comprehensive assessment of the biological 
        resources of the United States;
            (2) the provision of information to be used in protecting 
        and managing ecosystems, including their plant, fish, and 
        wildlife components; and
            (3) that the Secretary may anticipate and avoid or resolve 
        conflicts arising in the implementation of the Endangered 
        Species Act of 1973 and other fisheries and wildlife 
        conservation laws.
    (b) Director.--
            (1) In general.--The head of the Survey is the Director of 
        the Biological Survey, who shall--
                    (A) be appointed by the President, by and with the 
                advice and consent of the Senate, from among 
                individuals having expertise in the biological 
                sciences; and
                    (B) be compensated at the rate provided for level V 
                of the Executive Schedule.
            (2) Functions.--The Director, under the supervision of the 
        Assistant Secretary, shall perform the following functions:
                    (A) Assess and study biological resources, 
                including plants, fish, wildlife, and ecosystems and 
                their components.
                    (B) Develop, test, and monitor methods of ecosystem 
                management in order to improve the capability of the 
                Secretary to conserve biological resources and 
                diversity.
                    (C) Collect and analyze data and information to 
                determine and inventory the distribution, abundance, 
                health, status, and trends of biological resources and 
                ecosystems.
                    (D) Develop methods for the consistent and 
                systematic collection and analysis of data on 
                ecosystems and their components.
                    (E) Disseminate information to resource managers, 
                scientists, and the public.
                    (F) Provide technical assistance in support of 
                legislative, regulatory, and resource management 
                decisions.
                    (G) Perform international activities related to the 
                management of biological resources.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section, the term--
            (1) ``Assistant Secretary'' means the Assistant Secretary 
        for Fish and Wildlife of the Department of the Interior 
        established under section 3 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 
        1956 (16 U.S.C. 742b);
            (2) ``Director'' means the Director of the Biological 
        Survey appointed under subsection (b);
            (3) ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior; and
            (4) ``Survey'' means the Biological Survey established 
        under subsection (a).

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    Section 5316 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to the Director, United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, the following:
            ``Director of the Biological Survey, Department of the 
        Interior.''.

                                 <all>