[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2244 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2244

    To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to promote volunteer 
    programs and community partnerships for the benefit of national 
               wildlife refuges, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 26, 1998

 Mr. Chafee (for himself, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Allard, Mr. 
  Daschle, Ms. Collins, Mr. Graham, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. 
Smith of Oregon, Mr. D'Amato, Mr. Faircloth, Mr. Bond, Mr. DeWine, and 
 Mr. Smith of New Hampshire) introduced the following bill; which was 
  read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public 
                                 Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to promote volunteer 
    programs and community partnerships for the benefit of national 
               wildlife refuges, and for other purposes.

    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 ``National Wildlife Refuge System 
Volunteer and Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the National Wildlife Refuge System (referred to in 
        this Act as the ``System''), consisting of more than 500 
        refuges and 93,000,000 acres, plays an integral role in the 
        protection of the natural resources of the United States;
            (2) the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 
        1997 (Public Law 105-57; 111 Stat. 1252) significantly improved 
        the law governing the System, although the financial resources 
        for implementing this law and managing the System remain 
        limited;
            (3) by encouraging volunteer programs and donations, and 
        facilitating non-Federal partnerships with refuges, Federal 
        funding for the refuges can be supplemented and the System can 
        fully benefit from the amendments made by the National Wildlife 
        Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; and
            (4) by encouraging refuge educational programs, public 
        awareness of the resources of the System and public 
        participation in the conservation of those resources can be 
        promoted.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to encourage the use of volunteers to assist the United 
        States Fish and Wildlife Service in the management of refuges 
        within the System;
            (2) to facilitate partnerships between the System and non-
        Federal entities to promote public awareness of the resources 
        of the System and public participation in the conservation of 
        those resources; and
            (3) to encourage donations and other contributions by 
        persons and organizations to the System.

SEC. 3. GIFTS TO PARTICULAR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES.

    Section 7(b)(2) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 
742f(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(2) Any'' and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Use of gifts, devises, and bequests.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Any''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Gifts, devises, and bequests to particular 
                refuges.--
                            ``(i) Disbursal.--Any gift, devise, or 
                        bequest made for the benefit of a particular 
                        national wildlife refuge or complex of 
                        geographically related refuges shall be 
                        disbursed only for the benefit of that refuge 
                        or complex of refuges and without further 
                        appropriations.
                            ``(ii) Matching.--Subject to the 
                        availability of appropriations and the 
                        requirements of the National Wildlife Refuge 
                        Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et 
                        seq.) and other applicable law, the Secretary 
                        may provide funds to match gifts, devises, and 
                        bequests made for the benefit of a particular 
                        national wildlife refuge or complex of 
                        geographically related refuges. With respect to 
                        each gift, devise, or bequest, the amount of 
                        Federal funds may not exceed the amount (or, in 
                        the case of property or in-kind services, the 
                        fair market value) of the gift, devise, or 
                        bequest.''.

SEC. 4. VOLUNTEER ENHANCEMENT.

    (a) Pilot Projects.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, the Secretary of the Interior shall carry out a 
        pilot project at 2 or more national wildlife refuges or complex 
        of geographically related refuges in each United States Fish 
        and Wildlife Service region, but not more than 20 pilot 
projects nationwide.
            (2) Volunteer coordinator.--Each pilot project shall 
        provide for the employment of a full-time volunteer coordinator 
        for the refuge or complex of geographically related refuges. 
        The volunteer coordinator shall be responsible for recruiting, 
        training and supervising volunteers. The volunteer coordinator 
        may be responsible for assisting partner organizations in 
        developing projects and programs under cooperative agreements 
        under section 7(d) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as 
        added by section 5) and coordinating volunteer activities with 
        partner organizations to carry out the projects and programs.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
        submit a report to the Committee on Resources of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public 
        Works of the Senate evaluating and making recommendations 
        regarding the pilot projects.
            (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $2,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 1999 through 2002.
    (b) Awards and Recognition for Volunteers.--Section 7(c)(2) of the 
Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``awards (including nominal cash awards) 
        and recognition,'' after ``lodging,''; and
            (2) by inserting ``without regard to their places of 
        residence'' after ``volunteers''.
    (c) Senior Volunteer Corps.--Section 7(c) of the Fish and Wildlife 
Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (6) 
and inserting the following:
            ``(6) Senior volunteer corps.--The Secretary of the 
        Interior may establish a Senior Volunteer Corps, consisting of 
        volunteers over the age of 50. To assist in the recruitment and 
        retention of the volunteers, the Secretary may provide for 
        additional incidental expenses to members of the Corps beyond 
        the incidental expenses otherwise provided to volunteers under 
        this subsection. The members of the Corps shall be subject to 
        the other provisions of this subsection.''.

SEC. 5. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT.

    Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Community Partnership Enhancement.--
            ``(1) Definition of partner organization.--In this 
        subsection, the term `partner organization' means an 
        organization that--
                    ``(A) draws its membership from private 
                individuals, organizations, corporations, academic 
                institutions, or State or local governments;
                    ``(B) is established to promote the understanding 
                of, education relating to, and the conservation of the 
                fish, wildlife, plants, and cultural and historical 
                resources of a particular refuge or complex of 
                geographically related refuges; and
                    ``(C) is described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from 
                taxation under section 501(a) of that Code.
            ``(2) Cooperative agreements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior 
                may enter into a cooperative agreement (within the 
                meaning of chapter 63 of title 31, United States Code) 
                with any partner organization, academic institution, or 
                State or local government agency to carry out 1 or more 
                projects or programs for a refuge or complex of 
                geographically related refuges in accordance with this 
                subsection.
                    ``(B) Projects and programs.--Subject to the 
                requirements of the National Wildlife Refuge System 
                Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) 
                and other applicable law, and such terms and conditions 
                as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, the 
                Secretary may approve projects and programs for a 
                refuge or complex of geographically related refuges 
                that--
                            ``(i) promote the stewardship of resources 
                        of the refuge through habitat maintenance, 
                        restoration, and improvement, biological 
                        monitoring, or research;
                            ``(ii) support the operation and 
                        maintenance of the refuge through constructing, 
                        operating, maintaining, or improving the 
                        facilities and services of the refuge;
                            ``(iii) increase awareness and 
                        understanding of the refuge and the 
National Wildlife Refuge System through the development, publication, 
or distribution of educational materials and products;
                            ``(iv) advance education concerning the 
                        purpose of the refuge and the mission of the 
                        System through the use of the refuge as an 
                        outdoor classroom and development of other 
                        educational programs; or
                            ``(v) contribute financial resources to the 
                        refuge, under terms that require that the net 
                        revenues be used exclusively for the benefit of 
                        the refuge, through donation of net revenues 
                        from the sale of educational materials and 
                        products and through encouragement of gifts, 
                        devises, and bequests.
                    ``(C) Federal funding and ownership.--
                            ``(i) Matching.--Subject to the 
                        availability of appropriations and the 
                        requirements of the National Wildlife Refuge 
                        Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et 
                        seq.) and other applicable law, the Secretary 
                        may provide funds to match non-Federal funds 
                        donated under a cooperative agreement under 
                        this paragraph. With respect to each project or 
                        program, the amount of funds provided by the 
                        Secretary may not exceed the amount of the non-
                        Federal funds donated through the project or 
                        program.
                            ``(ii) Use of federal funds.--Any Federal 
                        funds used to fund a project or program under a 
                        cooperative agreement may be used only for 
                        expenses directly related to the project or 
                        program and may not be used for operation or 
                        administration of any non-Federal entity.
                            ``(iii) Ownership of facilities.--Any new 
                        facility, improvement to an existing facility, 
                        or other permanent improvement to a refuge 
                        constructed under this subsection shall be the 
                        property of the United States Government.
                    ``(D) Treasury account.--Amounts received by the 
                Secretary of the Interior as a result of projects and 
                programs under subparagraph (B) shall be deposited in a 
                separate account in the Treasury. Amounts in the 
                account that are attributable to activities at a 
                particular refuge or complex of geographically related 
                refuges shall be available to the Secretary of the 
                Interior, without further appropriation, to pay the 
                costs of incidental expenses related to volunteer 
                activities, and to carry out cooperative agreements for 
                the refuge or complex of refuges.''.

SEC. 6. REFUGE EDUCATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) (as 
amended by section 5) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Refuge Education Program Enhancement.--
            ``(1) Guidance.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of the Interior 
        shall develop guidance for refuge education programs to further 
        the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the 
        purposes of individual refuges through--
                    ``(A) providing outdoor classroom opportunities for 
                students on national wildlife refuges that combine 
                educational curricula with the personal experiences of 
                students relating to fish, wildlife, and plants and 
                their habitat and to the cultural and historical 
                resources of the refuges;
                    ``(B) promoting understanding and conservation of 
                fish, wildlife, and plants and cultural and historical 
                resources of the refuges; and
                    ``(C) improving scientific literacy in conjunction 
                with both formal and nonformal education programs.
            ``(2) Refuge programs.--Based on the guidance developed 
        under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Interior may develop 
        or enhance refuge education programs as appropriate, based on 
        the resources of individual refuges and the opportunities 
        available for such programs in State, local, and private 
        schools. In developing and implementing each program, the 
        Secretary should cooperate with State and local education 
        authorities, and may cooperate with partner organizations in 
        accordance with subsection (d).''.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) (as 
amended by section 6) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out subsections 
(b), (c), (d) and (e), $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 
2004.''.
                                 <all>