[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 231 Referred in House (RFH)]

  1st Session
                                 S. 231


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 1997

                 Referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To establish the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in the 
              State of New Mexico, 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 Cave and Karst Research 
Institute Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to further the science of speleology;
            (2) to centralize and standardize speleological 
        information;
            (3) to foster interdisciplinary cooperation in cave and 
        karst research programs;
            (4) to promote public education;
            (5) to promote national and international cooperation in 
        protecting the environment for the benefit of cave and karst 
        landforms; and
            (6) to promote and develop environmentally sound and 
        sustainable resource management practices.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INSTITUTE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary''), acting through the Director of the National 
Park Service, shall establish the National Cave and Karst Research 
Institute (referred to in this Act as the ``Institute'').
    (b) Purposes.--The Institute shall, to the extent practicable, 
further the purposes of this Act.
    (c) Location.--The Institute shall be located in the vicinity of 
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in the State of New Mexico. The 
Institute shall not be located inside the boundaries of Carlsbad 
Caverns National Park.

SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTITUTE.

    (a) Management.--The Institute shall be jointly administered by the 
National Park Service and a public or private agency, organization, or 
institution, as determined by the Secretary.
    (b) Guidelines.--The Institute shall be operated and managed in 
accordance with the study prepared by the National Park Service 
pursuant to section 203 of the Act entitled ``An Act to conduct certain 
studies in the State of New Mexico'', approved November 15, 1990 
(Public Law 101-578; 16 U.S.C. 4310 note).
    (c) Contracts and Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter 
into a contract or cooperative agreement with a public or private 
agency, organization, or institution to carry out this Act.
    (d) Facility.--
            (1) Leasing or acquiring a facility.--The Secretary may 
        lease or acquire a facility for the Institute.
            (2) Construction of a facility.--If the Secretary 
        determines that a suitable facility is not available for a 
        lease or acquisition under paragraph (1), the Secretary may 
        construct a facility for the Institute.
    (e) Acceptance of Grants and Transfers.--To carry out this Act, the 
Secretary may accept--
            (1) a grant or donation from a private person; or
            (2) a transfer of funds from another Federal agency.

SEC. 5. FUNDING.

    (a) Matching Funds.--The Secretary may spend only such amount of 
Federal funds to carry out this Act as is matched by an equal amount of 
funds from non-Federal sources.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

            Passed the Senate July 11, 1997.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.