[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5496 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5496

To amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 
 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide for maintenance 
and repair of buildings and properties located on lands in the National 
  Wildlife Refuge System by lessees of such facilities, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 18, 2000

  Mr. Souder introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 
 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide for maintenance 
and repair of buildings and properties located on lands in the National 
  Wildlife Refuge System by lessees of such facilities, 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. LEASES, PERMITS, AND CONTRACTS FOR BUILDINGS, FACILITIES, 
              AND PROPERTIES IN THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 
Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) is amended by--
            (1) striking section 6 (relating to amendments to other 
        laws, which have executed);
            (2) redesignating section 5 (16 U.S.C. 668ee) as section 6; 
        and
            (3) inserting after section 4 the following:

``SEC. 5. LEASES, PERMITS, AND CONTRACTS FOR BUILDINGS, FACILITIES, AND 
              PROPERTIES IN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM.

    ``(a) Maintenance and Repair.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
of law, the Secretary may include, in any agreement, lease, permit, or 
contract granted by the Secretary that authorizes a person to use land 
or water in the System for purposes of providing accommodations, 
facilities, or services to visitors to an area in the System, 
provisions that--
            ``(1) authorize the person to maintain or repair any 
        improvement on or in such land or water that the person is 
        authorized to use for such purposes; and
            ``(2) treat costs incurred by the person for such 
        maintenance or repair as consideration otherwise required to be 
        paid to the United States for such use.
    ``(b) Expenditure of Fees and Other Payments.--
            ``(1) In general.--Amounts received by the United States as 
        fees or other payments required under any agreement, lease, 
        permit, or contract for use of real property located in an area 
        in the System shall be available to the Secretary for 
        expenditure in accordance with this subsection, without further 
        appropriation, to increase the quality of the visitor 
        experience and enhance the protection of resources.
            ``(2) Authorized uses.--Amounts available for expenditure 
        under this section may only be used for the area, site, or 
        project concerned for the following:
                    ``(A) Backlogged repair and maintenance projects 
                (including projects relating to health and safety).
                    ``(B) Interpretation, signage, habitat, or facility 
                enhancement.
                    ``(C) Resource preservation.
                    ``(D) Annual operation (including fee collection), 
                maintenance, and law enforcement relating to public 
                use.
            ``(3) Refuge revenue sharing act of 1935.--Paragraph (1) 
        shall not affect the application of the Act of June 15, 1935 
        (chapter 261; 16 U.S.C. 715s), commonly referred to as the 
        Refuge Revenue Sharing Act, to amounts referred to in paragraph 
        (1) that are not expended by the Secretary under paragraph 
        (1).''.
    (b) Prior Amendments Not Affected.--Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to affect any amendment made by section 6 of the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966), as in effect before 
the enactment of this Act, or any provision of law amended by such 
section.
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