[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1448 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1448

    To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the annual 
   enrollment of land in the wetlands reserve program, to extend the 
             program through 2005, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 28, 1999

 Mr. Hutchinson (for himself, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Ashcroft, 
Mr. Sessions, Mr. Frist, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Moynihan, Mrs. Feinstein, and 
  Mrs. Boxer) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the annual 
   enrollment of land in the wetlands reserve program, to extend the 
             program through 2005, 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. WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM.

    (a) Annual Enrollment Authority.--Section 1237(b) of the Food 
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(b)) is amended by striking 
paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) Annual enrollment authority.--For calendar years 2000 
        through 2005, the Secretary may enroll up to 250,000 acres 
        annually in the wetlands reserve program.''.
    (b) Extension of Program.--Section 1237(c) of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(c)) is amended by striking ``2002'' and 
inserting ``2005''.
    (c) Eligible Lands.--Section 1237(d) of the Food Security Act of 
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(d)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4)(A) suitable for the establishment of wetland 
        functions and values;
            ``(B) land that would contribute substantially to the 
        habitat objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management 
        Plan signed by the Minister of the Environment for Canada and 
        the Secretary of the Interior of the United States in May 1986;
            ``(C) land that has not historically been wetlands.''.
    (d) Cooperative Agreements.--Section 1237F of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837f) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Cooperative Agreements.--Notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 
31, United States Code, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative 
agreement for the acquisition of goods or services, including personal 
services, with a State, a political subdivision or agency of a State, a 
public or private agency, an organization, or any other person, without 
regard to any requirements for competition, if the Secretary determines 
that--
            ``(1) the objectives of the agreement will serve a mutual 
        interest of the parties to the agreement in wetland 
        conservation;
            ``(2) all parties will contribute resources to the 
        accomplishment of the objectives; and
            ``(3) the agreement will further the purposes of this 
        subchapter.''.
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