[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2878 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2878

    To commemorate the centennial of the establishment of the first 
 national wildlife refuge in the United States on March 14, 1903, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 17, 2000

  Mr. Smith of New Hampshire (for himself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Crapo, Mr. 
     Warner, Mr. Graham, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Reid, Mr. 
 Lautenberg, and Mrs. Boxer) introduced the following bill; which was 
  read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public 
                                 Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To commemorate the centennial of the establishment of the first 
 national wildlife refuge in the United States on March 14, 1903, 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 
Centennial Commemoration Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) President Theodore Roosevelt began an American wildlife 
        conservation legacy by establishing the first national wildlife 
        refuge at Indian River Lagoon on Pelican Island, Florida, on 
        March 14, 1903;
            (2) the National Wildlife Refuge System is comprised of 
        more than 93,000,000 acres of Federal land managed by the 
        United States Fish and Wildlife Service in more than 520 
        individual refuges and thousands of Waterfowl Production Areas 
        located in all 50 States and the territories of the United 
        States;
            (3) the System is the only network of Federal land that--
                    (A) is dedicated singularly to wildlife 
                conservation; and
                    (B) has wildlife-dependent recreation and 
                environmental education as priority public uses;
            (4) the System serves a vital role in the conservation of 
        millions of migratory birds, hundreds of endangered and 
        threatened species, some of the premier fisheries of the United 
        States, marine mammals, and the habitats on which those species 
        depend;
            (5)(A) each year the System provides millions of Americans 
        with opportunities to participate in wildlife-dependent 
        recreation, including hunting, fishing, and wildlife 
        observation; and
            (B) through those activities, Americans develop an 
        appreciation for the natural wonders and wildlife heritage of 
        the United States;
            (6) the occasion of the centennial of the beginning of the 
        System, in 2003, presents a historic opportunity to enhance 
        natural resource stewardship and expand compatible public 
        enjoyment of the national wildlife refuges of the United 
        States; and
            (7) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service--
                    (A) recognizes that the System has a backlog of 
                unmet critical operations and maintenance needs;
                    (B) has worked to prioritize those needs; and
                    (C) has made efforts to control the extent of the 
                backlog.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the National 
        Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Commission established by 
        section 4.
            (2) System.--The term ``System'' means the National 
        Wildlife Refuge System established by the National Wildlife 
        Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et 
        seq.).

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the ``National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Commission''.
    (b) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of the following 
members:
            (1) The Secretary of the Interior.
            (2) The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
        Service.
            (3) The Executive Director of the National Fish and 
        Wildlife Foundation established by the National Fish and 
        Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
            (4) Up to 10 individuals, recommended by the Secretary of 
        the Interior and appointed by the President, who--
                    (A) are not officers or employees of the Federal 
                Government; and
                    (B) shall be broadly representative of the diverse 
                beneficiaries of the System and have outstanding 
                knowledge or appreciation of wildlife, fisheries, 
                natural resource management, or wildlife-dependent 
                recreation.
            (5) The Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on 
        Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Chairman and 
        Ranking Member of the Committee on Resources of the House of 
        Representatives, who shall be nonvoting members.
    (c) Term; Vacancies.--
            (1) Term.--A member shall be appointed for the life of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission--
                    (A) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; 
                and
                    (B) shall be filled in the same manner as the 
                original appointment was made.
    (d) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission 
shall hold the initial meeting of the Commission.
    (e) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
Chairperson.
    (f) Chairperson.--The Secretary of the Interior shall serve as 
Chairperson of the Commission.

SEC. 5. DUTIES.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall--
            (1) develop and carry out, in cooperation with Federal, 
        State, local, and nongovernmental entities (including public 
        and private associations and educational institutions), a plan 
        to commemorate, on March 14, 2003, the centennial of the 
        beginning of the System;
            (2) provide, in cooperation with the entities, host 
        services for conferences on the System and assist in the 
        activities of the conferences; 
            (3) make recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior 
        concerning the long-term plan for the System required under 
        section 9; and
            (4) make recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior 
        concerning measures that can be taken to enhance natural 
        resources stewardship and expand compatible public enjoyment of 
        the System.
    (b) Reports to Congress.--
            (1) Annual reports.--Not later than December 31 of the 
        first calendar year that begins after the date on which the 
        Commission holds its initial meeting, and December 31 of each 
        calendar year thereafter through 2003, the Commission shall 
        submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the activities and plans of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than December 31, 2004, the 
        Commission shall submit to the Committee on Environment and 
        Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of 
        the House of Representatives a final report on the activities 
        of the Commission, including an accounting of all funds 
        received and expended by the Commission.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    (a) Meetings.--The Commission may hold such meetings, sit and act 
at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such 
evidence as the Commission considers advisable to carry out this Act.
    (b) Information From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission may secure directly from a 
        Federal agency such information as the Commission considers 
        necessary to carry out this Act.
            (2) Provision of information.--On request of the 
        Chairperson of the Commission, the head of the agency shall 
        provide the information to the Commission.
    (c) Financial and Administrative Services.--Subject to subsection 
(e)(2), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of 
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall provide to the 
Commission financial and administrative services (including services 
relating to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, personnel, and 
procurement).
    (d) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States 
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
agencies of the Federal Government.
    (e) Gifts.--
            (1) Acceptance.--The Commission may accept, use, and 
        dispose of gifts or donations of services or property to carry 
        out this Act.
            (2) Administration of funds.--The National Fish and 
        Wildlife Foundation shall administer, on behalf of the 
        Commission, any gifts of funds received under paragraph (1) in 
        accordance with the rules and procedures of the Foundation.
    (f) Applicable Law.--Federal laws (including regulations) governing 
procurement by Federal agencies shall not apply to the Commission, 
except for laws (including regulations) concerning working conditions, 
wage rates, and civil rights.

SEC. 7. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation of Members.--A member of the Commission shall 
serve without compensation for the services of the member to the 
Commission.
    (b) Staff.--
            (1) Executive director.--The Chief of the National Wildlife 
        Refuge System of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
        shall serve as the Executive Director of the Commission.
            (2) Other personnel.--The Chairperson of the Commission 
        may, without regard to the civil service laws (including 
        regulations), appoint and terminate such personnel as are 
        necessary to enable the Commission to perform the duties of the 
        Commission.
            (3) Compensation.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the Chairperson of the Commission may fix the 
                compensation of the personnel appointed under paragraph 
                (2) without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
                subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 
                Code, relating to classification of positions and 
                General Schedule pay rates.
                    (B) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay for the 
                personnel appointed under paragraph (2) shall not 
                exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive 
                Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States 
                Code.
    (c) Travel Expenses.--Each member, the Executive Director, and 
other personnel of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for an 
employee of an agency under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code, while away from the home or regular place of 
business of the individual in the performance of the duties of the 
Commission.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Date.--The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the date on 
which the Commission submits the report of the Commission under section 
5(b)(2).
    (b) Disposition of Commission Property.--
            (1) Memorabilia.--On termination of the Commission and 
        after consultation with the Archivist of the United States and 
        the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the Executive 
        Director may--
                    (A) deposit all books, manuscripts, miscellaneous 
                printed matter, memorabilia, relics, and other similar 
                materials of the Commission relating to the centennial 
                of the beginning of the System in a Federal, State, or 
local library or museum; or
                    (B) make other disposition of such materials.
            (2) Other property.--The Executive Director may--
                    (A) use property that is acquired by the Commission 
                and remains on termination of the Commission (other 
                than property described in paragraph (1)) for the 
                purposes of the System; or
                    (B) dispose of such property as excess or surplus 
                property.

SEC. 9. LONG-TERM PLAN FOR SYSTEM.

    After taking into consideration the recommendations of the 
Commission under section 5(a)(3), the Secretary of the Interior shall 
develop a long-term plan for the System to address--
            (1) the priority staffing and operational needs as 
        determined through--
                    (A) the refuge operating needs system; and
                    (B) comprehensive conservation plans for refuges 
                required under section 4(e) of the National Wildlife 
                Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 
                668dd(e));
            (2) the priority maintenance and construction needs as 
        identified in the maintenance management system, the 5-year 
        deferred maintenance list, and the 5-year construction list, 
        developed by the Secretary of the Interior; and
            (3) any transition costs as identified by the Secretary of 
        the Interior in conducting analyses of newly acquired refuge 
        lands.

SEC. 10. DESIGNATION OF YEAR OF THE WILDLIFE REFUGE.

    (a) In General.--Congress designates 2003 as the ``Year of the 
Wildlife Refuge''.
    (b) Proclamation.--Congress requests the President to issue a 
proclamation calling on the people of the United States to celebrate 
the Year of the Wildlife Refuge with appropriate ceremonies and 
programs.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the activities 
of the Commission under this Act--
            (1) $100,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
            (2) $250,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2004.
                                 <all>