[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5381 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]


        H.R.5381

                       One Hundred Ninth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
             the third day of January, two thousand and six


                                 An Act


 
 To enhance an existing volunteer program of the United States Fish and 
 Wildlife Service and promote community partnerships for the benefit of 
         national fish hatcheries and fisheries program offices.

    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 Fish Hatchery System 
Volunteer Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
        (1) The National Fish Hatchery System (in this Act referred to 
    as the ``System'')--
            (A) consists of more than 60 hatcheries, seven fish 
        technology centers, 9 fish health centers, and other fisheries 
        program offices;
            (B) plays an integral role in the recovery of more than 50 
        threatened species and endangered species and the restoration 
        of over 100 native species;
            (C) provides healthy fish populations that support 
        recreational fishing opportunities, many of which are related 
        to Federal water control structures; and
            (D) works with over 250 partners to help mitigate the 
        impacts of aquatic habitat loss and invasive species.
        (2) The System faces many challenges, including aging 
    facilities, some of which date back to the late 1800s, and 
    maintenance of intensive infrastructures such as wells, pumps, 
    valves, pipes, filters, heaters, chillers, and treatment systems 
    that must keep clean water moving 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
        (3) By encouraging volunteer programs and donations and 
    fostering non-Federal partnerships with hatchery facilities, 
    Federal funding for the hatcheries can be supplemented.
        (4) By encouraging hatchery educational programs, public 
    awareness of the resources of the System and public participation 
    in the conservation of aquatic resources can be promoted.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are the following:
        (1) To encourage the use of volunteers to assist the United 
    States Fish and Wildlife Service in the management of hatcheries 
    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.
        (3) To encourage donations and other contributions by 
    individuals and organizations to the System.
SEC. 3. GIFTS TO SYSTEM AND PARTICULAR NATIONAL FISH HATCHERIES.
    (a) Authorization of Gifts, Devises, and Bequests for System.--In 
furtherance of the purposes of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior 
may accept any gifts, devises, or bequests of real and personal 
property, or proceeds therefrom, or interests therein, for the benefit 
of the National Fish Hatchery System. Such acceptance may be subject to 
the terms of any restrictive or affirmative covenant, or condition of 
servitude, if such terms are deemed by the Secretary to be in 
accordance with law and compatible with the purpose for which 
acceptance is sought.
    (b) Use of Gifts, Devises, and Bequests.--
        (1) In general.--Any gifts and bequests of money and proceeds 
    from the sales of other property received as gifts or bequests 
    pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in a separate 
    account in the Treasury and may be expended without further 
    appropriation by the Secretary for the benefit of the System 
    programs administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife 
    Service.
        (2) Gifts, devises, and bequests for particular facilities.--
            (A) Disbursal.--Any gift, devise, or bequest made for the 
        benefit of a facility of the System shall be disbursed only for 
        the benefit of that facility and without further 
        appropriations.
            (B) Matching.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations and the requirements of the Fish and Wildlife 
        Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) and other applicable 
        law, the Secretary may provide funds to match gifts, devises, 
        and bequests made for the benefit of a facility of the System. 
        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 PILOT PROJECTS.
    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
Secretary of the Interior shall carry out a pilot project at 1 or more 
facilities of the System. Each pilot project shall provide for a 
volunteer coordinator for the hatchery facility. 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 (16 U.S.C. 742f(d)) and coordinating volunteer 
activities with partner organizations to carry out the projects and 
programs.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary 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.
SEC. 5. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT.
    (a) Projects and Programs.--Subject to the requirements of the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) and other 
applicable law, and such terms and conditions as the Secretary of the 
Interior determines to be appropriate, the Secretary may approve 
projects and programs for a facility of the System that--
        (1) promote the stewardship of resources of the hatchery 
    through habitat maintenance, restoration, and improvement, 
    biological monitoring, or research;
        (2) support the operation and maintenance of the hatchery 
    through constructing, operating, maintaining, or improving the 
    facilities and services of the hatchery;
        (3) increase the awareness and understanding of the hatchery 
    and the System, through the development, publication, or 
    distribution of educational materials and products;
        (4) advance education concerning the purposes of the hatchery 
    and the mission of the System, through the use of the hatchery as 
    an outdoor classroom and development of other educational programs; 
    or
        (5) contribute financial resources to the hatchery, under the 
    terms that require that the net revenues be used exclusively for 
    the benefit of the hatchery, through donation of net revenues from 
    the sale of educational materials and products and through 
    encouragement of gifts, devises, and bequests.
    (b) Treasury Account.--Amounts received by the Secretary of the 
Interior as a result of projects and programs under subsection (a) 
shall be deposited in a separate account in the Treasury. Amounts in 
the account that are attributable to activities at a particular 
facility of the System 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 hatchery facility.
SEC. 6. HATCHERY EDUCATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.
    (a) Guidance.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall develop guidance for the 
hatchery education programs to further the mission of the System and 
the purposes of individual hatcheries through--
        (1) providing outdoor classroom opportunities for students on 
    fish hatcheries that combine educational curricula with the 
    personal experiences of students relating to fish, aquatic species, 
    and their habitat, and to the cultural and historical resources of 
    the hatcheries;
        (2) promoting understanding and conservation of fish, aquatic 
    species, and the cultural and historical resources of the 
    hatcheries; and
        (3) improving scientific literacy in conjunction with both 
    formal and nonformal education programs.
    (b) Hatchery Programs.--Based on the guidance developed under 
subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior may, with assistance from 
the Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance Program, develop or enhance 
hatchery educational programs as appropriate, based on the resources of 
individual hatcheries 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).

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.