[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5381 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5381

To establish a volunteer program and promote community partnerships for 
 the benefit of national fish hatcheries and fisheries program offices.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 11, 2006

 Mr. Saxton (for himself and Mr. Kind) introduced the following bill; 
            which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a volunteer program 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 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.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $150,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2007 through 2011.

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).

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 
Interior to carry out this Act $200,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 
through 2010.
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