[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4973 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4973

  To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize volunteer 
programs and community partnerships for national wildlife refuges, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 25, 2010

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize volunteer 
programs and community partnerships for national wildlife refuges, 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 Volunteer 
Improvement Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS TO IMPLEMENT VOLUNTEER, 
              COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS UNDER FISH 
              AND WILDLIFE ACT OF 1956.

    (a) Reauthorization.--Section 7(f) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 
1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(f)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out subsections 
(b), (c), (d), (e), and (f), $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 
through 2014.''.
    (b) Technical Corrections.--Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act 
of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) is amended in subsections (b)(2)(B)(ii) and 
(d)(2)(C)(i) by striking ``National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act 
of 1966'' each place it appears and inserting ``National Wildlife 
Refuge System Administration Act of 1966''.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM VOLUNTEER AND 
              COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1998.

    Section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and 
Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-1) is 
amended--
            (1) in the subsection heading by striking ``Projects'' and 
        inserting ``National Volunteer Coordination Program'';
            (2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, and in conformance with the strategy developed 
        under paragraph (2) and consistent with the authorities 
        regarding gifts, volunteer services, community partnerships, 
        and refuge education enhancement under section 7 of the Fish 
        and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 741f), the Secretary of the 
        Interior, through the Director of the United States Fish and 
        Wildlife Service, shall carry out a National Volunteer 
        Coordination Program within the National Wildlife Refuge System 
        to--
                    ``(A) augment and support the capabilities and 
                efforts of Federal employees to implement resource 
                management, conservation, and public education programs 
                and activities across the National Wildlife Refuge 
                System;
                    ``(B) provide meaningful opportunities for 
                volunteers to support the resource management, 
                conservation, and public education programs and 
                activities of national wildlife refuges or complexes of 
                geographically related national wildlife refuges in 
                each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region; 
                and
                    ``(C) fulfill the purpose and mission of the 
                National Wildlife Refuge System under the National 
                Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
                U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).'';
            (3) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows
            ``(2) Volunteer coordination strategy.--
                    ``(A) In general.--No later than one year after 
                date of enactment of this paragraph, the Director shall 
                publish in the Federal Register a national strategy for 
                the coordination and utilization of volunteers within 
                the National Wildlife Refuge System.
                    ``(B) Consultation required.--The strategy shall be 
                developed in consultation with State fish and wildlife 
                agencies, Indian tribes, refuge friends groups or 
                similar volunteer organizations, and other relevant 
                stakeholders.
                    ``(C) Volunteer coordinators.--The Director shall 
                provide, subject to the availability of appropriations, 
                no less than one regional volunteer coordinator for 
                each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region to 
                implement the strategy published under this paragraph. 
                Such coordinators may be responsible for assisting 
                partner organizations in developing and implementing 
                volunteer projects and activities under cooperative 
                agreements under section 7(d) of the Fish and Wildlife 
                Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(d)).''; and
            (4) in paragraph (4), by striking ``for for each of fiscal 
        years 1999 through 2002'' and inserting ``for each fiscal year 
        through fiscal year 2014''.

SEC. 4. VOLUNTEER, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS 
              REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 
U.S.C. 742f(e)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (f) (as amended by this 
        Act) as subsection (g); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this subsection and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall submit a report to the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works of the Senate--
            ``(1) evaluating the accomplishments of the volunteer 
        program, the community partnerships program, and the refuge 
        education programs authorized under this section, and of the 
        National Volunteer Coordination Program and volunteer 
        coordination strategy under section 4(a) of the National 
        Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership 
        Enhancement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-1); and
            ``(2) making recommendations to improve the effectiveness 
        of such programs, including regarding implementing 
        subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1) of subsection 
        (e).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 4(a) of the National Wildlife 
Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 
1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-1) is further amended by striking paragraph (3), 
and by redesignating paragraph (4) (as amended by this Act) as 
paragraph (3).
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