[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2697 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2697

    To assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids by 
   supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation 
   programs of nations within the range of rare felid and rare canid 
populations and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the 
         conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 2015

  Mr. Grijalva (for himself, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Farr, Ms. 
Moore, Mr. Nadler, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which 
           was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids by 
   supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation 
   programs of nations within the range of rare felid and rare canid 
populations and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the 
         conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations.

    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 ``Rare Cats and Canids Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are to provide financial resources and to 
foster international cooperation--
            (1) to restore and perpetuate healthy populations of rare 
        felids and rare canids in the wild; and
            (2) to assist in the conservation of rare felid and rare 
        canid populations worldwide.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) CITES.--The term ``CITES'' means the Convention on 
        International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and 
        Flora, done at Washington March 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087; TIAS 
        8249), including its appendices.
            (2) Conservation.--The term ``conservation''--
                    (A) means the methods and procedures necessary to 
                bring a population, subspecies, species, or taxon of 
                rare felid or rare canid to the point at which there 
                are sufficient populations in the wild to ensure its 
                long-term viability; and
                    (B) includes all activities associated with 
                protection and management of a population, subspecies, 
                species, or taxon of rare felid or rare canid, 
                including--
                            (i) maintenance, management, protection, 
                        and restoration of rare felid or rare canid 
                        habitat;
                            (ii) research and monitoring;
                            (iii) law enforcement;
                            (iv) community outreach and education;
                            (v) conflict resolution initiatives; and
                            (vi) strengthening the capacity of local 
                        communities, governmental agencies, 
                        nongovernmental organizations and other 
                        institutions to implement conservation 
                        programs.
            (3) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Rare Cats and Canids 
        Conservation Fund established by section 5.
            (4) IUCN red list.--The term ``IUCN Red List'' means the 
        Red List of Threatened Species Maintained by the World 
        Conservation Union.
            (5) Rare canid.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the term ``rare canid'' means any population, 
                subspecies, species, or taxon in the family Canidae 
                that is listed in the IUCN Red List as near threatened, 
                vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.
                    (B) Exclusions.--The term ``rare canid'' does not 
                include any subspecies or population that is native to 
                the area comprised of the United States and Canada.
            (6) Rare felid.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the term ``rare felid'' means any population, 
                subspecies, species, or taxon in the family Felidae 
                that is listed in the IUCN Red List as near threatened, 
                vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.
                    (B) Exclusions.--The term ``rare felid'' does not 
                include--
                            (i) any subspecies or population that is 
                        native to the area comprised of the United 
                        States and Canada; and
                            (ii) any tiger (Panthera tigris).
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 4. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of funds and in 
consultation with other appropriate Federal officials, the Secretary 
shall use amounts in the Fund to provide financial assistance for 
projects for the conservation of rare felid and rare canids for which 
project proposals are approved by the Secretary in accordance with this 
section.
    (b) Project Proposals.--
            (1) Eligible applicants.--A proposal for a project for the 
        conservation of rare felid and canids may be submitted to the 
        Secretary by--
                    (A) any wildlife management authority of a country 
                that has within its boundaries any part of the range of 
                a rare felid or rare canid, respectively; and
                    (B) any person or group with the demonstrated 
                expertise required for the conservation in the wild of 
                rare felids or rare canids, respectively.
            (2) Project proposals.--To be considered for financial 
        assistance for a project under this Act, an applicant shall 
        submit a project proposal that includes--
                    (A) a concise statement of the purposes of the 
                project;
                    (B) the name of the individual responsible for 
                conducting the project;
                    (C) a description of the qualifications of the 
                individuals who will conduct the project;
                    (D) a concise description of--
                            (i) methods for project implementation and 
                        outcome assessment;
                            (ii) staffing for the project;
                            (iii) the logistics of the project; and
                            (iv) community involvement in the project;
                    (E) an estimate of funds and time required to 
                complete the project;
                    (F) evidence of support for the project by 
                appropriate governmental entities of the countries in 
                which the project will be conducted, if the Secretary 
                determines that such support is required for the 
                success of the project;
                    (G) information regarding the source and amount of 
                matching funding available for the project; and
                    (H) any other information that the Secretary 
                considers to be necessary for evaluating the 
                eligibility of the project for funding under this Act.
    (c) Project Review and Approval.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
                    (A) not later than 30 days after receiving a 
                project proposal, provide a copy of the proposal to the 
                appropriate Federal officials; and
                    (B) review each project proposal in a timely manner 
                to determine if the proposal meets the criteria 
                specified in subsection (d).
            (2) Consultation; approval or disapproval.--Not later than 
        180 days after receiving a project proposal, and subject to the 
        availability of funds, the Secretary, after consulting with 
        other appropriate Federal officials, shall--
                    (A) ensure the proposal contains assurances that 
                the project will be implemented in consultation with 
                relevant wildlife management authorities and other 
                appropriate government officials with jurisdiction over 
                the resources addressed by the project;
                    (B) approve or disapprove the proposal; and
                    (C) provide written notification of the approval or 
                disapproval to the person who submitted the proposal, 
                other appropriate Federal officials, and each country 
                within whose borders the project will take place.
    (d) Criteria for Approval.--The Secretary may approve a project 
proposal under this section if the project will contribute to 
conservation of rare felids or rare canids in the wild by assisting 
efforts to--
            (1) implement conservation programs;
            (2) address the conflicts between humans and rare felids or 
        rare canids, respectively, that arise from competition for the 
        same habitat or resources;
            (3) enhance compliance with CITES, the Endangered Species 
        Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and other applicable laws 
        that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of rare felids 
        and rare canids or regulate the use and management of rare 
        felid and rare canid habitat;
            (4) develop sound scientific information on, or methods for 
        monitoring--
                    (A) the condition and health of rare felid or rare 
                canid habitat;
                    (B) rare felid or rare canid population numbers and 
                trends; and
                    (C) the ecological characteristics and requirements 
                of populations of rare felids or rare canids for which 
                there are little or no data;
            (5) promote cooperative projects among government entities, 
        affected local communities, nongovernmental organizations, and 
        other persons in the private sector; or
            (6) funds will not be appropriated for the purchase or 
        lease of lands to be used as suitable habitat for felids or 
        canids.
    (e) Project Sustainability.--In approving project proposals under 
this section, the Secretary shall give preference to conservation 
projects that are designed to ensure effective, long-term conservation 
of rare felids and rare canids and their habitats.
    (f) Matching Funds.--In determining whether to approve project 
proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to 
projects for which there exists some measure of matching funds.
    (g) Project Reporting.--
            (1) In general.--Each person that receives assistance under 
        this section for a project shall submit to the Secretary 
        periodic reports (at such intervals as the Secretary considers 
        necessary) that include all information that the Secretary, 
        after consultation with other appropriate government officials, 
        determines is necessary to evaluate the progress and success of 
        the project for the purposes of ensuring positive results, 
        assessing problems, and fostering improvements.
            (2) Availability to the public.--Reports under paragraph 
        (1), and any other documents relating to projects for which 
        financial assistance is provided under this Act, shall be made 
        available to the public.
    (h) Limitations on Use for Captive Breeding or Display.--Amounts 
provided as a grant under this Act may not be used for captive breeding 
unless as part of an accredited reintroduction or restoration program.
    (i) Advisory Group.--
            (1) In general.--To assist in carrying out this Act, the 
        Secretary may convene an advisory group consisting of 
        individuals representing public and private organizations 
        actively involved in the conservation of felids and canids.
            (2) Public participation.--
                    (A) Meetings.--The advisory group shall--
                            (i) ensure that each meeting of the 
                        advisory group is open to the public; and
                            (ii) provide, at each meeting, an 
                        opportunity for interested persons to present 
                        oral or written statements concerning items on 
                        the agenda.
                    (B) Notice.--The Secretary shall provide to the 
                public timely notice of each meeting of the advisory 
                group, including the meeting agenda.
                    (C) Minutes.--Minutes of each meeting of the 
                advisory group shall be kept by the Secretary and shall 
                be made available to the public.
            (3) Exemption from federal advisory committee act.--The 
        Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply 
        to the advisory group.

SEC. 5. RARE CATS AND CANIDS CONSERVATION FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established, in the Multinational 
Species Conservation Fund established in title I of the Department of 
the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 under the 
heading ``MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUND'', a separate account 
to be known as the ``Rare Cats and Canids Conservation Fund'', 
consisting of--
            (1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury 
        for deposit into such account under subsection (c); and
            (2) amounts appropriated to such account under section 6.
    (b) Expenditures From Fund.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), upon request by 
        the Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer 
        from the Fund to the Secretary, without further appropriation, 
        such amounts as the Secretary determines are necessary to 
        provide assistance under section 4.
            (2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts in the Fund 
        available for each fiscal year, the Secretary may expend not 
        more than three percent, or up to $100,000, whichever is 
        greater, to pay the administrative expenses necessary to carry 
        out this Act.
    (c) Acceptance and Use of Donations.--The Secretary may accept and 
use donations to provide assistance under section 4, and may make 
public on the Internet Web site and in publications of the Department 
of the Interior that the Secretary is authorized to accept and use such 
donations. Amounts received by the Secretary in the form of such 
donations shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury for 
deposit into the Fund.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund, $5,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020 to carry out this Act.
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