[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2908 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
House Calendar No. 104
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2908
[Report No. 114-483]
To adopt the bison as the national mammal of the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 25, 2015
Mr. Clay (for himself, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Serrano, Mrs. Noem, Mr.
Cramer, Mr. Hanna, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Perlmutter, and Mr.
Cleaver) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
April 12, 2016
Additional sponsors: Mr. Kline, Mr. Lipinski, Mrs. Lawrence, Ms.
Schakowsky, Mr. Kind, and Mr. Walz
April 12, 2016
Reported with an amendment, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered
to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June
25, 2015]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To adopt the bison as the national mammal of the United States.
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 Bison Legacy Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) bison are considered a historical symbol of the United
States;
(2) bison were integrally linked with the economic and
spiritual lives of many Indian tribes through trade and sacred
ceremonies;
(3) there are more than 60 Indian tribes participating in
the Intertribal Buffalo Council;
(4) numerous members of Indian tribes are involved in bison
restoration on tribal land;
(5) members of Indian tribes have a combined herd on more
than 1,000,000 acres of tribal land;
(6) the Intertribal Buffalo Council is a tribal
organization incorporated pursuant to section 17 of the Act of
June 18, 1934 (commonly known as the ``Indian Reorganization
Act'') (25 U.S.C. 477);
(7) bison can play an important role in improving the types
of grasses found in landscapes to the benefit of grasslands;
(8) a small group of ranchers helped save bison from
extinction in the late 1800s by gathering the remnants of the
decimated herds;
(9) bison hold significant economic value for private
producers and rural communities;
(10) according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture of the
Department of Agriculture, as of 2012, 162,110 head of bison
were under the stewardship of private producers, creating jobs
and providing a sustainable and healthy meat source
contributing to the food security of the United States;
(11) on December 8, 1905, William Hornaday, Theodore
Roosevelt, and others formed the American Bison Society in
response to the near extinction of bison in the United States;
(12) on October 11, 1907, the American Bison Society sent
15 captive-bred bison from the New York Zoological Park, now
known as the ``Bronx Zoo'', to the first wildlife refuge in the
United States, which was known as the ``Wichita Mountains
Wildlife Refuge'', resulting in the first successful
reintroduction of a mammal species on the brink of extinction
back into the natural habitat of the species;
(13) in 2005, the American Bison Society was reestablished,
bringing together bison ranchers, managers from Indian tribes,
Federal and State agencies, conservation organizations, and
natural and social scientists from the United States, Canada,
and Mexico to create a vision for the North American bison in
the 21st century;
(14) there are bison herds in National Wildlife Refuges and
National Parks;
(15) there are bison in State-managed herds across 11
States;
(16) there is a growing effort to celebrate and officially
recognize the historical, cultural, and economic significance
of the North American bison to the heritage of the United
States;
(17) a bison is portrayed on 2 State flags;
(18) the bison has been adopted by 3 States as the official
mammal or animal of those States;
(19) a bison has been depicted on the official seal of the
Department of the Interior since 1912;
(20) the buffalo nickel played an important role in
modernizing the currency of the United States;
(21) several sports teams have the bison as a mascot, which
highlights the iconic significance of bison in the United
States;
(22) in the 2nd session of the 113th Congress, 22 Senators
led a successful effort to enact a resolution to designate
November 1, 2014, as the third annual National Bison Day; and
(23) members of Indian tribes, bison producers,
conservationists, sportsmen, educators, and other public and
private partners have participated in the annual National Bison
Day celebration at several events across the United States and
are committed to continuing this tradition annually on the
first Saturday of November.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADOPTION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN BISON AS THE
NATIONAL MAMMAL.
(a) In General.--The mammal commonly known as the ``North American
bison'' is adopted as the national mammal of the United States.
(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act or the adoption of
the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States
shall be construed or used as a reason to alter, change, modify, or
otherwise affect any plan, policy, management decision, regulation, or
other action by the Federal Government.
House Calendar No. 104
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2908
[Report No. 114-483]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To adopt the bison as the national mammal of the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 12, 2016
Reported with an amendment, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered
to be printed