[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1925 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1925

  To extend the secure rural schools and community self-determination 
program and to make permanent the payment in lieu of taxes program and 
                 the land and water conservation fund.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 4, 2015

   Mr. Heinrich (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Udall, Mr. Bennet, Mr. 
Markey, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Coons, Mr. Peters, Mr. Tester, Ms. 
    Baldwin, Mr. King, Mr. Leahy, and Mrs. Shaheen) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To extend the secure rural schools and community self-determination 
program and to make permanent the payment in lieu of taxes program and 
                 the land and water conservation fund.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF-
              DETERMINATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Secure Payments for States and Counties Containing Federal 
Land.--
            (1) Definitions.--Section 3(11) of the Secure Rural Schools 
        and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 710 2) 
        is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (C)--
                            (i) by striking ``fiscal year 2012 and each 
                        fiscal year thereafter'' and inserting ``each 
                        of fiscal years 2012 through 2015''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``year.'' and inserting 
                        ``year; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2021, 
                the amount that is equal to the full funding amount for 
                fiscal year 2011.''.
            (2) Calculation of payments.--Section 101 of the Secure 
        Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 
        U.S.C. 7111) is amended by striking ``2015'' each place it 
        appears and inserting ``2021''.
            (3) Elections.--Section 102(b) of the Secure Rural Schools 
        and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
        7112(b)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``August 1, 2013 (or as soon thereafter as the 
                        Secretary concerned determines is practicable), 
                        and August 1 of each second fiscal year 
                        thereafter'' and inserting ``August 1 of each 
                        fiscal year (or a later date specified by the 
                        Secretary concerned for the fiscal year)''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) Payment for fiscal years 2016 through 2021.--
                A county election otherwise required by subparagraph 
                (A) shall not apply for fiscal years 2016 through 2021 
                if the county elects to receive a share of the State 
                payment or the county payment in 2013.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(B)--
                            (i) by inserting ``or any subsequent year'' 
                        after ``2013''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``2015'' and inserting 
                        ``2021''.
            (4) Election as to use of balance.--Section 102(d)(1) of 
        the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act 
        of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7112(d)(1)) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``not more 
                than 7 percent of the total share for the eligible 
                county of the State payment or the county payment'' and 
                inserting ``any portion of the balance''; and
                    (B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(C) Counties with major distributions.--In the 
                case of each eligible county to which $350,000 or more 
                is distributed for any fiscal year pursuant to either 
                or both of paragraphs (1)(B) and (2)(B) of subsection 
                (a), the eligible county shall elect to do 1 or more of 
                the following with the balance of any funds not 
                expended pursuant to subparagraph (A):
                            ``(i) Reserve any portion of the balance 
                        for projects in accordance with title II.
                            ``(ii) Reserve not more than 7 percent of 
                        the total share for the eligible county of the 
                        State payment or the county payment for 
                        projects in accordance with title III.
                            ``(iii) Return to the Treasury of the 
                        United States the portion of the balance not 
                        reserved under clauses (i) and (ii).''.
            (5) Failure to elect.--Section 102(d)(3)(B)(ii) of the 
        Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
        2000 (16 U.S.C. 7112(d)(3)(B)(ii)) is amended by striking 
        ``purpose described in section 202(b)'' and inserting 
        ``purposes described in section 202(b), section 203(c), or 
        section 204(a)(5)''.
            (6) Distribution of payments to eligible counties.--Section 
        103(d)(2) of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
        Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7113(d)(2)) is amended by 
        striking ``2015'' and inserting ``2021''.
    (b) Continuation of Authority To Conduct Special Projects on 
Federal Land.--
            (1) Pilot program.--Section 204(e) of the Secure Rural 
        Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
        7124(e)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).
            (2) Availability of project funds.--Section 207(d)(2) of 
        the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act 
        of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7127(d)(2)) is amended by striking 
        ``subparagraph (B)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (B)(i)''.
            (3) Termination of authority.--Section 208 of the Secure 
        Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 
        U.S.C. 7128) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``2017'' and 
                inserting ``2023''; and
                    (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``2018'' and 
                inserting ``2024''.
    (c) Continuation of Authority To Use County Funds.--
            (1) Funding for search and rescue.--Section 302(a) of the 
        Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
        2000 (16 U.S.C. 7142(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (2) 
        and inserting the following:
            ``(2) to reimburse the participating county or sheriff for 
        amounts paid for by the participating county or sheriff, as 
        applicable, for--
                    ``(A) search and rescue and other emergency 
                services, including firefighting, that are performed on 
                Federal land; and
                    ``(B) emergency response vehicles or aircraft but 
                only in the amount attributable to the use of the 
                vehicles or aircraft to provide the services described 
                in subparagraph (A).''.
            (2) Termination of authority.--Section 304 of the Secure 
        Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 
        U.S.C. 7144) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``2017'' and 
                inserting ``2023''; and
                    (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``2018'' and 
                inserting ``2024''.
    (d) No Reduction in Payment.--Title IV of the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7151 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 404. NO REDUCTION IN PAYMENTS.

    ``Payments under this Act for fiscal year 2016 and each fiscal year 
thereafter shall be exempt from direct spending reductions under 
section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 
of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901a).''.

SEC. 2. RESTORING MANDATORY FUNDING STATUS TO THE PAYMENT IN LIEU OF 
              TAXES PROGRAM.

    Section 6906 of title 31, United States Code, is amended in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``of fiscal years 2008 
through 2014'' and inserting ``fiscal year''.

SEC. 3. PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION AND FULL FUNDING OF THE LAND AND WATER 
              CONSERVATION FUND.

    (a) Authorization.--Section 200302 of title 54, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), in the matter preceding paragraph 
        (1), by striking ``During the period ending September 30, 2015, 
        there'' and inserting ``There''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``through September 
        30, 2015''.
    (b) Full Funding.--
            (1) In general.--Section 200303 of title 54, United States 
        Code, is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 200303. Availability of funds
    ``(a) In General.--Amounts deposited in the Fund under section 
200302 shall be made available for expenditure, without further 
appropriation or fiscal year limitation, to carry out the purposes of 
the Fund (including accounts and programs made available from the Fund 
under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 
(Public Law 113-235; 128 Stat. 2130)).
    ``(b) Additional Amounts.--Amounts made available under subsection 
(a) shall be in addition to amounts made available to the Fund under 
section 105 of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (43 
U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109-432) or otherwise appropriated from 
the Fund.
    ``(c) Allocation Authority.--
            ``(1) Submission of cost estimates.--The President shall 
        submit to Congress detailed account, program, and project 
        allocations to be funded under subsection (a) as part of the 
        annual budget submission of the President.
            ``(2) Alternate allocation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Appropriations Acts may provide 
                for alternate allocation of amounts made available 
                under subsection (a), including allocations by account 
                and program.
                    ``(B) Allocation by president.--
                            ``(i) No alternate allocations.--If 
                        Congress has not enacted legislation 
                        establishing alternate allocations by the date 
                        that is 120 days after the date on which the 
                        applicable fiscal year begins, amounts made 
                        available under subsection (a) shall be 
                        allocated by the President.
                            ``(ii) Insufficient alternate allocation.--
                        If Congress enacts legislation establishing 
                        alternate allocations for amounts made 
                        available under subsection (a) that are less 
                        than the full amount appropriated under that 
                        subsection, the difference between the amount 
                        appropriated and the alternate allocation shall 
                        be allocated by the President.
            ``(3) Annual report.--The President shall submit to 
        Congress an annual report that describes the final allocation 
        by account, program, and project of amounts made available 
        under subsection (a), including a description of the status of 
        obligations and expenditures.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections affected for 
        title 54 is amended by striking the item relating to section 
        200303 and inserting the following:

``200303. Availability of funds.''.
    (c) Public Access.--Section 200306 of title 54, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Public Access.--Not less than 1.5 percent of the annual 
authorized funding amount shall be made available each year for 
projects that secure recreational public access to existing Federal 
public land for hunting, fishing, or other recreational purposes.''.
                                 <all>