[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1945 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1945

  To establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council 
   Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and 
Agriculture on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, recreational 
                   shooting, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 5, 2017

 Mr. Latta (for himself, Mr. Farenthold, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, 
 Mr. Sessions, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Cole, and Mr. Walz) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council 
   Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and 
Agriculture on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, recreational 
                   shooting, 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 ``Wildlife and Hunting Heritage 
Conservation Council Advisory Committee Act''.

SEC. 2. WILDLIFE AND HUNTING HERITAGE CONSERVATION COUNCIL ADVISORY 
              COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 
661 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 10. WILDLIFE AND HUNTING HERITAGE CONSERVATION COUNCIL ADVISORY 
              COMMITTEE.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the Wildlife and 
Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee (in this 
section referred to as the `Advisory Committee') to advise the 
Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on wildlife and habitat 
conservation, hunting, and recreational shooting.
    ``(b) Duties of the Advisory Committee.--The Advisory Committee 
shall advise the Secretaries with regard to--
            ``(1) implementation of Executive Order No. 13443: 
        Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation, 
        which directs Federal agencies `to facilitate the expansion and 
        enhancement of hunting opportunities and the management of game 
        species and their habitat';
            ``(2) policies or programs to conserve and restore 
        wetlands, agricultural lands, grasslands, forest, and rangeland 
        habitats;
            ``(3) policies or programs to promote opportunities and 
        access to hunting and shooting sports on Federal lands;
            ``(4) policies or programs to recruit and retain new 
        hunters and shooters;
            ``(5) policies or programs that increase public awareness 
        of the importance of wildlife conservation and the social and 
        economic benefits of recreational hunting and shooting; and
            ``(6) policies or programs that encourage coordination 
        among the public, the hunting and shooting sports community, 
        wildlife conservation groups, and States, tribes, and the 
        Federal Government.
    ``(c) Membership.--
            ``(1) Appointment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Advisory Committee shall 
                consist of no more than 16 discretionary members and 7 
                ex officio members.
                    ``(B) Ex officio members.--The ex officio members 
                are--
                            ``(i) the Director of the United States 
                        Fish and Wildlife Service or a designated 
                        representative of the Director;
                            ``(ii) the Director of the Bureau of Land 
                        Management or a designated representative of 
                        the Director;
                            ``(iii) the Director of the National Park 
                        Service or a designated representative of the 
                        Director;
                            ``(iv) the Chief of the Forest Service or a 
                        designated representative of the Chief;
                            ``(v) the Chief of the Natural Resources 
                        Conservation Service or a designated 
                        representative of the Chief;
                            ``(vi) the Administrator of the Farm 
                        Service Agency or a designated representative 
                        of the Administrator; and
                            ``(vii) the Executive Director of the 
                        Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
                    ``(C) Discretionary members.--The discretionary 
                members shall be appointed jointly by the Secretaries 
                from at least one of each of the following:
                            ``(i) State fish and wildlife agencies.
                            ``(ii) Game bird hunting organizations.
                            ``(iii) Wildlife conservation 
                        organizations.
                            ``(iv) Big game hunting organizations.
                            ``(v) The tourism, outfitter, or guiding 
                        industry.
                            ``(vi) The firearms or ammunition 
                        manufacturing industry.
                            ``(vii) The hunting or shooting equipment 
                        retail industry.
                            ``(viii) Tribal resource management 
                        organizations.
                            ``(ix) The agriculture industry.
                            ``(x) The ranching industry.
                            ``(xi) Waterfowl hunting organizations.
                    ``(D) Eligibility.--Prior to the appointment of the 
                discretionary members, the Secretaries shall determine 
                that all individuals nominated for appointment to the 
                Advisory Committee, and the organization each 
                individual represents, actively support and promote 
                sustainable-use hunting, wildlife conservation, and 
                recreational shooting.
            ``(2) Terms.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), members of the Advisory Committee 
                shall be appointed for a term of 4 years. Members shall 
                not be appointed for more than 3 consecutive or 
                nonconsecutive terms.
                    ``(B) Terms of initial appointees.--As designated 
                by the Secretary at the time of appointment, of the 
                members first appointed--
                            ``(i) 6 members shall be appointed for a 
                        term of 4 years;
                            ``(ii) 5 members shall be appointed for a 
                        term of 3 years; and
                            ``(iii) 5 members shall be appointed for a 
                        term of 2 years.
            ``(3) Preservation of public advisory status.--No 
        individual may be appointed as a discretionary member of the 
        Advisory Committee while serving as an officer or employee of 
        the Federal Government.
            ``(4) Vacancy and removal.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Any vacancy on the Advisory 
                Committee shall be filled in the manner in which the 
                original appointment was made.
                    ``(B) Removal.--Advisory Committee members shall 
                serve at the discretion of the Secretaries and may be 
                removed at any time for good cause.
            ``(5) Continuation of service.--Each appointed member may 
        continue to serve after the expiration of the term of office to 
        which such member was appointed until a successor has been 
        appointed.
            ``(6) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Advisory 
        Committee shall be appointed for a 3-year term by the 
        Secretaries, jointly, from among the members of the Advisory 
        Committee. An individual may not be appointed as Chairperson 
        for more than 2 consecutive or nonconsecutive terms.
            ``(7) Pay and expenses.--Members of the Advisory Committee 
        shall serve without pay for such service, but each member of 
        the Advisory Committee may be reimbursed for travel and lodging 
        incurred through attending meetings of the Advisory Committee 
        approved subgroup meetings in the same amounts and under the 
        same conditions as Federal employees (in accordance with 
        section 5703 of title 5, United States Code).
            ``(8) Meetings.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Advisory Committee shall 
                meet at the call of the Secretaries, the chairperson, 
                or a majority of the members, but not less frequently 
                than twice annually.
                    ``(B) Open meetings.--Each meeting of the Advisory 
                Committee shall be open to the public.
                    ``(C) Prior notice of meetings.--Timely notice of 
                each meeting of the Advisory Committee shall be 
                published in the Federal Register and be submitted to 
                trade publications and publications of general 
                circulation.
                    ``(D) Subgroups.--The Advisory Committee may 
                establish such workgroups or subgroups as it deems 
                necessary for the purpose of compiling information or 
                conducting research. However, such workgroups may not 
                conduct business without the direction of the Advisory 
                Committee and must report in full to the Advisory 
                Committee.
            ``(9) Quorum.--Nine members of the Advisory Committee shall 
        constitute a quorum.
    ``(d) Expenses.--The expenses of the Advisory Committee that the 
Secretaries determine to be reasonable and appropriate shall be paid by 
the Secretaries.
    ``(e) Administrative Support, Technical Services, and Advice.--A 
designated Federal Officer shall be jointly appointed by the 
Secretaries to provide to the Advisory Committee the administrative 
support, technical services, and advice that the Secretaries determine 
to be reasonable and appropriate.
    ``(f) Annual Report.--
            ``(1) Required.--Not later than September 30 of each year, 
        the Advisory Committee shall submit a report to the 
        Secretaries, the Committee on Natural Resources and the 
        Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and 
        the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee 
        on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. If 
        circumstances arise in which the Advisory Committee cannot meet 
        the September 30 deadline in any year, the Secretaries shall 
        advise the Chairpersons of each such Committee of the reasons 
        for such delay and the date on which the submission of the 
        report is anticipated.
            ``(2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        describe--
                    ``(A) the activities of the Advisory Committee 
                during the preceding year;
                    ``(B) the reports and recommendations made by the 
                Advisory Committee to the Secretaries during the 
                preceding year; and
                    ``(C) an accounting of actions taken by the 
                Secretaries as a result of the recommendations.
    ``(g) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Advisory Committee shall 
be exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).''.
    (b) Continuance and Abolishment of Existing Wildlife and Hunting 
Heritage Conservation Council.--The Wildlife and Hunting Heritage 
Conservation Council established pursuant to section 441 of the Revised 
Statutes (43 U.S.C. 1457), section 2 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 
1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a), and other Acts applicable to specific bureaus of 
the Department of the Interior--
            (1) shall continue until the date of the first meeting of 
        the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council 
        established by the amendment made by subsection (a); and
            (2) is hereby abolished effective on that date.
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