[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4819 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.4819

                     One Hundred Fifteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
           the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen


                                 An Act


 
     To promote inclusive economic growth through conservation and 
biodiversity programs that facilitate transboundary cooperation, improve 
  natural resource management, and build local capacity to protect and 
preserve threatened wildlife species in the greater Okavango River Basin 
                           of southern Africa.

    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 ``Defending Economic Livelihoods and 
Threatened Animals Act'' or the ``DELTA Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
    Congress finds the following:
        (1) The greater Okavango River Basin, which ranges from the 
    highland plateau of Angola to northeastern Namibia and northern 
    Botswana, and also provides critical natural resources that sustain 
    wildlife in Zambia and Zimbabwe, is the largest freshwater 
    watershed in southern Africa.
        (2) The greater Okavango River Basin is the main source of 
    water and livelihoods for over 1 million people, and the effective 
    management and protection of this critical watershed will help 
    advance important conservation and economic growth objectives for 
    Angola, Botswana, Namibia, local communities, and the broader 
    region.
        (3) The greater Okavango River Basin is home to the largest 
    remaining elephant population in the world, as well as other 
    threatened wildlife species.
        (4) Poaching and trafficking of threatened wildlife species in 
    the greater Okavango River Basin has increased in recent years, and 
    has the potential to undermine regional stability by disrupting 
    local governance and management of resources, and supplanting key 
    economic opportunities for community members.
        (5) Governments in the region have taken important steps to 
    coordinate through existing conservation frameworks to combat 
    trafficking, ensure responsible resource management, support local 
    livelihoods, and protect threatened wildlife species.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
    It is the sense of Congress that it is in the interest of the 
United States to engage, as appropriate, with the Governments of 
Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and neighboring countries, and in 
partnership with donors, regional organizations, nongovernmental 
organizations, local communities, and the private sector, to advance 
conservation efforts and promote economic growth and stability in the 
greater Okavango River Basin and neighboring watersheds and 
conservation areas.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
    It is the policy of the United States to promote inclusive economic 
growth through conservation and biodiversity programs that facilitate 
transboundary cooperation, improve water and natural resource 
management, and build local capacity to protect and preserve threatened 
wildlife species in the greater Okavango River Basin and neighboring 
watersheds and conservation areas.
SEC. 5. STRATEGY.
    (a) In General.--The Secretary and the Administrator, in 
coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall 
seek, as appropriate, to work with the Governments of Angola, Botswana, 
Namibia, and neighboring countries, and in partnership with donors, 
regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, local 
communities, and the private sector, to develop a strategy to--
        (1) create and advance a cooperative framework to promote 
    responsible natural resource, water, and wildlife management 
    practices in the greater Okavango River Basin;
        (2) protect traditional migration routes of elephants and other 
    threatened wildlife species;
        (3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking;
        (4) address human health and development needs of local 
    communities; and
        (5) catalyze economic growth in such countries and across the 
    broader region.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy established pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall--
        (1) promote cooperative and responsible water, natural 
    resource, and wildlife management policies and practices within and 
    among the countries of Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, with a 
    particular focus on the greater Okavango River Basin and the 
    critical headwaters located in Angola;
        (2) protect and restore wildlife habitats and traditional 
    migratory patterns of elephants and other threatened species;
        (3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking in Angola, 
    Botswana, Namibia, and those areas of Zambia and Zimbabwe that 
    border Angola, Botswana, or Namibia, including within regional and 
    national parks and reserves, by building the capacity of the 
    governments of such countries, local law enforcement, community 
    leaders, and park rangers to detect, disrupt, and prosecute 
    poachers and traffickers;
        (4) promote conservation as a foundation for inclusive economic 
    growth and development within a comprehensive assistance strategy 
    that places Angola, Botswana, and Namibia on a trajectory toward 
    graduation from the need for United States foreign assistance;
        (5) identify opportunities and mechanisms to leverage regional 
    organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and public-private 
    partnerships to contribute to support the implementation of the 
    strategy;
        (6) establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including 
    measurable goals, objectives, and benchmarks of success, that are 
    included in grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to ensure 
    the effective use of United States foreign assistance; and
        (7) coordinate with and build the capacity of regional 
    conservation frameworks in order to advance regional conservation 
    objectives.
SEC. 6. UNITED STATES SUPPORT.
    (a) In General.--The Secretary and the Administrator, in 
coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, are 
authorized to prioritize and advance ongoing efforts to--
        (1) promote inclusive economic growth and development through 
    responsible water and natural resource management and wildlife 
    protection activities in the greater Okavango River Basin;
        (2) provide technical assistance to governments and local 
    communities in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to create a policy-
    enabling environment for such responsible water and natural 
    resource management and wildlife protection activities; and
        (3) build the capacity of local law enforcement, park rangers, 
    and community leaders to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking.
    (b) Coordination and Integration With Regional Conservation 
Frameworks.--The Secretary and the Administrator, in coordination with 
the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall coordinate 
assistance provided by Department of State, the United States Agency 
for International Development, and such other relevant Federal agencies 
with existing regional conservation frameworks in order to ensure 
regional integration of conservation, wildlife trafficking, and water 
management initiatives, to prevent duplication of efforts, and to 
advance regional conservation objectives.
    (c) Coordination With Private Sector.--The Secretary and the 
Administrator, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal 
agencies, are authorized to work with the private sector and 
nongovernmental organizations to leverage public and private capital to 
promote responsible resource management, combat wildlife poaching and 
trafficking, and support inclusive economic growth and local 
livelihoods in the greater Okavango River Basin.
    (d) Monitoring and Evaluation.--The Secretary and the Administrator 
shall establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, to include 
measurable goals, objectives, and benchmarks, to ensure the effective 
use of United States foreign assistance to achieve the objectives of 
this section.
SEC. 7. REPORT.
    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Administrator, in 
coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
implementation of this Act.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required under subsection 
(a) shall include a description of the strategy required by section 5, 
including--
        (1) the monitoring and evaluation plans and indicators used to 
    measure performance under the strategy;
        (2) any legislative impediments to meeting the objectives of 
    such strategy;
        (3) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and Namibia have 
    demonstrated a commitment and willingness to cooperate to advance 
    efforts described in section 5(b);
        (4) progress made to date in meeting the objectives of such 
    strategy;
        (5) efforts to coordinate, deconflict, and streamline 
    conservation programs in order to maximize resource effectiveness;
        (6) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and Namibia and other 
    government in the region are investing resources to advance 
    conservation initiatives; and
        (7) the extent to which other funding sources, including 
    through private sector investment and other investment by Angola, 
    Botswana, and Namibia, have been identified to advance conservation 
    initiatives.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
    In this Act:
        (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
    Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
    Development.
        (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
    ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
            (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate.
        (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
    State.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.