[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2105 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2105

 To establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation 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 4, 2019

Mr. Latta (for himself, Mr. Cole, Mr. Collins of New York, Mr. Johnson 
 of Ohio, Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, Mr. Ryan, and Mr. Austin Scott of 
   Georgia) 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 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 Advisory Committee Act of 2019''.

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

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the Wildlife and 
Hunting Heritage Conservation Advisory Committee (in this section 
referred to as the `Advisory Committee') to advise the Secretaries of 
the Interior and Agriculture (in this section referred to as `the 
Secretaries') 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 13443, entitled 
        `Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation', 
        signed on January 1, 2008, 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 7 ex officio members and no more than 16 
                discretionary members.
                    ``(B) Ex officio members.--The ex officio members 
                are--
                            ``(i) the Director of the United States 
                        Fish and Wildlife Service or an individual 
                        designated by the Director;
                            ``(ii) the Director of the Bureau of Land 
                        Management or an individual designated by the 
                        Director;
                            ``(iii) the Director of the National Park 
                        Service or an individual designated by the 
                        Director;
                            ``(iv) the Chief of the Forest Service or 
                        an individual designated by the Chief;
                            ``(v) the Chief of the Natural Resources 
                        Conservation Service or an individual 
                        designated by the Chief;
                            ``(vi) the Administrator of the Farm 
                        Service Agency or an individual designated by 
                        the Administrator; and
                            ``(vii) the Executive Director of the 
                        Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
                    ``(C) Discretionary members.--The Secretaries shall 
                jointly appoint at least one discretionary member from 
                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.--The Secretaries may not appoint 
                an individual as a member of the Advisory Committee 
                unless the Secretaries determine that such individual, 
                and the organization such individual represents, 
                actively supports and promotes 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 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.--Discretionary members of the 
                Advisory Committee shall serve at the pleasure of the 
                Secretaries. The Secretaries may jointly remove such 
                members at any time for good cause.
            ``(5) Continuation of service.--Each discretionary 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 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 any meeting of the Advisory 
        Committee or any other meeting of members approved for 
        reimbursement by the Advisory Committee 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) Workgroups and subgroups.--The Advisory 
                Committee may establish such workgroups or subgroups as 
                it considers 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.--The 
Secretaries shall jointly appoint a Federal officer to provide to the 
Advisory Committee the administrative support, technical services, and 
advice that the Secretaries determine to be reasonable and appropriate 
to carry out this Act.
    ``(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 Chair 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 Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) does not apply with respect to the 
Advisory Committee.''.
    (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 Advisory 
        Committee established by the amendment made by subsection (a); 
        and
            (2) is hereby abolished effective on that date.
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