To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to approve the wildlife conservation and restoration program of a State within a certain period of time, and for other purposes.

To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to approve the wildlife conservation and restoration program of a State within a certain period of time, 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.

SEC. 2. Timing of approval of wildlife conservation and restoration program.

(1) by striking the paragraph designation and all that follows through “If the Secretary” and inserting the following:

“(3) APPROVAL.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary”;

(2) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated)—

(A) by inserting “, not later than 180 days after the date on which the State submitted the comprehensive plan,” after “, the Secretary”; and

(B) by striking “, as redesignated”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(B) IMPLEMENTATION; SET ASIDE OF AMOUNTS.—On submission of a comprehensive plan by a State under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—

“(i) conditionally authorize the implementation of the wildlife conservation and restoration program of the State; and

“(ii) set aside the amounts described in subparagraph (A).

“(C) DEVELOPMENT OF PROCESS.—The Secretary, in consultation with the States, shall develop a process to ensure—

“(i) the sufficient and timely review of comprehensive plans submitted by States under paragraph (1); and

“(ii) the final approval of the wildlife conservation and restoration program of such States not later than 180 days after the date on which a State submits a comprehensive plan.

“(D) INTENT OF CONGRESS.—It is the intent of Congress that the Secretary shall prioritize—

“(i) the timely review of comprehensive plans submitted by States under paragraph (1); and

“(ii) the approval of the wildlife conservation and restoration programs of such States.

“(E) SUBMISSIONS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than June 1 of the year immediately following the year in which a State submits a comprehensive plan under paragraph (1), if the Secretary does not approve the wildlife conservation and restoration program of the State under subparagraph (A) within the period of time described in that subparagraph, the Secretary shall submit to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report relating to the status of such comprehensive plan, including the reason why the wildlife conservation and restoration program was not approved.”.