[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H10786-H10787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REAUTHORIZATION OF JUNIOR DUCK STAMP CONSERVATION AND DESIGN PROGRAM 
                              ACT OF 1994

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2496) to reauthorize the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and 
Design Program Act of 1994, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2496

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

     SECTION 1. REAUTHORIZATION OF JUNIOR DUCK STAMP CONSERVATION 
                   AND DESIGN PROGRAM ACT OF 1994.

       Section 5 of the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design 
     Program Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 719c) is amended by striking 
     ``for each of the fiscal years 1995 through 2000'' and 
     inserting ``for each of the fiscal years 2001 through 2005''.

     SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF PROGRAM TO INSULAR AREAS.

       The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act 
     of 1994 is amended--
       (1) in section 2(c) (16 U.S.C. 719(c)) by striking ``50 
     States'' each place it appears and inserting ``States'';
       (2) by redesignating section 5 (16 U.S.C. 719c), as amended 
     by section 1 of this Act, as section 6; and
       (3) by inserting after section 4 the following:

     ``SEC. 5. DEFINITION OF STATE.

       ``For the purposes of this Act, the term `State' includes 
     the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
     the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American 
     Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and any other territory or 
     possession of the United States.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Saxton) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 2496.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased that we are considering H.R. 2496, a bill introduced by 
our friend and colleague from Texas (Mr. Ortiz). This measure will 
reauthorize the very popular Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design 
Program Act. This innovative program allows thousands of children from 
kindergarten to high school to participate in a nationwide wildlife art 
contest. It also provides students with a broad exposure to migratory 
water fowl and encourages activities to motivate students to take an 
active role in conserving these species.
  In 1998, 42,337 students participated in this nationwide art contest. 
The first place national winner received a $2,500 scholarship, and his 
winning design appeared in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp for that year. 
This legislation does not make any major changes to the underlying law. 
It simply extends the authorization of appropriations, which is 
$250,000 for an additional 5 years. By doing so the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service will continue to license and market junior duck stamps 
and use stamp proceeds to support conservation, education and hopefully 
to expand the junior duck stamp design competition to hundreds of 
additional students.
  At our full committee markup the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) offered an amendment to expand the coverage of this 
program to include American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam and 
the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. I 
strongly support his amendment and hope that thousands of additional 
students from places like Tom's River to Pago Pago will have an 
opportunity to win this art contest in the future.
  I urge an aye vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased that this 
legislation has now been brought before the floor for consideration, 
and I certainly want to commend my good friend, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Saxton), the chairman of our Subcommittee on Fisheries and 
Oceans, for his leadership and for bringing this legislation for the 
Members' consideration.
  Mr. Speaker, the Junior Duck Stamp Program has matured over a 
relatively short period of time into a valued conservation and 
education program that is enjoyed by thousands of schoolchildren 
nationwide. Merging conservation education with the arts has proven to 
be an effective strategy to increase knowledge and appreciation of 
migratory bird and their habitat within our schools. The Junior Duck 
Stamp Program has enhanced public awareness of the critical need to 
protect and preserve our Nation's diverse waterfowl and their essential 
wetland habitats. Moreover, this innovative program has helped promote 
a conservation ethic among America's young people which will be 
absolutely critical to ensure healthy wildlife and a healthy 
environment in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, an added benefit to the Junior Duck Stamp Program has 
been that it has also extended appreciation for wildlife and wetlands 
far beyond

[[Page H10787]]

the classroom to the public at large through literally hundreds of 
annual art contests and exhibitions of art work at State fairs, 
wildlife refuges, museums and educational conferences. From the 
southern bayous of Louisiana to the prairie potholes of North Dakota to 
the tidal marshes along the Pacific Coast such public exposure has 
attracted and informed thousands of people annually who might otherwise 
remain unenlightened about the need to protect and conserve the 
wildlife and wetlands we enjoy today.
  Mr. Speaker, I do commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) for 
his introduction of this legislation. I especially appreciate his 
support and again the support of our chairman the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Saxton) in working with us to expand the eligibility of 
this program to now include the insular areas as well as the District 
of Columbia.
  This is a noncontroversial bill that deserves the support of this 
House, and I do strongly urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Before I yield back the balance of my time I would like to just make 
note that our good friend is back in the reader's chair. Mr. Paul Hayes 
is back with us today for the first time, and I know that all of my 
colleagues will want to join with me saying how pleased we are to have 
him back and that he has recovered from a little bump that he had 
awhile back, and we are delighted that he is with us today.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz), the sponsor and the author of this 
legislation.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Saxton), my good friend the chairman of the subcommittee, 
and the ranking member of the committee for their leadership, for being 
able to pass this in the subcommittee, bringing it to the full 
committee and onto the floor, and today I rise in support of H.R. 2496, 
the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act. This is a 
noncontroversial program that increases the capacity for schools, 
States and other institutions to conduct wildlife conservation and 
education programs.

                              {time}  1200

  I had the honor of sponsoring the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and 
Design Program Act back in the 103rd Congress when I was a subcommittee 
chairman of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. The purpose 
of the program, then and now, is to provide elementary and secondary 
school students with educational opportunities in the conservation and 
management of migratory birds. The program supplements our schools by 
offering an educational component to conduct conservation programs.
  As economic and population growth continues and increasingly affects 
our environment and natural resources, we have to work harder to find 
ways to preserve both our world and our standard of living.
  Solutions to this challenge, like any challenge, begin with knowledge 
and understanding, and that begins with education. This is why so many 
people have embraced educational methods, such as the Junior Duck Stamp 
Program. This program teaches grade school students appreciation for 
environmental science and habitat conservation, while rewarding their 
hard work and effort with support for continuing education.
  This is a great tool to help educate students who have not had the 
opportunity many of us have had to spend time with nature and to 
develop appreciation of our resources and their management.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to tell my friends that over 
400,000 students are involved in this program; and, again, I would like 
to thank the chairman and the ranking member, and I ask my friends to 
support this bill.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just like to take one moment to congratulate the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) for his great effort in bringing this 
bill to the floor and for making it possible for us to reauthorize this 
program. It is certainly, as I said before, a very worthwhile program, 
and I congratulate the gentleman from Texas for his forethought in 
bringing it to us.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kolbe). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2496, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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