[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 164 (Sunday, December 18, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H12216-H12217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       PUBLIC LANDS CORPS HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT OF 2005

  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 1238) to amend the Public Lands 
Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct of projects that protect 
forests, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to object.
  I have a question for the gentleman. Does this deal with harvesting 
of trees of old growth forests in national parks?
  Mr. POMBO. No, it does not.
  Mr. KUCINICH. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                S. 1238

       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 ``Public Lands Corps Healthy 
     Forests Restoration Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC LANDS CORPS ACT OF 1993.

       (a) Definitions.--Section 203 of the Public Lands Corps Act 
     of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1722) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), (10), and (11) as 
     paragraphs (9), (10), (11), and (13), respectively;
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
       ``(8) Priority project.--The term `priority project' means 
     an appropriate conservation project conducted on eligible 
     service lands to further 1 or more of the purposes of the 
     Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et 
     seq.), as follows:
       ``(A) To reduce wildfire risk to a community, municipal 
     water supply, or other at-risk Federal land.
       ``(B) To protect a watershed or address a threat to forest 
     and rangeland health, including catastrophic wildfire.
       ``(C) To address the impact of insect or disease 
     infestations or other damaging agents on forest and rangeland 
     health.
       ``(D) To protect, restore, or enhance forest ecosystem 
     components to--
       ``(i) promote the recovery of threatened or endangered 
     species;
       ``(ii) improve biological diversity; or
       ``(iii) enhance productivity and carbon sequestration.''; 
     and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (11) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (1)) the following:
       ``(12) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means--
       ``(A) with respect to National Forest System land, the 
     Secretary of Agriculture; and
       ``(B) with respect to Indian lands, Hawaiian home lands, or 
     land administered by the Department of the Interior, the 
     Secretary of the Interior.''.
       (b) Qualified Youth or Conservation Corps.--Section 204(c) 
     of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1723(c)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``The Secretary of the Interior and the 
     Secretary of Agriculture are'' and inserting the following:
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary is''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Preference.--
       ``(A) In general.--For purposes of entering into contracts 
     and cooperative agreements under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     may give preference to qualified youth or conservation corps 
     located in a specific area that have a substantial portion of 
     members who are economically, physically, or educationally 
     disadvantaged to carry out projects within the area.
       ``(B) Priority projects.--In carrying out priority projects 
     in a specific area, the Secretary shall, to the maximum 
     extent practicable, give preference to qualified youth or 
     conservation corps located in that specific area that have a 
     substantial portion of members who are economically, 
     physically, or educationally disadvantaged.''.
       (c) Conservation Projects.--Section 204(d) of the Public 
     Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1723(d)) is amended--
       (1) in the first sentence--
       (A) by striking ``The Secretary of the Interior and the 
     Secretary of Agriculture may each'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may''; and

[[Page H12217]]

       (B) by striking ``such Secretary'' and inserting ``the 
     Secretary'';
       (2) in the second sentence, by striking ``Appropriate 
     conservation'' and inserting the following:
       ``(2) Projects on indian lands.--Appropriate 
     conservation''; and
       (3) by striking the third sentence and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(3) Disaster prevention or relief projects.--The 
     Secretary may authorize appropriate conservation projects and 
     other appropriate projects to be carried out on Federal, 
     State, local, or private land as part of a Federal disaster 
     prevention or relief effort.''.
       (d) Conservation Centers and Program Support.--Section 205 
     of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1724) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking the heading and inserting the following:

     ``SEC. 205. CONSERVATION CENTERS AND PROGRAM SUPPORT.'';

       (2) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
       ``(a) Establishment and Use.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may establish and use 
     conservation centers owned and operated by the Secretary 
     for--
       ``(A) use by the Public Lands Corps; and
       ``(B) the conduct of appropriate conservation projects 
     under this title.
       ``(2) Assistance for conservation centers.--The Secretary 
     may provide to a conservation center established under 
     paragraph (1) any services, facilities, equipment, and 
     supplies that the Secretary determines to be necessary for 
     the conservation center.
       ``(3) Standards for conservation centers.--The Secretary 
     shall--
       ``(A) establish basic standards of health, nutrition, 
     sanitation, and safety for all conservation centers 
     established under paragraph (1); and
       ``(B) ensure that the standards established under 
     subparagraph (A) are enforced.
       ``(4) Management.--As the Secretary determines to be 
     appropriate, the Secretary may enter into a contract or other 
     appropriate arrangement with a State or local government 
     agency or private organization to provide for the management 
     of a conservation center.''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Assistance.--The Secretary may provide any services, 
     facilities, equipment, supplies, technical assistance, 
     oversight, monitoring, or evaluations that are appropriate to 
     carry out this title.''.
       (e) Living Allowances and Terms of Service.--Section 207 of 
     the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1726) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
       ``(a) Living Allowances.--The Secretary shall provide each 
     participant in the Public Lands Corps and each resource 
     assistant with a living allowance in an amount established by 
     the Secretary.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Hiring.--The Secretary may--
       ``(1) grant to a member of the Public Lands Corps credit 
     for time served with the Public Lands Corps, which may be 
     used toward future Federal hiring; and
       ``(2) provide to a former member of the Public Lands Corps 
     noncompetitive hiring status for a period of not more than 
     120 days after the date on which the member's service with 
     the Public Lands Corps is complete.''.
       (f) Funding.--The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is 
     amended--
       (1) in section 210 (16 U.S.C. 1729), by adding at the end 
     the following:
       ``(c) Other Funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
     authorization of appropriations under section 211 are in 
     addition to amounts allocated to the Public Lands Corps 
     through other Federal programs or projects.''; and
       (2) by inserting after section 210 the following:

     ``SEC. 211. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out this title $12,000,000 for each fiscal year, of 
     which $8,000,000 is authorized to carry out priority projects 
     and $4,000,000 of which is authorized to carry out other 
     appropriate conservation projects.
       ``(b) Disaster Relief or Prevention Projects.--
     Notwithstanding subsection (a), any amounts made available 
     under that subsection shall be available for disaster 
     prevention or relief projects.
       ``(c) Availability of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, amounts appropriated for any fiscal year to 
     carry out this title shall remain available for obligation 
     and expenditure until the end of the fiscal year following 
     the fiscal year for which the amounts are appropriated.''.
       (g) Conforming Amendments.--The Public Lands Corps Act of 
     1993 is amended--
       (1) in section 204 (16 U.S.C. 1723)--
       (A) in subsection (b)--
       (i) in the first sentence, by striking ``Secretary of the 
     Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture'' and inserting 
     ``Secretary'';
       (ii) in the third sentence, by striking ``Secretaries'' and 
     inserting ``Secretary''; and
       (iii) in the fourth sentence, by striking ``Secretaries'' 
     and inserting ``Secretary''; and
       (B) in subsection (e), by striking ``Secretary of the 
     Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture'' and inserting 
     ``Secretary'';
       (2) in section 205 (16 U.S.C. 1724)--
       (A) in subsection (b), by striking ``Secretary of the 
     Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture'' and inserting 
     ``Secretary''; and
       (B) in subsection (c), by striking ``Secretary of the 
     Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture'' and inserting 
     ``Secretary'';
       (3) in section 206 (16 U.S.C. 1725)--
       (A) in subsection (a)--
       (i) in the first sentence--

       (I) by striking ``Secretary of the Interior and the 
     Secretary of Agriculture are each'' and inserting ``Secretary 
     is''; and
       (II) by striking ``such Secretary'' and inserting ``the 
     Secretary'';

       (ii) in the third sentence, by striking ``Secretaries'' and 
     inserting ``Secretary''; and
       (iii) in the fourth sentence, by striking ``Secretaries'' 
     and inserting ``Secretary''; and
       (B) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by striking 
     ``Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture'' 
     and inserting ``the Secretary''; and
       (4) in section 210 (16 U.S.C. 1729)--
       (A) in subsection (a)--
       (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Secretary of the 
     Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are each'' and 
     inserting ``Secretary is''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Secretary of the 
     Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are each'' and 
     inserting ``Secretary is''; and
       (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``Secretary of the 
     Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture'' and inserting 
     ``Secretary''.

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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