[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 24, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6887-S6892]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. DURBIN:
  S. 1546. A bill to promote minimum State requirements for the 
prevention and treatment of concussions caused by participation in 
school sports, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1546

       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 ``Protecting Student Athletes 
     from Concussions Act of 2013''.

     SEC. 2. MINIMUM STATE REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) Minimum Requirements.--Each State that receives funds 
     under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) and does not meet the requirements 
     described in this section, as of the date of enactment of 
     this Act, shall, not later than the last day of the fifth 
     full fiscal year after the date of enactment of this Act 
     (referred to in this Act as the ``compliance deadline''), 
     enact legislation or issue regulations establishing the 
     following minimum requirements:
       (1) Local educational agency concussion safety and 
     management plan.--Each local educational agency in the State, 
     in consultation with members of the community in which such 
     agency is located, shall develop and implement a standard 
     plan for concussion safety and management that--
       (A) educates students, parents, and school personnel about 
     concussions, through activities such as--
       (i) training school personnel, including coaches, teachers, 
     athletic trainers, related services personnel, and school 
     nurses, on concussion safety and management, including 
     training on the prevention, recognition, and academic 
     consequences of concussions and response to concussions; and
       (ii) using, maintaining, and disseminating to students and 
     parents--

       (I) release forms and other appropriate forms for reporting 
     and record keeping;
       (II) treatment plans; and
       (III) prevention and post-injury observation and monitoring 
     fact sheets about concussion;

       (B) encourages supports, where feasible, for a student 
     recovering from a concussion (regardless of whether or not 
     the concussion occurred during school-sponsored activities, 
     during school hours, on school property, or during an 
     athletic activity), such as--
       (i) guiding the student in resuming participation in 
     athletic activity and academic activities with the help of a 
     multi-disciplinary concussion management team, which may 
     include--

       (I) a health care professional, the parents of such 
     student, a school nurse, relevant related services personnel, 
     and other relevant school personnel; and
       (II) an individual who is assigned by a public school to 
     oversee and manage the recovery of such student; and

       (ii) providing appropriate academic accommodations aimed at 
     progressively reintroducing cognitive demands on the student; 
     and
       (C) encourages the use of best practices designed to 
     ensure, with respect to concussions, the uniformity of safety 
     standards, treatment, and management, such as--
       (i) disseminating information on concussion management 
     safety and management to the public; and
       (ii) applying uniform best practice standards for 
     concussion safety and management to all students enrolled in 
     public schools.
       (2) Posting of information on concussions.--Each public 
     elementary school and each public secondary school shall post 
     on school grounds, in a manner that is visible to students 
     and school personnel, and make publicly available on the 
     school website, information on concussions that--
       (A) is based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence (such as 
     information made available

[[Page S6888]]

     by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention);
       (B) shall include information on--
       (i) the risks posed by sustaining a concussion;
       (ii) the actions a student should take in response to 
     sustaining a concussion, including the notification of school 
     personnel; and
       (iii) the signs and symptoms of a concussion; and
       (C) may include information on--
       (i) the definition of a concussion;
       (ii) the means available to the student to reduce the 
     incidence or recurrence of a concussion; and
       (iii) the effects of a concussion on academic learning and 
     performance.
       (3) Response to concussion.--If an individual designated 
     from among school personnel for purposes of this Act suspects 
     that a student has sustained a concussion (regardless of 
     whether or not the concussion occurred during school-
     sponsored activities, during school hours, on school 
     property, or during an athletic activity)--
       (A) the student shall be--
       (i) immediately removed from participation in a school-
     sponsored athletic activity; and
       (ii) prohibited from returning to participate in a school-
     sponsored athletic activity--

       (I) on the day such student is removed from such 
     participation; and
       (II) until such student submits a written release from a 
     health care professional stating that the student is capable 
     of resuming participation in school-sponsored athletic 
     activities; and

       (B) the designated individual shall report to the parent or 
     guardian of such student--
       (i) any information that the designated school employee is 
     aware of regarding the date, time, and type of the injury 
     suffered by such student (regardless of where, when, or how a 
     concussion may have occurred); and
       (ii) any actions taken to treat such student.
       (4) Return to athletics.--If a student has sustained a 
     concussion (regardless of whether or not the concussion 
     occurred during school-sponsored activities, during school 
     hours, on school property, or during an athletic activity), 
     before such student resumes participation in school-sponsored 
     athletic activities, the school shall receive a written 
     release from a health care professional, that--
       (A) states that the student is capable of resuming 
     participation in such activities; and
       (B) may require the student to follow a plan designed to 
     aid the student in recovering and resuming participation in 
     such activities in a manner that--
       (i) is coordinated, as appropriate, with periods of 
     cognitive and physical rest while symptoms of a concussion 
     persist; and
       (ii) reintroduces cognitive and physical demands on such 
     student on a progressive basis only as such increases in 
     exertion do not cause the reemergence or worsening of 
     symptoms of a concussion.
       (b) Noncompliance.--
       (1) First year.--If a State described in subsection (a) 
     fails to comply with subsection (a) by the compliance 
     deadline, the Secretary of Education shall reduce by 5 
     percent the amount of funds the State receives under the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     6301 et seq.) for the first fiscal year following the 
     compliance deadline.
       (2) Succeeding years.--If the State fails to so comply by 
     the last day of any fiscal year following the compliance 
     deadline, the Secretary of Education shall reduce by 10 
     percent the amount of funds the State receives under that Act 
     for the following fiscal year.
       (3) Notification of noncompliance.--Prior to reducing any 
     funds that a State receives under the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) in 
     accordance with this subsection, the Secretary of Education 
     shall provide a written notification of the intended 
     reduction of funds to the State and to the appropriate 
     committees of Congress.

     SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

       Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect civil or 
     criminal liability under Federal or State law.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Concussion.--The term ``concussion'' means a type of 
     mild traumatic brain injury that--
       (A) is caused by a blow, jolt, or motion to the head or 
     body that causes the brain to move rapidly in the skull;
       (B) disrupts normal brain functioning and alters the mental 
     state of the individual, causing the individual to 
     experience--
       (i) any period of observed or self-reported--

       (I) transient confusion, disorientation, or impaired 
     consciousness;
       (II) dysfunction of memory around the time of injury; or
       (III) loss of consciousness lasting less than 30 minutes; 
     or

       (ii) any 1 of 4 types of symptoms, including--

       (I) physical symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, or 
     dizziness;
       (II) cognitive symptoms, such as memory disturbance or 
     slowed thinking;
       (III) emotional symptoms, such as irritability or sadness; 
     or
       (IV) difficulty sleeping; and

       (C) can occur--
       (i) with or without the loss of consciousness; and
       (ii) during participation in any organized sport or 
     recreational activity.
       (2) Health care professional.--The term ``health care 
     professional''--
       (A) means an individual who has been trained in diagnosis 
     and management of traumatic brain injury in a pediatric 
     population; and
       (B) includes a physician (M.D. or D.O.) or certified 
     athletic trainer who is registered, licensed, certified, or 
     otherwise statutorily recognized by the State to provide such 
     diagnosis and management.
       (3) Local educational agency; state.--The terms ``local 
     educational agency'' and ``State'' have the meanings given 
     such terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
       (4) Related services personnel.--The term ``related 
     services personnel'' means individuals who provide related 
     services, as defined under section 602 of the Individuals 
     with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401).
       (5) School-sponsored athletic activity.--The term ``school-
     sponsored athletic activity'' means--
       (A) any physical education class or program of a school;
       (B) any athletic activity authorized during the school day 
     on school grounds that is not an instructional activity;
       (C) any extra-curricular sports team, club, or league 
     organized by a school on or off school grounds; and
       (D) any recess activity.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. 
        Feinstein, and Mr. Whitehouse):
  S. 1548. A bill to authorize the President to provide assistance to 
the Governments of Haiti and Armenia to reverse the effects of 
deforestation and restore within 20 years the extent of forest levels 
in Haiti and Armenia in existence during the year 1990, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1548

       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 ``Haiti and Armenia 
     Reforestation Act of 2013''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the established policy of the Federal Government is to 
     support and seek protection of forests around the world that 
     provide a wide range of benefits by--
       (A) harboring a major portion of the biological and 
     terrestrial resources of Earth and providing habitats for 
     almost \2/3\ of all species on Earth, including species 
     essential to medical research and agricultural productivity;
       (B) contributing to the livelihood of over 1,600,000,000 
     people through access to food, fresh water, clothing, 
     traditional medicines, and shelter;
       (C) ensuring environmental functions such as biodiversity, 
     water conservation, soil enrichment, water supply management, 
     and climate regulation; and
       (D) storing carbon, where deforestation accounts for up to 
     20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that 
     contribute to global warming;
       (2) while forests cover a little less than \1/3\ of the 
     land area on our planet, approximately 76 percent of the 
     planet's original primary forests have been destroyed or 
     degraded;
       (3) in 1923, over 60 percent of the land of Haiti was 
     forested but, by 2006, that percentage had decreased to 
     approximately less than 2 percent as a result of--
       (A) an acceleration in the rate of deforestation in Haiti 
     by more than 20 percent during the period beginning in 2000 
     and ending in 2005 compared to the period beginning in 1990 
     and ending in 1999; and
       (B) a loss of nearly 10 percent (approximately 11,000 
     hectares) of the forest cover and approximately 22 percent of 
     the total forest and woodland habitat of Haiti;
       (4) while archeological data indicated that approximately 
     35 percent of Armenia was originally forested, less than 12 
     percent of Armenia's territory was covered in forest in 1990, 
     which has been reduced to approximately less than 7 percent 
     by 2013 as a result of an energy crisis that crippled the 
     nation in the 1990s and a loss of total of 24.5 percent 
     (nearly 85,000 hectares) of forest cover during the period 
     between 1990 and 2010;
       (5) poverty and economic pressures are--
       (A) two factors that underlie the deforestation of Haiti 
     and Armenia; and
       (B) manifested particularly through the clearing of vast 
     areas of forest for conversion to agricultural uses where \2/
     5\ of the population of Haiti depend on the agricultural 
     sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence 
     farming, and where wood and charcoal produced from cutting 
     down trees accounts for a major supply toward Haiti's and 
     Armenia's energy sectors;
       (6) 80 percent of the population of Haiti lives below the 
     poverty line and 36 percent of the population of Armenia 
     lives below the poverty line;

[[Page S6889]]

       (7) soil erosion represents a significant effect of the 
     deforestation of Haiti and Armenia, as erosion has--
       (A) lowered the productivity on the land due to poor soils 
     underlying the forests;
       (B) worsened the severity of droughts, landslides, and 
     floods;
       (C) led to further deforestation;
       (D) significantly decreased the quality and, as a result, 
     quantity of freshwater and clean drinking water available to 
     populations; and
       (E) increased the pressure on the remaining land and trees 
     in Haiti and Armenia;
       (8) forests provide cover to soften the effect of heavy 
     rains and reduce erosion by anchoring the soil with their 
     roots;
       (9) research conducted by the United Nations Environmental 
     Programme has revealed a direct (89 percent) correlation 
     between the extent of the deforestation of a country and the 
     incidence of victims per weather event in the country;
       (10) both Haiti and Armenia have faced natural disasters in 
     recent years that have been at least partly exacerbated by 
     the effects of deforestation, such as--
       (A) flooding in Armenia that has cost nearly $33,000,000 in 
     damages each year and swept away or damaged thousands of 
     homes, schools, health clinics, and other institutions, 
     partly because of damage to forests through illegal loggings, 
     landslides, and soil erosion;
       (B) hurricanes in Haiti that have killed thousands and 
     displaced hundreds of thousands more, partly because 
     deforestation had resulted in the clearing of large 
     hillsides, which enabled rainwater to run off directly to 
     settlements located at the bottom of slopes; and
       (C) the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which destroyed 
     much of the infrastructure of Port au Prince and had greater 
     consequences because of deforestation, which reduced hillside 
     stability and increased the likelihood of mudslides, soil 
     erosion, and flooding factors, which also negatively impacted 
     the water supply and heightened concerns for the spread of 
     waterborne diseases;
       (11) economic benefits for local communities from 
     sustainable uses of forests are critical for the long-term 
     sustainable management of forests in Haiti and Armenia;
       (12) on July 29, 2010, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 
     2010 (Public Law 111-212) was enacted into law, which 
     included $25,000,000 for ``the reforestation and other 
     restoration of Haiti's key watersheds''; and
       (13) reforestation efforts would provide new sources of 
     jobs, income, and investments in both Haiti and Armenia by--
       (A) providing employment opportunities in tree seedling 
     programs, contract tree planting and management, sustainable 
     agricultural initiatives, sustainable and managed timber 
     harvesting, and wood products milling and finishing services; 
     and
       (B) enhancing community enterprises that generate income 
     through the trading of sustainable forest resources, many of 
     which exist on small scales.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide 
     assistance to the Government of Haiti and the Government of 
     Armenia to develop and implement, or improve, nationally 
     appropriate policies and actions--
       (1) to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and 
     improve forest management and natural regeneration;
       (2) to increase annual rates of afforestation and 
     reforestation in a sustainable, measurable, reportable, and 
     verifiable manner--
       (A) to restore social and economic conditions for 
     environmental recovery of--
       (i) 35 percent of Haiti's and Armenia's land surface areas 
     within 7 years after the date of the enactment of this Act; 
     and
       (ii) the forest cover of Haiti and Armenia to at least 7 
     percent in Haiti and at least 12 percent in Armenia (about 
     each country's respective levels in 1990) within 20 years 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
       (3) to improve sustainable resource management at the 
     watershed scale.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Afforestation.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``afforestation'' means the 
     establishment of a new forest through the seeding of, or 
     planting of trees on, a parcel of nonforested land.
       (B) Inclusion.--The term ``afforestation'' includes--
       (i) the introduction of a tree species to a parcel of 
     nonforested land of which the species is not a native 
     species; and
       (ii) the increase of tree cover through plantations.
       (2) Agroforestry.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``agroforestry'' refers to 
     systems in which perennial trees or shrubs are integrated 
     with crops or livestock, and where perennials constitute a 
     minimum 10 percent of ground cover.
       (B) Inclusion.--Actual forest cover resulting from 
     agroforestry programs can be counted toward the total forest 
     cover goal set forth in section (2)(b).
       (3) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
       (4) Deforestation.--The term ``deforestation'' refers to 
     the conversion of forest to another land use or the long term 
     reduction of the tree canopy.
       (5) Forest.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``forest'' means a terrestrial 
     ecosystem containing native tree species generated and 
     maintained primarily through natural ecological and 
     evolutionary processes.
       (B) Exclusion.--The term ``forest'' does not include 
     plantations, such as crops of trees planted primarily by 
     humans for the purposes of harvesting.
       (6) Reforestation.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``reforestation'' refers to the 
     establishment of forest on lands that were previously 
     considered as forest, but which have been deforested.
       (B) Inclusion of plantations.--The term ``reforestation'' 
     includes the increase of tree cover through plantations.

    TITLE I--FORESTATION AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE TO THE 
           GOVERNMENT OF HAITI AND THE GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA

     SEC. 101. FORESTATION ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Authority.--
       (1) In general.--In accordance with section 118 of the 
     Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151p) and 
     consistent with the provisions of paragraph (2), the 
     President is authorized to provide assistance to the 
     Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia in the form 
     of financial assistance, technology transfers, or capacity 
     building assistance for the conduct of activities to develop 
     and implement one or more forestation proposals under 
     paragraph (2)--
       (A) to reduce the deforestation of Haiti and Armenia; and
       (B) to increase the rates of afforestation and 
     reforestation in Haiti and Armenia.
       (2) Proposals.--
       (A) In general.--Assistance under this title may be 
     provided to the Government of Haiti and the Government of 
     Armenia to implement 1 or more proposals that contain--
       (i) a description of each policy and initiative to be 
     carried out using the assistance;
       (ii) adequate documentation to ensure, as determined by the 
     President, that--

       (I) each policy and initiative will be--

       (aa) carried out and managed in accordance with widely 
     accepted environmentally sustainable forestry and 
     agricultural practices; and
       (bb) designed and implemented in a manner by which to 
     improve the governance of forests by building governmental 
     capacity to be more transparent, inclusive, accountable, and 
     coordinated in decision-making processes and the 
     implementation of the policy or initiative; and

       (II) the proposals will further establish and enforce legal 
     regimes, standards, and safeguards designed to ensure that 
     members of local communities in affected areas, as partners 
     and primary stakeholders, will be engaged in the design, 
     planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the 
     policies and initiatives; and

       (iii) a description of how the proposal or proposals 
     support and aid forest restoration efforts consistent with 
     the purpose set forth in section 2(b).
       (B) Determination of compatibility with certain programs.--
     In evaluating each proposal under subparagraph (A), the 
     President shall ensure that each policy and initiative 
     described in the proposal submitted by the Government of 
     Haiti or the Government of Armenia under that subparagraph is 
     compatible with--
       (i) broader development, poverty alleviation, sustainable 
     energy usage, and natural resource conservation objectives 
     and initiatives in Haiti or Armenia;
       (ii) the development, poverty alleviation, disaster risk 
     management, and climate resilience programs of the United 
     States Agency for International Development, including those 
     involving technical support from the United States Forest 
     Service; and
       (iii) activities of international organizations and 
     multilateral development banks.
       (b) Eligible Activities.--Any assistance received by the 
     Government of Haiti or the Government of Armenia under 
     subsection (a)(1) shall be conditional upon development and 
     implementation of a proposal under subsection (a)(2), which 
     may include--
       (1) the provision of technologies and associated support 
     for activities to reduce deforestation or increase 
     afforestation and reforestation rates, including--
       (A) fire reduction initiatives;
       (B) forest law enforcement initiatives;
       (C) the development of timber tracking systems;
       (D) the development of cooking fuel substitutes;
       (E) initiatives to increase agricultural productivity;
       (F) tree-planting initiatives; and
       (G) programs that are designed to focus on market-based 
     solutions, including programs that leverage the international 
     carbon-offset market;
       (2) the enhancement and expansion of governmental and 
     nongovernmental institutional capacity to effectively design 
     and implement a proposal developed under subsection (a)(2) 
     through initiatives, including--
       (A) the establishment of transparent, accountable, and 
     inclusive decisionmaking processes relating to all 
     stakeholders (including affected local communities);
       (B) the promotion of enhanced coordination among ministries 
     and agencies responsible for agro-ecological zoning, mapping, 
     land planning and permitting, sustainable agriculture, 
     forestry, mining, and law enforcement; and

[[Page S6890]]

       (C) the clarification of land tenure and resource rights of 
     affected communities, including local communities;
       (3) the development and support of institutional capacity 
     to measure, verify, and report the activities carried out by 
     the Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia to 
     reduce deforestation and increase afforestation and 
     reforestation rates through the use of appropriate methods, 
     including--
       (A) the use of best practices and technologies to monitor 
     land use change in Haiti and Armenia, as well as changes in 
     the extent of natural forest cover, protected areas, 
     mangroves, agroforestry, and agriculture;
       (B) the monitoring of the impacts of policies and 
     initiatives on--
       (i) affected communities;
       (ii) the biodiversity of the environment of Haiti and 
     Armenia; and
       (iii) the health of the forests of Haiti and Armenia; and
       (C) independent and participatory forest monitoring; and
       (4) the development of and coordination with watershed 
     restoration programs in Haiti and Armenia, including--
       (A) agreements with the Government of Haiti and the 
     Government of Armenia, nongovernmental organizations, or 
     private sector partners to provide technical assistance, 
     capacity building, or technology transfers which support the 
     environmental recovery of Haiti's and Armenia's watersheds 
     through forest restoration activities, provided that the 
     assistance will help strengthen economic drivers of 
     sustainable resource inventory mapping and management, reduce 
     environmental vulnerability, and improve governance, 
     planning, and community action of watersheds in Haiti and 
     Armenia;
       (B) actions to support economic incentives for sustainable 
     resource management, including enhanced incentives for the 
     replacement of annual hillside cropping with perennial and 
     non-erosive production systems;
       (C) enhanced extension services supporting the sustainable 
     intensification of agriculture to increase farmer incomes and 
     reduce pressure on degraded land; and
       (D) investments in watershed infrastructure to reduce 
     environmental vulnerability, including the establishment of 
     appropriate erosion control measures through reforestation 
     activities in targeted watersheds or sub-watersheds.
       (c) Development of Performance Metrics.--
       (1) In general.--If the President provides assistance under 
     subsection (a)(1), the President, in cooperation with the 
     Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia, shall 
     develop appropriate performance metrics to measure, verify, 
     and report--
       (A) the conduct of each policy and initiative to be carried 
     out by the Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia;
       (B) the results of each policy and initiative with respect 
     to the forests of Haiti and Armenia; and
       (C) impacts of reforestation policies and initiatives on 
     the local communities of Haiti and Armenia.
       (2) Requirements.--Performance metrics developed under 
     paragraph (1) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, 
     include short-term and long-term metrics to evaluate the 
     implementation of each policy and initiative contained in 
     each proposal developed under subsection (a)(2).
       (d) Reports.--
       (1) Initial report.--Not later than 18 months after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit 
     to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that 
     describes the actions that the President has taken, and plans 
     to take--
       (A) to engage with the Government of Haiti and the 
     Government of Armenia, nongovernmental stakeholders, civil 
     society, and public and private nonprofit organizations to 
     implement this section; and
       (B) to enter into agreements with the Government of Haiti 
     and the Government of Armenia under subsection (a)(1).
       (2) Biennial reports.--Not later than 2 years after the 
     date on which the President first provides assistance to the 
     Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia under 
     subsection (a)(1), and biennially thereafter, the President 
     shall submit to Congress a report that describes the progress 
     of the Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia in 
     implementing each policy and initiative contained in the 
     proposal submitted under subsection (a)(2).
       (e) Additional Assistance.--The President is authorized to 
     provide financial and other assistance to the Government of 
     Haiti and the Government of Armenia, local government bodies, 
     or nongovernmental organizations for the purpose of--
       (1) providing local communities information relating to 
     each policy and initiative to be carried out by the 
     Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia through 
     funds made available under subsection (a)(1);
       (2) promoting effective participation by local communities 
     in the design, implementation, and independent monitoring of 
     each policy and initiative; and
       (3) promoting, consistent with supporting the 
     sustainability of forestation activities, enhanced watershed 
     governance, national planning, and community action programs 
     that lead to increased--
       (A) development of a national watershed management policy 
     for Haiti and Armenia with the appropriate government 
     ministries and agencies;
       (B) establishment of an effective forum for donor 
     coordination related to management and reforestation in Haiti 
     and Armenia;
       (C) support for the National Center for Geospatial 
     Information (CNIGS) and the United States Forest Service to 
     provide technology, data, and monitoring support for improved 
     watershed and forest resource management at a national scale 
     in Haiti and Armenia; and
       (D) development of effective governance structures in Haiti 
     and Armenia for stakeholder engagement, coordination of 
     approaches, and land use planning and disaster mitigation at 
     the watershed scale; and
       (4) meeting the goals of this Act, which, if findings 
     indicate are not appropriately and efficiently being met, may 
     cause the President to terminate direct funding to either the 
     Government of Haiti or the Government of Armenia.
       (f) Minimum Country Reforestation Fund Percentage.--Not 
     less than 85 percent of amounts provided for programs under 
     this section shall be spent on actual reforestation 
     activities in Haiti and Armenia, which may include the 
     protection of reforested areas.
       (g) Termination of Program.--The authority under this 
     section shall terminate 7 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, unless the President certifies to the 
     appropriate congressional committees that effective and 
     sustainable programs are in place through the Government of 
     Haiti or Government of Armenia or local governments in Haiti 
     or Armenia, in potential partnership with international 
     donors, nongovernmental organizations, or civil society 
     groups, to protect and manage areas reforested pursuant to 
     this Act, and that additional time is necessary to further 
     the overarching goals of the Act. Upon making such 
     certification, the authority may be extended for a total of 
     two additional 7-year terms.

                   TITLE II--GRANTS FOR REFORESTATION

     SEC. 201. REFORESTATION GRANT PROGRAM.

       (a) Establishment.--The President is authorized to 
     establish a grant program to carry out the purposes of this 
     Act, including reversing deforestation and improving 
     reforestation and afforestation in Haiti and Armenia.
       (b) Grants Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--The President is authorized to award 
     grants and contracts to carry out projects that, in the 
     aggregate, reverse deforestation and improve reforestation 
     and afforestation.
       (2) Maximum amount.--
       (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 
     the President may not award a grant under this section in an 
     amount greater than $500,000 per year.
       (B) Exception.--The President may award a grant under this 
     section in an amount greater than $500,000 per year if the 
     President determines that the recipient of the grant has 
     demonstrated success with respect to a project that was the 
     subject of a grant under this section.
       (3) Duration.--The President shall award grants under this 
     section for a period not to exceed 3 years.
       (c) Use of Funds.--
       (1) In general.--Grants awarded pursuant to subsection (b) 
     may be used for activities such as--
       (A) providing a financial incentive to protect forests;
       (B) providing hands-on management and oversight of 
     replanting efforts;
       (C) focusing on sustainable income-generating growth;
       (D) providing seed money to start cooperative reforestation 
     and afforestation efforts and providing subsequent 
     conditional funding for such efforts contingent upon required 
     tree care and maintenance activities;
       (E) promoting widespread use of improved cooking stove 
     technologies, to the extent that this does not result in the 
     harvesting of forest growth and other renewable fuel 
     technologies that reduce deforestation and improve human 
     health; and
       (F) securing the involvement and commitment of local 
     communities--
       (i) to protect forests in existence as of the date of 
     enactment of this Act; and
       (ii) to partner in and carry out afforestation and 
     reforestation activities.
       (2) Local community participation.--Activities to secure 
     the participation of local communities under paragraph (1)(F) 
     should include one or more of the following activities:
       (A) Creation of local jobs around protecting and managing 
     reforested areas.
       (B) Collaboration to analyze biodiversity and ecosystem 
     services integral to business decisions.
       (C) Cooperative conservation programs such as working with 
     local water sources to ensure clean water through improved 
     forestland and watershed or with food suppliers to ensure 
     sustainable agroforestry products.
       (3) Consistency with proposals.--To the maximum extent 
     practicable, a project carried out using grant funds shall 
     support and be consistent with the proposal developed under 
     section 101(a)(2) that is the subject of the project.
       (d) Application.--
       (1) In general.--To be eligible for a grant under this 
     section, an entity shall prepare and submit an application at 
     such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
     the President may reasonably require.
       (2) Content.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) should be consistent

[[Page S6891]]

     with the findings and recommendations of either the 2007 
     United States Agency for International Development report 
     entitled, ``Environmental Vulnerability in Haiti: Findings 
     and Recommendations'' for Haiti or the 2009 United States 
     Agency for International Development report entitled 
     ``Biodiversity Analysis Update for Armenia Final Report: 
     Prosperity, Livelihoods and Conserving Ecosystems (PLACE) IQC 
     Task Order #4'' for Armenia, and shall include--
       (A) a description of the objectives to be attained;
       (B) a description of the manner in which the grant funds 
     will be used;
       (C) a plan for evaluating the success of the project based 
     on verifiable evidence; and
       (D) to the extent that the applicant intends to use 
     nonnative species in afforestation efforts, an explanation of 
     the benefit of the use of nonnative species over native 
     species and verification that the species to be used are not 
     invasive.
       (3) Preference for certain projects.--In awarding grants 
     under this section, preference shall be given to applicants 
     that propose--
       (A) to develop market-based solutions to the difficulty of 
     reforestation in Haiti and Armenia, including the use of 
     conditional cash transfers and similar financial incentives 
     to protect reforestation efforts;
       (B) to partner with local communities and cooperatives; and
       (C) to focus on efforts that build local capacity to 
     sustain growth after the completion of the underlying grant 
     project.
       (e) Dissemination of Information.--The President shall 
     collect and widely disseminate information about the 
     effectiveness of the demonstration projects assisted under 
     this section.

     SEC. 202. FOREST PROTECTION PROGRAMS.

       Chapter 7 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
     (22 U.S.C. 2281 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
     section 466 the following new sections:

     ``SEC. 467. PILOT PROGRAM FOR HAITI.

       ``(a) Submission of List of Areas of Severely Degraded 
     Natural Resources.--The President, in cooperation with 
     nongovernmental conservation organizations, shall invite the 
     Government of Haiti to submit a list of areas within the 
     territory of Haiti in which forests are seriously degraded or 
     threatened.
       ``(b) Review of List.--The President shall assess the lists 
     submitted by the Government of Haiti under subsection (a) and 
     shall seek to reach agreement with the Government of Haiti 
     for the restoration and future sustainable use of those 
     areas.
       ``(c) Grant Program.--
       ``(1) Grants authorized.--The President is authorized to 
     make grants on such terms and conditions as may be necessary 
     to nongovernmental organizations for the purchase on the open 
     market of discounted debt of the Government of Haiti, if a 
     market is determined to be viable, in exchange for 
     commitments by the Government of Haiti to restore forests 
     identified by the Government under subsection (a) or for 
     commitments to develop plans for sustainable use of such 
     forests.
       ``(2) Management of protected areas.--Each recipient of a 
     grant under this subsection shall participate in the ongoing 
     management of the area or areas protected pursuant to such 
     grant.
       ``(3) Matching of grant funds.--Any United States funding 
     provided to a nongovernmental organization for grant 
     activities under this section shall be matched by an equal or 
     greater amount of funding from the nongovernmental 
     organization, which may include funding provided by other 
     international donors, nongovernmental organizations, 
     philanthropic bodies, corporations or other private entities, 
     institutions of higher learning, or other non-United States 
     Government sources.
       ``(4) Minimum country reforestation fund percentage.--Not 
     less than 85 percent of grant funds provided under this 
     section shall be spent on actual reforestation activities in 
     Haiti, which may include the protection of reforested areas.
       ``(5) Retention of proceeds.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, a grantee (or any subgrantee) of the grants 
     referred to in section (a) may retain, without deposit in the 
     Treasury of the United States and without further 
     appropriation by Congress, interest earned on the proceeds of 
     any resulting debt-for-nature exchange pending the 
     disbursements of such proceeds and interest for approved 
     program purposes, which may include the establishment of an 
     endowment, the income of which is used for such purposes.
       ``(6) Termination of program.--The authority to make grants 
     under the pilot program shall terminate five years after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act. The authority may be 
     renewed for one additional five-year period during the 20-
     year reforestation period targeted by this Act if the 
     President determines and certifies to Congress that the pilot 
     program is effective in meeting the goals of the Act and the 
     commitment of the Government of Haiti to returning land in 
     Haiti to long-term sustainable forests. The cumulative 
     duration of the pilot program may not exceed ten total 
     years.''.

     ``SEC. 468. PILOT PROGRAM FOR ARMENIA.

       ``(a) Submission of List of Areas of Severely Degraded 
     Natural Resources.--The President, in cooperation with 
     nongovernmental conservation organizations, shall invite the 
     Government of Armenia to submit a list of areas within the 
     territory of Armenia in which forests are seriously degraded 
     or threatened.
       ``(b) Review of List.--The President shall assess the lists 
     submitted by the Government of Armenia under subsection (a) 
     and shall seek to reach agreement with the Government of 
     Armenia for the restoration and future sustainable use of 
     those areas.
       ``(c) Debt Forgiveness Agreement.--
       ``(1) Debt forgiveness.--The President is authorized to 
     forgive debt owed to the United States by the Government of 
     Armenia in exchange for commitments by the Government of 
     Armenia to restore forests identified by the Government under 
     subsection (a) or for commitments to develop plans for 
     sustainable use of such forests.
       ``(2) Management of protected areas.--The Government of 
     Armenia shall participate in the ongoing management of the 
     area or areas protected pursuant to such debt relief.
       ``(3) Minimum country reforestation fund percentage.--Not 
     less than 85 percent of funds that qualify under a debt 
     relief agreement under this section shall be spent on actual 
     reforestation activities in Armenia, which may include the 
     protection of reforested areas.
       ``(4) Termination of program.--The authority to offer debt 
     relief under the pilot program shall terminate five years 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act. The authority 
     may be renewed for 1 additional 5-year period during the 20-
     year reforestation period targeted by this Act if the 
     President determines and certifies to Congress that the pilot 
     program is effective in meeting the goals of the Act and the 
     commitment of the Government of Armenia to returning land in 
     Armenia to long-term sustainable forests. The cumulative 
     duration of the pilot program may not exceed ten total 
     years.''.

                  TITLE III--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION

     SEC. 301. DELEGATION.

       The President (or the Administrator of the United States 
     Agency for International Development or the Secretary of 
     State as the President's delegee) may draw, as appropriate, 
     on the expertise of the United States Forest Service in 
     designing and implementing programs pursuant to this Act 
     relating to reforestation, watershed restoration, and 
     monitoring of land use change.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Ms. Klobuchar):
  S. 1549. A bill to amend chapter 87 of title 18, United States Code, 
to end the terrorizing effects of the sale of muderabilia on crime 
victims and their families; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1549

       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 ``Stop the Sale of 
     Murderabilia Act of 2013''.

     SEC. 2. RESTRICTIONS ON THE MAILING AND DELIVERY PRIVILEGES 
                   OF STATE AND FEDERAL PRISONERS FOR COMMERCIAL 
                   PURPOSES.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 87 of title 18, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 1794. Restrictions on the mailing and delivery 
       privileges of State and Federal prisoners for commercial 
       purposes

       ``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (d), an 
     inmate of a prison convicted of a crime of violence who 
     knowingly deposits for mailing or delivery, or knowingly 
     causes to be delivered by mail, any property, article, or 
     object, with intent that the property, article, or object be 
     placed in interstate or foreign commerce, shall be fined 
     under this title and imprisoned not less than 6 months and 
     not more than 10 years. Any term of imprisonment imposed 
     under this subsection shall run consecutive to any other term 
     of imprisonment.
       ``(b) Period of Limitations.--An indictment for any offense 
     punishable under this section may be found at any time 
     without limitation.
       ``(c) Guidelines.--The Director of the Bureau of Prisons 
     and the head of the department of corrections, or other 
     similar agency, for any State may promulgate uniform 
     guidelines to restrict the privileges of any inmate of a 
     prison that violates this section.
       ``(d) Exception.--An inmate of a prison may mail or deliver 
     or cause to be delivered by mail title to real property, 
     title to motor vehicles, or a security if--
       ``(1) the mailing or delivery is to satisfy debt that is--
       ``(A) imposed by law or a court order, including--
       ``(i) support obligations;
       ``(ii) property taxes;
       ``(iii) income taxes;
       ``(iv) back taxes;
       ``(v) a legal judgment, fine, or restitution;
       ``(vi) fees to cover the cost of incarceration, including 
     fees for health care while incarcerated imposed under section 
     4048; and

[[Page S6892]]

       ``(vii) other financial obligations mandated by law or a 
     court order; or
       ``(B) incurred through a contract for--
       ``(i) legal services;
       ``(ii) a mortgage on the primary residence of the immediate 
     family of the inmate;
       ``(iii) the education or medical care of the inmate or a 
     member of the immediate family of the inmate; or
       ``(iv) life, health, home, or car insurance; or
       ``(2) the consent of the inmate is required by law to 
     transfer title for real property, a motor vehicle, or 
     security, where a person who is not incarcerated in a prison 
     is the owner or a co-owner of that real property, motor 
     vehicle, or security.
       ``(e) Definitions.--In this section--
       ``(1) the term `prison'--
       ``(A) means a Federal or State correctional, detention, or 
     penal facility or any prison, institution, or facility in 
     which persons are held in custody by direction of, or 
     pursuant to a contract or agreement with, the Attorney 
     General of the United States or a State; and
       ``(B) does not include a halfway house or location where an 
     individual is under home confinement;
       ``(2) the term `security' means--
       ``(A) a note, stock certificate, treasury stock 
     certificate, bond, treasury bond, debenture, certificate of 
     deposit, interest coupon, bill, check, draft, warrant, debit 
     instrument (as that term is defined in section 916(c) of the 
     Electronic Fund Transfer Act (15 U.S.C. 1693n(c))), money 
     order, traveler's check, letter of credit, warehouse receipt, 
     negotiable bill of lading, evidence of indebtedness, 
     certificate of interest in or participation in a profit-
     sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre-
     reorganization certificate of subscription, transferable 
     share, investment contract, or voting trust certificate;
       ``(B) a certificate of interest in, certificate of 
     participation in, certificate for, receipt for, or warrant or 
     option or other right to subscribe to or purchase any item 
     described in subparagraph (A); or
       ``(C) a blank form of any item described in subparagraph 
     (A) or (B); and
       ``(3) the terms `State' and `support obligation' have the 
     meanings given those terms in section 228.''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of 
     sections for chapter 87 of title 18, United States Code, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:

``1794. Restrictions on the mailing and delivery privileges of State 
              and Federal prisoners for commercial purposes.''.

     SEC. 3. CRIMINAL FORFEITURE.

       Section 982(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(9) The court, in sentencing a defendant convicted of an 
     offense under section 1794, or of a conspiracy to commit such 
     an offense, shall order that the defendant forfeit to the 
     United States any real or personal property--
       ``(A) used or intended to be used to commit, facilitate, or 
     promote the commission of such offense; and
       ``(B) constituting, derived from, or traceable to the gross 
     proceeds that the defendant obtained directly or indirectly 
     as a result of the offense.''.

     SEC. 4. CIVIL FORFEITURE.

       Any property subject to forfeiture under section 982(a)(9) 
     of title 18, United States Code, as added by this Act, may be 
     forfeited to the United States in a civil action in 
     accordance with the procedures set forth in chapter 46 of 
     title 18, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. CIVIL REMEDIES.

       (a) In General.--Any person aggrieved by reason of conduct 
     prohibited under section 1794 of title 18, United States 
     Code, as added by this Act, may bring a civil action in an 
     appropriate United States district court for the relief 
     described in subsection (b).
       (b) Relief.--In any civil action brought under subsection 
     (a), the court may award appropriate relief, including--
       (1) temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctive relief;
       (2) compensatory and punitive damages; and
       (3) the costs of the civil action and reasonable fees for 
     attorneys and expert witnesses.

                          ____________________