[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 116 (Thursday, July 23, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S5549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2305. Mr. FLAKE (for himself and Mr. Alexander) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 22, to amend 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt employees with health 
coverage under TRICARE or the Veterans Administration from being taken 
into account for purposes of determining the employers to which the 
employer mandate applies under the Patient Protection and Affordable 
Care Act; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. AGREEMENT TO KEEP PUBLIC LAND OPEN DURING A 
                   GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Covered unit.--The term ``covered unit'' means--
       (A) public land;
       (B) units of the National Park System;
       (C) units of the National Wildlife Refuge System; or
       (D) units of the National Forest System.
       (2) Public land.--The term ``public land'' has the meaning 
     given the term ``public lands'' in section 103 of the Federal 
     Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means--
       (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to land 
     under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior; or
       (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to land 
     under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture.
       (b) Authorization of Agreement.--Subject to subsection (c), 
     if a State or political subdivision of the State offers, the 
     Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the State or 
     political subdivision of the State under which the United 
     States may accept funds from the State or political 
     subdivision of the State to reopen, in whole or in part, any 
     covered unit within the State or political subdivision of the 
     State during any period in which there is a lapse in 
     appropriations for the covered unit.
       (c) Applicability.--The authority under subsection (b) 
     shall only be in effect during any period in which the 
     Secretary is unable to operate and manage covered units at 
     normal levels, as determined in accordance with the terms of 
     agreement entered into under subsection (b).
       (d) Refund.--The Secretary shall refund to the State or 
     political subdivision of the State all amounts provided to 
     the United States under an agreement entered into under 
     subsection (b)--
       (1) on the date of enactment of an Act retroactively 
     appropriating amounts sufficient to maintain normal operating 
     levels at the covered unit reopened under an agreement 
     entered into under subsection (b); or
       (2) on the date on which the State or political subdivision 
     establishes, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, 
     that, during the period in which the agreement was in effect, 
     fees for entrance to, or use of, the covered units were 
     collected by the Secretary.
       (e) Voluntary Reimbursement.--If the requirements for a 
     refund under subsection (d) are not met, the Secretary may, 
     subject to the availability of appropriations, reimburse the 
     State and political subdivision of the State for any amounts 
     provided to the United States by the State or political 
     subdivision under an agreement entered into under subsection 
     (b).
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