[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5242-S5243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2972. Mr. BENNET submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:
SEC. 10__. ESTABLISHMENT OF SKI AREA FEE RETENTION ACCOUNT.
(a) In General.--Section 701 of division I of the Omnibus
Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C.
497c) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(k) Ski Area Fee Retention Account.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
[[Page S5243]]
``(A) Account.--The term `Account' means the Ski Area Fee
Retention Account established under paragraph (2).
``(B) Covered unit.--The term `covered unit' means the unit
of the National Forest System that collects the ski area
permit rental charge under this section.
``(C) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
``(2) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall
establish a special account in the Treasury, to be known as
the `Ski Area Fee Retention Account'.
``(3) Deposits.--Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), a ski
area permit rental charge collected by the Secretary under
this section shall--
``(A) be deposited in the Account;
``(B) be available to the Secretary for use, without
further appropriation; and
``(C) remain available for the period of 4 fiscal years
beginning with the first fiscal year after the fiscal year in
which the ski area permit rental charge is deposited in the
Account under subparagraph (A).
``(4) Distribution of amounts in the account.--
``(A) Local distribution of funds.--
``(i) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (C),
the Secretary shall expend 80 percent of the ski area permit
rental charges deposited in the Account from a covered unit
at the covered unit in accordance with clause (ii).
``(ii) Distribution.--Of the amounts made available for
expenditure under clause (i)--
``(I) 75 percent shall be used at the covered unit for
activities described in paragraph (5)(A); and
``(II) 25 percent shall be used for activities at the
covered unit described in paragraph (5)(B).
``(B) Agency-wide distribution of funds.--The Secretary
shall expend 20 percent of the ski area permit rental charges
deposited in the Account from a covered unit at any unit of
the National Forest System for an activity described in
subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (5).
``(C) Reduction of percentage.--
``(i) Reduction.--The Secretary shall reduce the percentage
otherwise applicable under subparagraph (A)(i) to not less
than 60 percent if the Secretary determines that the amount
otherwise made available under that subparagraph exceeds the
reasonable needs of the covered unit for which expenditures
may be made in the applicable fiscal year.
``(ii) Distribution of funds.--The balance of the ski area
permit rental charges that are collected at a covered unit,
deposited into the Account, and not distributed in accordance
with subparagraph (A) or (B) shall be available to the
Secretary for expenditure at any other unit of the National
Forest System in accordance with the following:
``(I) 75 percent shall be used for activities described in
paragraph (5)(A).
``(II) 25 percent shall be used for activities described in
paragraph (5)(B).
``(5) Expenditures.--Amounts available to the Secretary for
expenditure from the Account shall be only used for--
``(A)(i) the administration of the Forest Service ski area
program, including--
``(I) the processing of an application for a new ski area
or a ski area improvement project, including staffing and
contracting for the processing; and
``(II) administering a ski area permit described in
subsection (a);
``(ii) staff training for--
``(I) the processing of an application for--
``(aa) a new ski area;
``(bb) a ski area improvement project; or
``(cc) a special use permit; or
``(II) administering--
``(aa) a ski area permit described in subsection (a); or
``(bb) a special use permit;
``(iii) an interpretation activity, National Forest System
visitor information, a visitor service, or signage;
``(iv) direct costs associated with collecting a ski area
permit rental charge or other fee collected by the Secretary
related to recreation;
``(v) planning for, or coordinating to respond to, a
wildfire in or adjacent to a recreation site, particularly a
ski area; or
``(vi) reducing the likelihood of a wildfire starting, or
the risks posed by a wildfire, in or adjacent to a recreation
site, particularly a ski area, except through hazardous fuels
reduction activities; or
``(B)(i) the repair, maintenance, or enhancement of a
Forest Service-owned facility, road, or trail directly
related to visitor enjoyment, visitor access, or visitor
health or safety;
``(ii) habitat restoration directly related to recreation;
``(iii) law enforcement related to public use and
recreation;
``(iv) the construction or expansion of parking areas;
``(v) the processing or administering of a recreation
special use permit;
``(vi) avalanche information and education activities
carried out by the Secretary or nonprofit partners;
``(vii) search and rescue activities carried out by the
Secretary, a local government, or a nonprofit partner; or
``(viii) the administration of leases under--
``(I) the Forest Service Facility Realignment and
Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 109-
54); and
``(II) section 8623 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 115-334).
``(6) Limitation.--Amounts in the Account may not be used
for--
``(A) the conduct of wildfire suppression; or
``(B) the acquisition of land for inclusion in the National
Forest System.
``(7) Effect.--
``(A) In general.--Nothing in this subsection affects the
applicability of section 7 of the Act of April 24, 1950
(commonly known as the `Granger-Thye Act') (16 U.S.C. 580d),
to ski areas on National Forest System land.
``(B) Supplemental funding.--Rental charges retained and
expended under this subsection shall supplement (and not
supplant) appropriated funding for the operation and
maintenance of each covered unit.
``(C) Cost recovery.--Nothing in this subsection affects
any cost recovery under any provision of law (including
regulations) for processing an application for or monitoring
compliance with a ski area permit or other recreation special
use permit.''.
(b) Effective Date.--This section (including the amendments
made by this section) shall take effect on the date that is
60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
______