[House Report 106-390]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



106th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    106-390

======================================================================



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

                                _______
                                

October 18, 1999.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 2496]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 2496) to reauthorize the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation 
and Design Program Act of 1994, having considered the same, 
report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that 
the bill as amended do pass.
  The amendment is as follows:
  Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:

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.''.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of H.R. 2496 is to reauthorize the Junior Duck 
Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act of 1994.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program was 
originally conducted from 1990 to 1994 under the authority of 
the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742). It was 
funded through a joint venture between the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 
and private donors. In fiscal year 1994, the program was 
conducted in 25 States and had a total budget of $150,000.
    On November 22, 1993, Congressman Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) 
introduced the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design 
Program Act. It was the subject of hearings before the former 
House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and the Senate 
Environment and Public Works Committee. It was overwhelmingly 
enacted by both bodies and it was signed into law on October 6, 
1994, as Public Law 103-340.
    The goals of Public Law 103-340 were to: expand the Junior 
Duck Stamp Design competition to any interested States; provide 
the authority to license the marketing of Junior Duck Stamps; 
direct that any proceeds would be used to support the 
conservation education goals of the program; and offset any 
administrative costs by authorizing $250,000 per year to the 
Department of the Interior until September 30, 2000.
    The purpose of the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and 
Design Program is to ``teach conservation through the arts.'' 
It provides students with a broad exposure to migratory 
waterfowl, including lessons to help increase students' 
knowledge and appreciation of migratory birds, and it provides 
activities geared to motivate students to take an active role 
in conserving these species. In the Curriculum Guide, which is 
distributed free of charge to requesting schools, students 
research any species of North American waterfowl and then 
artistically portray the selected bird and its habitat. 
Following this activity, students may choose to enter their 
artwork in State Junior Duck Stamp contests. All students from 
kindergarten through high school are eligible to participate at 
the State level. Entries are judged by local artists, stamp 
collectors, hunters, wildlife biologists and conservationists. 
Twelve first, 12 second, and 12 third place ribbons are awarded 
to entrants, as well as 64 honorable mention awards.
    The first place National winner receives a $2,500 
scholarship and his/her design is reproduced as the Federal 
Junior Duck Stamp for that year. The first, second and third 
place winners in the National Contest, their parents, and 
mentoring teachers are brought to Washington, D.C., at the time 
of the Federal Duck Stamp contest in November of each year.
    In 1998, 42,337 students participated in the nationwide 
wildlife art contest. The proceeds from the sale of the Junior 
Duck Stamp, which cost $5, are returned to the program to be 
used for awards and conservation education. The Administration 
requested $250,000 for administration of the program in its 
fiscal year 2000 budget submission.
    As reported, H.R. 2496 reauthorizes appropriations for the 
Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program through 
fiscal year 2005, and expands the program to the District of 
Columbia and the insular areas of the United States.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 2496 was introduced on July 13, 1999, by Congressman 
Solomon Ortiz (D-TX). H.R. 2496 was referred to the Committee 
on Resources and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans. On September 23, 
1999, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 2496 where Mr. 
Thomas O. Melius, Assistant Director for External Affairs, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, 
testified in favor of the measure. On October 6, 1999, the Full 
Committee met to consider H.R. 2496. The Subcommittee on 
Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans was discharged from 
further consideration of the bill by unanimous consent. Mr. 
Ortiz offered an amendment on behalf of Delegate Eni 
Faleomavaega (D-AS) that expanded the geographic scope of the 
program to include the District of Columbia and the insular 
territories of the United States. The amendment was adopted by 
voice vote. The bill, as amended, was then favorably reported 
to the House of Representatives by voice vote.

            Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations 
are reflected in the body of this report.

                   Constitutional Authority Statement

    Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.

                    Compliance With House Rule XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) 
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when 
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted 
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
    2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) 
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this 
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    3. Government Reform Oversight Findings. Under clause 
3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee has received no report of 
oversight findings and recommendations from the Committee on 
Government Reform on this bill.
    4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate 
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                  Washington, DC, October 15, 1999.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2496, a bill to 
reauthorize the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design 
Program Act of 1994.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 2496--A bill to reauthorize the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and 
        Design Program Act of 1994

    H.R. 2496 would reauthorize discretionary funding for 
administration of the junior duck stamp program for fiscal 
years 2001 through 2005 at the current authorization level of 
$250,000 annually. Under existing law, this authorization will 
expire after fiscal year 2000. Assuming appropriation of the 
amounts authorized by this bill, CBO estimates that the federal 
government would spend about $250,000 in each of fiscal years 
2001 through 2005. For fiscal year 1999, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, which administers the program, received an 
appropriation of $250,000. A full-year appropriation for this 
program has not yet been enacted for 2000. The appropriation is 
used for expenses of conducting the annual competition for the 
design of junior duck stamps.
    H.R. 2496 would not affect direct spending or receipts; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. The bill 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandate as 
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no 
costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    The staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. This 
estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                    Compliance With Public Law 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

               Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local, or 
tribal law.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

     JUNIOR DUCK STAMP CONSERVATION AND DESIGN PROGRAM ACT OF 1994

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

  (a)  * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (c) Effort To Conduct Program in All States.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary shall take appropriate 
        steps to seek to conduct the Program in all of the [50] 
        States.
          (2) Annual report.--The Secretary shall annually 
        submit a report to the Congress on the status of the 
        Program in each of the [50] States.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


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.

SEC. [5] 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 
administrative expenses of the Program $250,000 [for each of 
the fiscal years 1995 through 2000] for each of the fiscal 
years 2001 through 2005.

                                  
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