[Senate Report 110-492]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





                                                      Calendar No. 1068
110th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     110-492

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



 
               THE GREAT CATS AND RARE CANIDS ACT OF 2008

                                _______
                                

  September 24 (legislative day, September 17), 2008.--Ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

    Mrs. Boxer, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1464]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, having 
considered the bill (H.R. 1464) to assist in the conservation 
of rare felids and rare canids by supporting and providing 
financial resources for the conservation programs of nations 
within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and 
projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the 
conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations, reports 
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the 
bill, as amended, do pass.

                      PURPOSES OF THE LEGISLATION

    H.R. 1464 would provide financial assistance to conserve 
certain species of threatened and endangered great felids 
(cats) and rare canids (members of the dog family). The bill 
would establish a Great Cats and Rare Canids Fund as an account 
within the Multinational Species Conservation Fund.

                    GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND

    Wildlife populations across the globe have been in decline 
due to many stresses. To help address this problem, Congress 
established conservation funds for individual species or groups 
of species--the Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF).
    Under the MSCF, Federal resources provide financial 
assistance to support international conservation efforts to 
help wildlife. By providing resources to keystone wildlife 
species, other wildlife--and their habitat and ecosystems--can 
also be protected and conserved.
    Under the bill, seven species of great cats are eligible 
for assistance. These include the lion, cheetah, leopard, snow 
leopard, and jaguar. Additionally, six species of dogs would 
also be eligible including the African wild dog, European gray 
wolf, dhole, maned wolf and bush dog.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title

    This section provides that the bill may be cited as the 
`Great Cat and Rare Canids Act of 2008.'

Section 2. Purposes

    Section 2 states that the purposes of the bill are to 
provide financial resources to assist in the restoration and 
conservation of populations of rare felids and canids in the 
wild.

Section 3. Definitions

    This section defines specific terms in the legislation.

Section 4. Financial assistance

    This section authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to 
provide financial assistance for projects that conserve rare 
felids and rare canids and specifies eligible project 
applicants and required information for project applications. 
It also authorizes the establishment of an advisory group to 
assist the Secretary in carrying out the purposes of the Act.

Section 5. Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund

    This section authorizes the establishment of a Great Cats 
and Rare Canids Fund within the Multinational Species 
Conservation Fund.

Section 6. Study of conservation status of felid and canid species

    This section requires the Secretary to initiate a study 
within 3 months of the date of enactment and report to the 
Congress on the conservation status of wild felid and canid 
species listed under the IUCN Red List that are not eligible 
under this legislation and include recommendations for 
additional species to be added to the lists of rare felids or 
rare canids defined in the bill.

Section 7. Ineligible countries

    This section prohibits any grant under this program from 
being spent in a country the government of which the Secretary 
of State has determined has repeatedly provided support for 
acts of international terrorism under certain statutes.

Section 8. Authorization of appropriations

    The legislation would authorize $5 million per year of 
appropriations for each fiscal year from 2009 to 2013. Such 
sums as are necessary are authorized to carry out the study 
authorized in Section 6 of the bill.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    H.R. 1464 was introduced on March 9, 2007, by Rep. Tom 
Udall (D-NM). Companion legislation was introduced in the 
Senate by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman on March 29, 2007. H.R. 
1464 passed the House of Representatives on May 20, 2008 and 
was received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works on May 21, 2008. The 
Committee met on September 17, 2008. In Committee, Senator 
Boxer offered a substitute amendment clarifying that no 
financial assistance may be spent under this Act in any country 
the government of which the Secretary of State has determined 
has repeatedly provided support for acts of international 
terrorism. The Committee ordered H.R. 1464 favorably reported 
as amended by voice vote.

                             ROLLCALL VOTES

    There were no rollcall votes. The measure was approved by 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works at a business 
meeting, a quorum being present, by voice vote on September 17, 
2008.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that the 
legislation does not impose regulatory costs, and agrees with 
the Congressional Budget Office that ``H.R. 1464 contains no . 
. . private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act (UMRA) . . . .''

                          MANDATES ASSESSMENT

    In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(Public Law 104-4), the Committee noted that the Congressional 
Budget Office has found that ``H.R. 1464 contains no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs 
on state, local, or tribal governments.''

                  CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

                                                September 19, 2008.
Hon. Barbara Boxer,
Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Madam Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1464, the Great 
Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2008.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
            Sincerely,
                                                   Peter R. Orszag.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 1464--Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2008

    Summary: H.R. 1464 would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service to establish a grant program to protect and conserve 
rare species of cats (such as leopards) and canids (such as 
wolves) in the wild. The act would authorize the appropriation 
of $5 million for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013 for 
financial assistance to eligible government agencies, 
international or foreign organizations, or private entities 
engaged in such activities. Assuming appropriation of the 
authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1464 
would increase discretionary spending by $19 million over the 
2009-2013 period and by $6 million after 2013.
    H.R. 1464 also would authorize the agency to accept and 
spend (without further appropriation) donations from nonfederal 
sources. Enacting this provision could increase revenues (from 
donations) and direct spending (of those donations), but CBO 
estimates that such increases would offset each other and 
therefore have no net effect on the federal budget.
    H.R. 1464 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
budgetary impact of H.R. 1464 is shown in the following table. 
For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be 
enacted near the beginning of fiscal year 2009 and that 
authorized amounts will be provided as specified in the bill. 
Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for 
similar programs. The costs of this legislation fall within 
budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                         -------------------------------------------------------
                                                            2009     2010     2011     2012     2013   2009-2013
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Authorization Level.....................................        5        5        5        5        5        25
Estimated Outlays.......................................        2        3        4        5        5        19
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 1464 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or 
tribal governments.
    Previous CBO estimate: On May 5, 2008, CBO transmitted a 
cost estimate for H.R. 1464 as ordered reported by the House 
Committee on Natural Resources on April 30, 2008. The two 
versions of the legislation are very similar but contain 
different authorization periods. The CBO estimates reflect that 
difference.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Deborah Reis; Impact 
on state, local, and tribal governments: Melissa Merrill; 
Impact on the private sector: Amy Petz.
    Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate 
requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made 
by the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no 
changes to existing law.

                                  
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