[Senate Report 112-212]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       Calendar No. 513
112th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     112-212

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              PERMANENT ELECTRONIC DUCK STAMP ACT OF 2012

                                _______
                                

               September 19, 2012.--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 S. 2071]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred a bill (S. 2071) to grant the Secretary of the 
Interior permanent authority to authorize States to issue 
electronic duck stamps, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon and recommends 
that the bill do pass.

                    GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND

    Hunters over the age of 16 must purchase a Federal Duck 
Stamp each year if they want to hunt migratory waterfowl. 
Ninety-eight cents out of every dollar generated by the sales 
of Federal Duck Stamps goes directly to purchase or lease 
wetland and waterfowl habitat for protection in the National 
Wildlife Refuge System.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been carrying out a 
pilot program that allows customers the option to purchase the 
federal duck stamp online. This program is operating in eight 
states. S. 2071 would extend the pilot program to all states 
and make it permanent. To sell stamps electronically a state 
must submit an application to the Secretary for approval. The 
legislation also outlines requirements for the sale of 
electronic stamps, fees that can be charged, and validity of 
electronic stamps.

                     OBJECTIVES OF THE LEGISLATION

    The Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2012 (S. 2071) 
permanently authorizes a program to issue electronic duck 
stamps.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 provides that this Act may be cited as the 
``Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2012''.

Section 2. Definitions

    Section 2 provides definitions of several terms used in the 
Act.

Section 3. Authority to issue electronic duck stamps

    Section 3 authorizes the Secretary to issue electronic duck 
stamps in consultation with State management agencies.

Section 4. State application

    Section 4 establishes application requirements for 
authorization of State programs that sell electronic duck 
stamps

Section 5. State obligations and authorities

    Section 5 establishes requirements for the sale of 
electronic duck stamps and the collection of revenues.

Section 6. Electronic stamp requirements; recognition of electronic 
        stamp

    Section 6 establishes requirements for the format and 
recognition of electronic stamps.

Section 7. Termination of state participation

    Section 7 directs the Secretary to terminate a State's 
authority to issue electronic duck stamps if the Secretary 
finds that the State has violated any of the terms of the 
application of the State approved by the Secretary under 
Section 4.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 2071 was introduced by Senators Wicker and Pryor on 
February 6, 2012. The bill was received, read twice, and 
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. On 
July 25, 2012, the full Committee on Environment and Public 
Works met to consider the bill. The bill was ordered reported 
favorably without amendment by voice vote.

                                HEARINGS

    On April 24th, 2012, the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee of 
the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a 
legislative hearing on multiple bills, including S. 2071.

                             ROLLCALL VOTES

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to 
consider S. 2071 on July 25, 2012. The bill was ordered 
reported favorably by voice vote.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that S. 2071 
does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it 
cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of 
individuals.

                          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, ``S. 2071 contains no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on 
state, local, or tribal governments.''

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

                                                   August 23, 2012.
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 S. 2071, the Permanent 
Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2012.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Martin von 
Gnechten.
            Sincerely,
                                              Douglas W. Elmendorf.
    Enclosure.

S. 2071--Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2012

    S. 2071 would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS) to permanently allow states to provide federal 
migratory bird hunting and conservation stamps (referred to as 
federal duck stamps) electronically. The electronic stamps 
would remain valid for 45 days to allow hunting before the 
stamps arrive in the mail. A pilot program that authorized 
states to issue electronic stamps expired in 2010, although the 
USFWS has continued the program under other authorities.
    CBO estimates that enacting S. 2071 would affect direct 
spending and revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures 
apply. Under current law, amounts collected from the sale of 
duck stamps are deposited in the Migratory Bird Conservation 
Fund and are available to be spent without further 
appropriation for waterfowl conservation projects. CBO 
estimates that the net effects of enacting the bill would be 
insignificant for each year and over the 2013-2022 period 
because the legislation would not have a significant impact on 
the number of federal duck stamps purchased.
    S. 2071 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    On December 14, 2011, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for 
H.R. 3117, the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2011, as 
ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on 
November 17, 2011. The two bills are nearly identical, and the 
estimated costs are the same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von 
Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 
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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