[Senate Report 113-145]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       Calendar No. 343
113th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     113-145

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              PERMANENT ELECTRONIC DUCK STAMP ACT OF 2013

                                _______
                                

                 April 1, 2014.--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. 1206]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred a bill (H.R. 1206) 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. H.R. 1206 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 2013 (H.R. 1206) 
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 2013'.

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

    H.R. 1206 was introduced by Representative Wittman (R-VA) 
on March 14, 2013. On May 17, 2013, the House of 
Representatives Committee on Natural Resources ordered the bill 
reported favorably. The bill passed the House of 
Representatives on June 3, 2013 by a vote of 401-0. The bill 
was received, read twice, and referred to the Senate Committee 
on Environment and Public Works on June 4, 2013. On February 6, 
2014, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works 
ordered the bill reported favorably without amendment.
    On April 16, 2013, Senators Wicker, Pryor, and Cochran 
introduced S. 738, the Senate companion to H.R. 1206.

                                HEARINGS

    There were no hearings on H.R. 1206.

                             ROLLCALL VOTES

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to 
consider H.R. 1206 on February 6, 2014. 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 H.R. 
1206 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, ``H.R. 1206 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.''

                                                 February 12, 2014.
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. 1206, the 
Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013.
    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.

H.R. 1206--Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013

    H.R. 1206 would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (USFWS) to permanently allow any state to provide 
hunting and conservation stamps for migratory birds (referred 
to as federal duck stamps) electronically. The electronic 
stamps would remain valid for 45 days to allow for the physical 
stamps to arrive in the mail. A pilot program that authorized a 
limited number of states to issue electronic stamps expired in 
2010, although the USFWS has continued the program under other 
authorities.
    CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1206 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 over the 2014-2024 period because we expect that 
the number of additional stamps purchased would not be 
significant.
    H.R. 1206 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 May 14, 2013, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 
1206, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural 
Resources on April 24, 2014. The two versions of the 
legislation are identical and the CBO cost estimates are the 
same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von 
Gnechten. The estimate was 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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