[Senate Report 113-188]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       Calendar No. 419
113th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     113-188

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TO AMEND THE NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION ACT TO REAUTHORIZE 
                                THE ACT

                                _______
                                

                  June 5, 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 S. 969]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 969) to amend the Neotropical Migratory 
Bird Conservation Act to reauthorize the Act, having considered 
the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and 
recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.

                    General Statement and Background

    In partnership with other government wildlife agencies and 
conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
recently published a comprehensive report on the state of our 
nation's birds. Currently, almost one-third of the over 800 
species of birds in the United States are either federally 
listed as endangered or threatened, or are species of 
conservation concern--due to their small distribution, high 
threats or declining populations.
    Wildlife watching, including bird watching, is an 
increasingly profitable industry in the United States. The 2011 
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated 
Recreation, which represents the most recent data compiled by 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the economic impact of 
wildlife recreation, showed that $54.9 billion was spent in 
2011 alone on wildlife watching.
    Birds are also important indicators for the health and 
integrity of our natural environment. As bird populations 
decline, they signal failing ecosystems and warn of the 
deterioration of the quality of the air, water and soil on 
which we depend.
    Originally authorized in 2000, the Neotropical Migratory 
Bird Conservation Act (Public law 106-247) encourages habitat 
protection, education, researching, monitoring, and capacity 
building to provide for the long-term protection of neotropical 
migratory birds. The program provides grants for projects in 
the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean that 
conserve neotropical migratory birds. The matching requirements 
for the grant program leverages funding from a range of non-
governmental sources. Up to one-quarter of the annual grants 
can be used for projects in the United States.
    The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 2000 
authorized an annual $5 million for each of the fiscal years 
2001 through 2005. The Act was reauthorized in 2006 to increase 
the authorization level from $5 million to $6.5 million for 
Fiscal Years 2006-2010.
    Between 2002 and 2011, the program supported 367 projects, 
coordinated by partners in 48 U.S. states/territories and 36 
countries. More than $39 million in Federal grants has 
leveraged over $152 million in matching funds and $6.5 million 
in nonmatching funds. Projects involving land conservation have 
affected about 2 million acres of bird habitat.

                     Objectives of the Legislation

    S. 969 amends the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation 
Act to reauthorize the Act for fiscal years 2014 through 2019.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis


Section 1. Reauthorization of Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation 
        Act

    This section amends Section 10 of the Neotropical Migratory 
Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6109) to authorize 
appropriations to carry out the Act. This section, as amended, 
authorizes $6.5 million for fiscal years 2014 through 2019.

                          Legislative History

    On May 16, 2013, Senator Cardin introduced S. 969. The bill 
was received, read twice and referred to the Senate Committee 
on Environment and Public Works. The Committee met on February 
6, 2014, to consider the bill. Senator Cardin introduced an 
amendment that would alter appropriation levels to $6,500,000 
annually. The committee ordered S. 969 to be reported favorably 
with an amendment.

                                Hearings

    No committee hearings were held on S. 969.

                             Rollcall Votes

    On February 6, 2014, the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works ordered S. 969 to be favorably reported by voice 
vote with Senator Crapo, Inhofe, Fischer, and Vitter recorded 
as ``No.'' No roll call votes were taken.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that S. 969 
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 notes that the Congressional 
Budget Office has found that ``[S. 969] contains no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).''

                                                 February 28, 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 S. 969, a bill to amend 
the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act to reauthorize 
the Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave.
            Sincerely,
                                              Douglas W. Elmendorf.
    Enclosure.

S. 969--A bill to amend the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act 
        to reauthorize the Act

    Summary: S. 969 would authorize appropriations of $6.5 
million a year through 2019 for grants and other activities 
carried out under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation 
Act. Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO 
estimates that implementing the bill would cost $33 million 
over the 2014-2019 period. Enacting S. 969 would not affect 
direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures do not apply.
    The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
budgetary impact of S. 969 is shown in the following table. The 
costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300 
(natural resources and environment). For this estimate, CBO 
assumes that S. 969 will be enacted in 2014 and that the 
authorized amounts will be appropriated for each fiscal year 
including supplemental amounts for 2014. Estimated outlays are 
based on historical spending patterns for this program.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019   2014-2019
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Authorization Levela...........................        3        7        7        7        7        7        35
Estimated Outlays..............................        1        6        7        7        7        7        33
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Components do not sum to totals because of rounding.
aThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received appropriations totaling about $4 million in fiscal year 2014 to
  carry out activities under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. The authorization level shown here
  for 2014 is the difference between that appropriation and the amount that would be authorized by S. 969.

    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 969 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Jeff LaFave; Impact on 
state, local, and tribal governments: Melissa Merrell; Impact 
on the private sector: Amy Petz.
    Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director 
for Budget Analysis.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, 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:

Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act

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SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  (a) In General.--There [are] is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this Act [such sums as are necessary] $6,500,000 
for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2019.
  (b) Use of Funds.--Of the amounts made available under 
subsection (a) for each fiscal year, not less than 75 percent 
shall be expended for projects carried out at a location 
outside of the United States.

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