[House Report 115-1128]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 895
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-1128
_______________________________________________________________________
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES
of the
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
during the
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Session
January 3, 2017-January 3, 2018
Second Session
January 3, 2018-January 3, 2019
together with
DISSENTING VIEWS
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
January 2, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
34-023 WASHINGTON : 2019
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Full Committee Membership
(Ratio: 25 Republicans, 18 Democrats)
ROB BISHOP, Utah, Chairman
RAUL M. GRIJALVA, Arizona, Ranking Democratic Member
DON YOUNG, Alaska, Chairman Emeritus GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California
LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas, Vice Chairman MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado JIM COSTA, California
ROBERT J. WITTMAN, Virginia GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN,
TOM McCLINTOCK, California Northern Mariana Islands
STEVAN PEARCE, New Mexico NIKI TSONGAS, Massachusetts
GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania JARED HUFFMAN, California,
PAUL A. GOSAR, Arizona Vice Ranking Democratic Member
RAUL R. LABRADOR, Idaho ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
SCOTT R. TIPTON, Colorado DONALD S. BEYER, Jr., Virginia
DOUG LaMALFA, California RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona
JEFF DENHAM, California COLLEEN HANABUSA, Hawaii
PAUL COOK, California NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN, California
BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas DARREN SOTO, Florida
GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana A. DONALD McEACHIN, Virginia
JODY B. HICE, Georgia ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri
American Samoa JIMMY GOMEZ, California
DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ, New York
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan
LIZ CHENEY, Wyoming
MIKE JOHNSON, Louisiana
JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON, Puerto
Rico
GREG GIANFORTE, Montana
JOHN R. CURTIS, Utah
----------
On January 3, 2017, pursuant to H. Res. 6, Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah
was elected to the Committee.
On January 3, 2017, pursuant to H. Res. 7, Ranking Member Raul M.
Grijalva of Arizona was elected to the Committee.
On January 11, 2017, pursuant to H. Res. 45, Minority (Democrat)
Members (10) were elected to the Committee.
On January 13, 2017, pursuant to H. Res. 51, Majority (Republican)
Members (24) were elected to the Committee.
On January 13, 2017, pursuant to H. Res. 52, Minority (Democrat)
Members (6) were elected to the Committee.
On February 7, 2017, pursuant to H. Res. 95, Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay of
Missouri was elected to the Committee.
On June 27, 2017, Rep. David Rouzer of North Carolina resigned from the
Committee.
On June 27, 2017, pursuant to H. Res. 410, Rep. Greg Gianforte of
Montana was elected to the Committee.
On July 12, 2017, Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California resigned from the
Committee.
On July 18, 2017, pursuant to H. Res. 453, Rep. Jimmy Gomez of
California was elected to the Committee.
On January 16, 2018, Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois resigned from the
Committee.
On January 30, 2018, pursuant to H. Res. 719, Rep. John R. Curtis of
Utah was elected to the Committee.
On April 12, 2018, Rep. Norma J. Torres of California resigned from the
Committee.
On April 17, 2018, pursuant to H. Res. 833, Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez of
New York was elected to the Committee.
Cody Stewart, Staff Director
Parish Braden, Deputy Staff Director
Lisa Pittman, Chief Counsel
David Watkins, Democratic Staff Director
Joycelyn Coleman, Calendar Clerk
STANDING SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
(Ratio: 13 Republicans, 10 Democrats)
PAUL A. GOSAR, Arizona, Chairman
PAUL COOK, California, Vice Chairman
ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California, Ranking Democratic Member
LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado JIM COSTA, California
ROBERT J. WITTMAN, Virginia NIKI TSONGAS, Massachusetts
STEVAN PEARCE, New Mexico JARED HUFFMAN, California
GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania DONALD S. BEYER, Jr., Virginia
SCOTT R. TIPTON, Colorado DARREN SOTO, Florida
PAUL COOK, California NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN, California
GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ, New York
JODY B. HICE, Georgia Vacancy
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan RAUL M. GRIJALVA, Arizona (Ex Officio)
LIZ CHENEY, Wyoming
JOHN R. CURTIS, Utah
ROB BISHOP, Utah (Ex Officio)
Subcommittee on Federal Lands
(Ratio: 12 Republicans, 9 Democrats)
TOM McCLINTOCK, California, Chairman
BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas, Vice Chairman
COLLEEN HANABUSA, Hawaii, Ranking Democratic Member
DON YOUNG, Alaska NIKI TSONGAS, Massachusetts
STEVAN PEARCE, New Mexico ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona
RAUL R. LABRADOR, Idaho A. DONALD McEACHIN, Virginia
SCOTT R. TIPTON, Colorado ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland
BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas JIMMY GOMEZ, California
DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida Vacancy
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan Vacancy
LIZ CHENEY, Wyoming RAUL M. GRIJALVA, Arizona (Ex Officio)
GREG GIANFORTE, Montana
JOHN R. CURTIS, Utah
ROB BISHOP, Utah (Ex Officio)
Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs
(Ratio: 8 Republicans, 6 Democrats)
DOUG LaMALFA, California, Chairman
JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON, Puerto Rico, Vice Chairman
RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona, Ranking Democratic Member
DON YOUNG, Alaska MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam
JEFF DENHAM, California GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN,
PAUL COOK, California Northern Mariana Islands
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, DARREN SOTO, Florida
American Samoa COLLEEN HANABUSA, Hawaii
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ, New York
JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON, Puerto RAUL M. GRIJALVA, Arizona (Ex Officio)
Rico
Vacancy
ROB BISHOP, Utah (Ex Officio)
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
(Ratio: 6 Republicans, 5 Democrats)
BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas, Chairman
MIKE JOHNSON, Louisiana, Vice Chairman
A. DONALD McEACHIN, Virginia, Ranking Democratic Member
LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona
RAUL R. LABRADOR, Idaho JARED HUFFMAN, California
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, DARREN SOTO, Florida
American Samoa WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri
MIKE JOHNSON, Louisiana RAUL M. GRIJALVA, Arizona (Ex Officio)
JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON, Puerto
Rico
ROB BISHOP, Utah (Ex Officio)
Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
(Ratio: 11 Republicans, 8 Democrats)
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado, Chairman
DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida, Vice Chairman
JARED HUFFMAN, California, Ranking Democratic Member
ROBERT J. WITTMAN, Virginia GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California
TOM McCLINTOCK, California JIM COSTA, California
PAUL A. GOSAR, Arizona DONALD S. BEYER, Jr., Virginia
DOUG LaMALFA, California NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN, California
JEFF DENHAM, California MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam
GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN,
JODY B. HICE, Georgia Northern Mariana Islands
DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida JIMMY GOMEZ, California
MIKE JOHNSON, Louisiana RAUL M. GRIJALVA, Arizona (Ex Officio)
GREG GIANFORTE, Montana
ROB BISHOP, Utah (Ex Officio)
STAFF ROSTER
Full Committee Staff
Cody Stewart, Staff Director
Parish Braden, Deputy Staff Director
Kristina Baum, Communications Director
Scott Blakeman, Communications Specialist
Ilene Clauson, Director of Operations
Joycelyn Coleman, Calendar Clerk
David DeMarco, Deputy IT Director
Rebekah Hoshiko, Deputy Press Secretary
Lisa Pittman, Chief Counsel
Matt Pitzer, Staff Assistant
Marc Alberts, Director of Member Services and Coalitions
Adam Stewart, Senior Advisor
Domenica Watkins, Director, Legislative Support Services
Democratic Staff
David Watkins, Staff Director
Christopher Espinosa, Director of Public Engagement
Johnathan Garza, Staff Assistant
Sarah Lim, Chief Counsel
Naomi Miguel, Professional Staff
Glenn Miller, Senior Policy Advisor
Monica Sanchez, Press Secretary
Adam Sarvana, Communications Director
Jacqueline Silvers, Deputy Chief Counsel
Chad Tokowicz, Staff Assistant
Cristina Villa, Manager of Operations
Henry Wykowski, Staff Assistant
Subcommittee Staff
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
1522 Longworth HOB, 202-225-9297
Andrew Vecera, Subcommittee Staff Director
Austin Hacker, Clerk
Rebecca Konolige, Professional Staff
Ashley Nichols, Professional Staff
Steve Feldgus, Democratic Senior Energy Policy Advisor
Peter Gallagher, Democratic Professional Staff
Subcommittee on Federal Lands
1332 Longworth HOB, 202-226-7736
Steve Petersen, Subcommittee Staff Director
Chris Marklund, Deputy Subcommittee Staff Director
Terry Camp, Professional Staff
Christopher Esparza, Counsel
Brandon Miller, Professional Staff
Rebekah Rodriquez, Clerk
Brandon Bragato, Democratic Professional Staff
Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs
4450 O'Neill FOB, 202-226-9725
Christopher Fluhr, Subcommittee Staff Director
Kenneth Degenfelder, Senior Professional Staff
Alexander Perez, Research Assistant
Mindy Shaw, Clerk
Chris Kaumo, Democratic Professional Staff
Brian Modeste, Democratic Counsel
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
4170 O'Neill FOB, 202-225-7107
Sang Yi, Subcommittee Staff Director
John Strom, Counsel
John Sullivan, Research Assistant
Mary Youpel, Clerk
Vic Edgerton, Democratic Director of Investigations
Lindsay Gressard, Democratic Professional Staff
Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
4120 O'Neill FOB, 202-225-8331
William Ball, Subcommittee Staff Director
Calvin Frauenfelder, Research Assistant
Mary Youpel, Clerk
Marnie Kremer, Democratic Professional Staff
Matthew Muirragui, Democratic Senior Policy Advisor
Lora Snyder, Democratic Professional Staff
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
----------
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
January 2, 2019.
Hon. Karen L. Haas,
Clerk of the House of Representatives,
The Capitol, Washington, DC.
Dear Ms. Haas: In accordance with rule XI 1(d)(1) of the
House of Representatives, I hereby submit the Report on the
Activities of the Committee on Natural Resources for the 115th
Congress.
This report summarizes the specific activities of the
Committee with respect to its legislative and oversight
responsibilities, and encompasses the period of January 3,
2017, through January 2, 2019. Also contained herein is a
submission from the Democratic Ranking Member, Mr. Raul
Grijalva, which states ``Dissenting Views''.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman.
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Letter of Transmittal............................................ IX
Committee Organization........................................... 1
Statistical Overview of Legislative and Oversight Activities..... 1
Legislative and Oversight Activities
Full Committee............................................... 2
Overview of Activities and Accomplishments............... 2
Legislative Hearings, Markups and Business Meetings...... 5
Oversight Hearings....................................... 18
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources................. 19
Overview of Activities and Accomplishments............... 19
Legislative Hearings..................................... 21
Oversight Hearings....................................... 24
Subcommittee on Federal Lands................................ 24
Overview of Activities and Accomplishments............... 24
Legislative Hearings..................................... 27
Oversight Hearings....................................... 32
Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.... 32
Overview of Activities and Accomplishments............... 32
Legislative Hearings..................................... 38
Oversight Hearings....................................... 39
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations................. 40
Overview of Activities and Accomplishments............... 40
Oversight Hearings....................................... 45
Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans...................... 45
Overview of Activities and Accomplishments............... 45
Legislative Hearings..................................... 49
Oversight Hearings....................................... 50
Jurisdiction of the Committee.................................... 51
Rules for the Committee on Natural Resources..................... 52
APPENDICES:
I. Printed Hearings.................................................65
II. Legislation Passed/Failed to Pass the House......................70
III.Public Laws Enacted..............................................85
IV. Committee Prints.................................................91
V. Committee Bill Reports Filed.....................................93
VI. Dissenting Views................................................109
Union Calendar No. 895
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-1128
======================================================================
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 115TH
CONGRESS
_______
January 2, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
DISSENTING VIEWS
_______
Committee Organization
The Committee on Natural Resources met on February 7, 2017,
for an organizational meeting of the 115th Congress under the
direction of Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah. The Committee
membership was 43 Members with 25 Republicans and 18 Democrats.
The Committee established five subcommittees: Energy and
Mineral Resources (Paul A. Gosar of Arizona, Chairman); Federal
Lands (Tom McClintock of California, Chairman); Indian, Insular
and Alaska Native Affairs (Doug LaMalfa of California,
Chairman); Oversight and Investigations (Raul R. Labrador of
Idaho, Chairman); and Water, Power and Oceans (Doug Lamborn of
Colorado, Chairman).
Statistical Overview of Legislative and Oversight Activities
LEGISLATIVE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS REFERRED:
House Bills.................................................. 730
House Resolutions............................................ 40
House Concurrent Resolutions................................. 6
House Joint Resolutions...................................... 23
Senate Bills................................................. 33
Total Number of Legislative Bills and Resolutions
Referred............................................... 832
COMMITTEE MEETING DAYS:
Full Committee............................................... 46
Oversight: 13 Legislative: 2 Markup: 30
Organizational: 1
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources................. 30
Oversight: 15 Legislative: 15
Subcommittee on Federal Lands................................ 28
Oversight: 6 Legislative: 22
Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.... 17
Oversight: 6 Legislative: 11
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations................. 7
Oversight: 7
Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans...................... 19
Oversight: 7 Legislative: 12
Total Number of Committee Meetings Held.................. 147
COMMITTEE LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY:
Total Number of Bills Ordered Reported....................... 228
Total Number of Bill Reports Filed........................... 224
Total Number of Bills Passed By the House.................... 175
Total Number of Bills Which Failed to Pass the House......... 2
Total Number of Public Laws.................................. 60
Total Number of Enacted Bills................................ 31
Total Number of Public Laws Including Enacted Bills.......... 91
Total Number of Printed Hearings............................. 55
Total Number of Committee Prints............................. 2
LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE:
Total Number of Executive Communications..................... 519
Total Number of Memorials.................................... 56
Total Number of Petitions.................................... 17
Total Number of Presidential Messages........................ 2
Total Number of House Documents.............................. 2
Full Committee
I. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Under Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT), the Committee worked to
overhaul land management, environmental, energy, mining, and
water statutes, empower relevant state, local and tribal
governments through cooperative federalism, restore public
access to public lands, and improve federal land, resource and
conservation management. The Committee also focused on
reasserting Congress' Article I constitutional authority across
its jurisdiction, limiting unnecessary regulatory burdens, and
expanding responsible development of federal minerals and other
natural resources. The Committee also prioritized locally-
developed policy solutions to land, water and resource
management challenges. The Committee reported 228 bills, the
most active for all committees in the U.S. House of
Representatives during the 115th Congress, and advanced 91
changes in law.
Congressional Review Act
From the onset of the 115th Congress, the Committee focused
its efforts on various unlawful, arbitrary, or excessive
regulations finalized in the waning days and months of the
Obama administration. The Committee successfully advanced three
joint resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review
Act--H.J. Res. 38, H.J. Res 44 and H.J. Res. 69--into law, and
advanced H.J. Res. 36 to House passage.
H.J. Res. 38, introduced on January 30, 2017 by Rep. Bill
Johnson (R-OH), overturned the Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement's (OSM) Stream Protection Rule.
Finalized on December 19, 2016, OSM's rule rewrote over 400
regulations threatening one-third of the nation's coal mining
workforce. During the rulemaking process, OSM shut out
cooperating agencies--the states responsible for enforcing
federal mining regulations--and ignored existing regulatory
success at the federal and state level. H.J. Res. 38 passed the
House and Senate and became law on February 16, 2017 (P.L. 115-
5).
H.J. Res. 44, introduced on January 30, 2017 by Rep. Liz
Cheney (R-WY), overturned the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM)
Resource Management Planning 2.0 Rule. Finalized on December
12, 2016, the BLM's rule significantly shifted resource
management decisions from cooperative local communities and
states to the federal government and largely ignored input from
states and counties. H.J. Res. 44 passed the House and Senate
and became law on March 27, 2017 (P.L. 115-12).
H.J. Res. 69, introduced on February 2, 2017 by Rep. Don
Young (R-AK), overturned the Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS)
``Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation
and Closure Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in
Alaska'' Rule. Finalized August 5, 2016, FWS's rule seized
authority away from the State of Alaska to manage fish and
wildlife on federal wildlife refuges in Alaska. H.J.Res. 69
passed the House and Senate and became law on April 4, 2017
(P.L. 115-20).
Public Lands Infrastructure and Maintenance
Early in the Congress, the Committee focused significant
efforts on public lands infrastructure. The Committee held a
slate of infrastructure-related hearings across its
subcommittees and advanced a range of reforms across its
jurisdiction to remove bureaucratic obstacles to greater
infrastructure development and investment.
The Committee also led bicameral efforts in coordination
with the Trump administration to tackle the nation's public
lands deferred maintenance backlog. This includes the Public
Lands Infrastructure Fund, a priority legislative proposal
included in the administration's fiscal year 2019 budget that
would direct energy lease sales on public lands to finance park
revitalization. Legislation modeled after this proposal
introduced by Chairman Bishop--H.R. 6510, the Restore Our Parks
and Public Lands Act--passed Committee September 13, 2018.
Companion legislation, S. 3172, the Restore Our Parks Act,
passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on
October 2, 2018. Both measures garnered broad bipartisan
support in both chambers.
Overhaul of Federal Lands and Energy Policy
Building upon work in the 114th Congress, the Committee
continued to pursue bipartisan solutions to the nation's forest
health crisis and mitigate threats of catastrophic wildfire
through greater forest management. The Committee reported out
and the House passed H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests
Act of 2017, introduced by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR). Several
legislative proposals that originated as a part of H.R. 2936
were enacted into law as a part of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) and the 2018 Farm Bill
(P.L. 115-334). Reforms to vegetation management near utility
rights of way, which were originally put forward as part of the
Committee's work on H.R. 1873, the Electricity Reliability and
Forest Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA),
also became law (P.L. 115-141).
The Committee pursued a comprehensive overhaul of federal
lands energy policy to promote expanded exploration,
development, and production of oil, gas and wind resources.
This included the development of two separate bills, the ASTRO
Act and the ONSHORE Act, which would later be combined into
H.R. 4239, the SECURE American Energy Act, sponsored by Rep.
Steve Scalise (R-LA). H.R. 4239. That bill, which was
successfully marked up on November 7, 2017 promoted state
permitting of oil and gas activities on federal land, an
expedited process for offshore geophysical surveys, and revenue
sharing for coastal states with untapped offshore resources.
Additional accomplishments include reform and
reauthorization of the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation
Act (FLTFA). This legislation, H.R. 5133, introduced by
Chairman Bishop, provided meaningful improvements to the
statute, ensuring continued responsible conservation efforts
and greater local input in future land decisions. H.R. 5133
passed the House and Senate and became law on March 23, 2018
(P.L. 115-141).
The Committee continued its oversight on executive
overreach and politicization of the Antiquities Act. Members
advanced a number of legislative proposals to reassert
Congressional authority over monument designations and ensure
state and local input in related policymaking, including H.R.
3990, the National Monument Creation and Protection Act,
introduced by Chairman Bishop, which passed Committee on
October 11, 2017.
Department of the Interior Reorganization
The Committee also worked in partnership with the
Department of the Interior (DOI) to facilitate DOI's ongoing
reorganization. The Committee held numerous hearings and forums
on various administration proposals, including DOI's Unified
Regional Boundaries concept and broader efforts to bring more
decision-making and regulatory authority closer to the
communities most affected. The Committee also conducted
regional forums to engage states and other stakeholders on the
potential relocation of the Bureau of Land Management
headquarters to a western state and related permitting
proposals being contemplated under the reorganization plan. In
August of 2018, DOI established a final version for the Unified
Regions and is now in a process of aligning its Bureaus from
their current structures to participate in the new twelve
unified regional boundaries.
Economic Recovery in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico's economic crisis was further complicated by
Hurricanes Irma and Maria that devastated the island in 2017.
The Committee played a central oversight role in rebuilding and
recovery through a number of hearings, forums, oversight
letters and CODEL travel to the island. The Committee continued
oversight of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA)
and ongoing debt restructuring and government reform under the
Puerto Rico Oversight and Management & Economic Stability Act
(PROMESA), which was enacted in the prior Congress (P.L. 114-
187).
II. LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS, MARKUPS AND BUSINESS MEETINGS
February 7, 2017--The Full Committee met to organize for
the 115th Congress, consider Committee Rules, the Committee
Oversight Plan, and appoint Committee staff (Committee
Resolution #1).
April 26, 2017--Markup convened for opening statements.
April 27, 2017--Markup reconvened for consideration of:
H.R. 220, To authorize the expansion of an existing
hydroelectric project, and for other purposes; H.R. 497, To
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public
lands in San Bernardino County, California, to the San
Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, and to accept in
return certain exchanged non-public lands, and for other
purposes; H.R. 660, To require the Secretary of the Interior to
submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the Bureau of
Reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets; H.R. 1073, To
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a
structure for visitor services on the Arlington Ridge tract, in
the area of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1135, To reauthorize the Historically Black
Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation program; H.R.
1500, To redesignate the small triangular property located in
Washington, DC, and designated by the National Park Service as
reservation 302 as ``Robert Emmet Park'', and for other
purposes; H.R. 1654, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to coordinate Federal and State permitting processes related to
the construction of new surface water storage projects on lands
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture and to designate the Bureau of
Reclamation as the lead agency for permit processing, and for
other purposes; H.R. 1715, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Medgar
Evers House, located in Jackson, Mississippi, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1769, To affirm an agreement between the United
States and Westlands Water District dated September 15, 2015,
and for other purposes; H.R. 1807, To exempt from the Lacey Act
and the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 certain water transfers
between any of the States of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana;
H.R. 1873, To amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976 to enhance the reliability of the electricity grid and
reduce the threat of wildfires to and from electric
transmission and distribution facilities on Federal lands by
facilitating vegetation management on such lands; H.R. 1967, To
amend the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to authorize pumped
storage hydropower development utilizing multiple Bureau of
Reclamation reservoirs; and H.R. 2085, To approve an agreement
between the United States and the Republic of Palau, and for
other purposes.
June 22, 2017--Markup convened for opening statements.
June 27, 2017--Markup reconvened for consideration of: H.R.
218, To provide for the exchange of Federal land and non-
Federal land in the State of Alaska for the construction of a
road between King Cove and Cold Bay; H.R. 289, To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to
issue permits for recreation services on lands managed by
Federal agencies, and for other purposes; H.R. 597, To take
lands in Sonoma County, California, into trust as part of the
reservation of the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for
other purposes; H.R. 954, To remove the use restrictions on
certain land transferred to Rockingham County, Virginia, and
for other purposes; H.R. 1107, To promote conservation, improve
public land management, and provide for sensible development in
Pershing County, Nevada, and for other purposes; H.R. 1306, To
provide for the conveyance of certain Federal land in the State
of Oregon, and for other purposes; H.R. 1397, To authorize,
direct, facilitate, and expedite the transfer of administrative
jurisdiction of certain Federal land, and for other purposes;
H.R. 1399, To reduce temporarily the royalty required to be
paid for sodium produced on Federal lands, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1404, To provide for the conveyance of certain
land inholdings owned by the United States to the Tucson
Unified School District and to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of
Arizona; H.R. 1541, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to acquire certain property related to the Fort Scott National
Historic Site in Fort Scott, Kansas, and for other purposes;
H.R. 1719, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire approximately 44 acres of land in Martinez, California,
and for other purposes; H.R. 1731, To amend the Surface Mining
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to provide funds to States
and Indian tribes for the purpose of promoting economic
revitalization, diversification, and development in
economically distressed communities through the reclamation and
restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by
coal mining carried out before August 3, 1977, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1913, To establish the Clear Creek National
Recreation Area in San Benito and Fresno Counties, California,
to designate the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness in such counties, and
for other purposes; H.R. 1927, To amend title 54, United States
Code, to establish within the National Park Service the African
American Civil Rights Network, and for other purposes; H.R.
2053, To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
of 1977 to enhance and support mining and mineral engineering
programs in the United States by funding activities at mining
schools, and for other purposes; H.R. 2156, To provide for the
establishment of a national memorial and national monument to
commemorate those killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis
Dam on March 12, 1928, and for other purposes; H.R. 2370, To
authorize Escambia County, Florida, to convey certain property
that was formerly part of Santa Rosa Island National Monument
and that was conveyed to Escambia County subject to
restrictions on use and reconveyance; H.R. 2425, To support the
establishment and improvement of communications sites on or
adjacent to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the
Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture
through the retention and use of rental fees associated with
such sites, and for other purposes; H.R. 2936, To expedite
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and improve
forest management activities on National Forest System lands,
on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land
Management, and on Tribal lands to return resilience to
overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for other purposes;
H.R. 2937, To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation
Act of 1977 to authorize partnerships between States and
nongovernmental entities for the purpose of reclaiming and
restoring land and water resources adversely affected by coal
mining activities before August 3, 1977, and for other
purposes; H.R. 2939, To prohibit the conditioning of any
permit, lease, or other use agreement on the transfer of any
water right to the United States by the Secretaries of the
Interior and Agriculture, and for other purposes; and S. 249,
To provide that the pueblo of Santa Clara may lease for 99
years certain restricted land, and for other purposes.
July 19, 2017--Legislative hearing held on H.R. 424, To
direct the Secretary of the Interior to reissue final rules
relating to listing of the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes
and Wyoming under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for
other purposes; H.R. 717, To amend the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 to require review of the economic cost of adding a
species to the list of endangered species or threatened
species, and for other purposes; H.R. 1274, To amend the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require making available to
States affected by determinations that species are endangered
species or threatened species all data that is the basis of
such determinations, and for other purposes; H.R. 2603, To
amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that
nonnative species in the United States shall not be treated as
endangered species or threatened species for purposes of that
Act; and H.R. 3131, To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973
to conform citizen suits under that Act with other existing
law, and for other purposes.
July 25, 2017--Markup convened for opening statements.
July 26, 2017--Markup reconvened for consideration of: H.R.
825, To promote the development of renewable energy on public
land, and for other purposes; H.R. 873, To authorize the Global
War on Terror Memorial Foundation to establish the National
Global War on Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative work in the
District of Columbia, and for other purposes; H.R. 965, To
redesignate the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site as the
``Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park'', and for other
purposes; H.R. 1074, To repeal the Act entitled ``An Act to
confer jurisdiction on the State of Iowa over offenses
committed by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox Indian
Reservation''; H.R. 1418, To amend the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act to provide that Alexander Creek, Alaska, is and
shall be recognized as an eligible Native village under that
Act, and for other purposes; H.R. 1491, To reaffirm the action
of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for
the benefit of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians,
and for other purposes; H.R. 1547, To provide for the
unencumbering of title to non-Federal land owned by the city of
Tucson, Arizona, for purposes of economic development by
conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest to the City;
H.R. 2075, To adjust the eastern boundary of the Deschutes
Canyon-Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area in the State of
Oregon to facilitate fire prevention and response activities in
order to protect adjacent private property, and for other
purposes; H.R. 2083, To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act
of 1972 to reduce predation on endangered Columbia River salmon
and other nonlisted species, and for other purposes; H.R. 2199,
To improve Federal land management, resource conservation,
environmental protection, and use of Federal real property, by
requiring the Secretary of the Interior to develop a
multipurpose cadastre of Federal real property and identifying
inaccurate, duplicate, and out-of-date Federal land
inventories, and for other purposes; H.R. 2316, To amend the
Mineral Leasing Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to repeal
provisions relating only to the Allegheny National Forest; H.R.
2371, To require the Administrator of the Western Area Power
Administration to establish a pilot project to provide
increased transparency for customers, and for other purposes;
H.R. 2374, To facilitate certain pinyon-juniper related
projects in Lincoln County, Nevada, to modify the boundaries of
certain wilderness areas in the State of Nevada, and to fully
implement the White Pine County Conservation, Recreation, and
Development Act; H.R. 2423, To implement certain measures
relating to management of Washington County, Utah, required by
Public Law 111-11; H.R. 2582, To authorize the State of Utah to
select certain lands that are available for disposal under the
Pony Express Resource Management Plan to be used for the
support and benefit of State institutions, and for other
purposes; H.R. 2611, To modify the boundary of the Little Rock
Central High School National Historic Site, and for other
purposes; H.R. 2615, To authorize the exchange of certain land
located in Gulf Islands National Seashore, Jackson County,
Mississippi, between the National Park Service and the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, and for other purposes; H.R. 2768, To
designate certain mountain peaks in the State of Colorado as
``Fowler Peak''nd ``Boskoff Peak''; H.R. 3115, To
provide for a land exchange involving Federal land in the
Superior National Forest in Minnesota acquired by the Secretary
of Agriculture through the Weeks Law, and for other purposes;
H.R. 3279, To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide that
extraction of helium from gas produced under a Federal mineral
lease shall maintain the lease as if the helium were oil and
gas; and H.R. 3281, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to facilitate the transfer to non-Federal ownership of
appropriate reclamation projects or facilities, and for other
purposes.
September 12, 2017--Markup convened for opening statements.
September 13, 2017--Markup reconvened for consideration of:
H.R. 3668, To provide for the preservation of sportsmen's
heritage and enhance recreation opportunities on Federal land,
and for other purposes.
October 3, 2017--Markup convened for opening statements.
October 4, 2017--Markup reconvened for consideration of:
H.R. 210, To facilitate the development of energy on Indian
lands by reducing Federal regulations that impede tribal
development of Indian lands, and for other purposes; H.R. 424,
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to reissue final rules
relating to listing of the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes
and Wyoming under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for
other purposes; H.R. 717, To amend the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 to require review of the economic cost of adding a
species to the list of endangered species or threatened
species, and for other purposes; H.R. 1274, To amend the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require making available to
States affected by determinations that species are endangered
species or threatened species all data that is the basis of
such determinations, and for other purposes; H.R. 1488, To
retitle Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes
National Park, and for other purposes; H.R. 2600, To provide
for the conveyance to the State of Iowa of the reversionary
interest held by the United States in certain land in
Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and for other purposes; H.R. 2603,
To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that
nonnative species in the United States shall not be treated as
endangered species or threatened species for purposes of that
Act; H.R. 2897, To authorize the Mayor of the District of
Columbia and the Director of the National Park Service to enter
into cooperative management agreements for the operation,
maintenance, and management of units of the National Park
System in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes; and
H.R. 3131, To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to
conform citizen suits under that Act with other existing law,
and for other purposes.
October 11, 2017--Markup held on H.R. 3990, To amend title
54, United States Code, to reform the Antiquities Act of 1906,
and for other purposes; and H. Res. 555, Of inquiry requesting
the President and directing the Secretary of the Interior to
transmit, respectively, certain documents and other information
to the House of Representatives relating to the executive order
on the review of designations under the Antiquities Act.
November 7, 2017--Markup convened for opening statements.
November 8, 2017--Markup reconvened for consideration of:
H.R. 995, To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the
Secretary of the Interior to amend regulations for racial
appropriateness; H.R. 1532, To reaffirm that certain land has
been taken into trust for the benefit of the Poarch Band of
Creek Indians, and for other purposes; H.R. 1800, To direct the
Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain Federal land to
facilitate scientific research supporting Federal space and
defense programs; H.R. 2504, To ensure fair treatment in
licensing requirements for the export of certain echinoderms;
H.R. 2907, To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the
Secretary of the Interior to develop and publish an all-of-the-
above quadrennial Federal onshore energy production strategy to
meet domestic energy needs, and for other purposes; H.R. 3469,
To designate the bridge located in Blount County, Tennessee, on
the Foothills Parkway (commonly known as ``Bridge 2'') as the
``Dean Stone Bridge''; H.R. 3905, To require congressional
approval of any mineral withdrawal or monument designation
involving the National Forest System lands in the State of
Minnesota, to provide for the renewal of certain mineral leases
in such lands, and for other purposes; H.R. 4239, To distribute
revenues from oil and gas leasing on the outer Continental
Shelf to certain coastal States, to require sale of approved
offshore oil and gas leases, to promote offshore wind lease
sales, and to empower States to manage the development and
production of oil and gas on available Federal land, and for
other purposes; and S. 140, To amend the White Mountain Apache
Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to clarify the
use of amounts in the WMAT Settlement Fund.
November 29, 2017--Markup convened for opening statements.
November 30, 2017--Markup reconvened for consideration of:
H.R. 1778, To provide that an order by the Secretary of the
Interior imposing a moratorium on Federal coal leasing shall
not take effect unless a joint resolution of approval is
enacted, and for other purposes; H.R. 2630, To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to La Paz
County, Arizona, and for other purposes; H.R. 3117, To prohibit
the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Chair
of the Council on Environmental Quality from considering the
social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, or the
social cost of nitrous oxide, in taking any action, and for
other purposes; H.R. 3607, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to establish fees for medical services provided in
units of the National Park System, and for other purposes; H.R.
3979, To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize
the volunteer services, community partnership, and refuge
education programs of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and
for other purposes; H.R. 4299, To provide for the indefinite
duration of certain military land withdrawals, to improve the
management of lands currently subject to such withdrawals and
to make the management of such lands more transparent, and for
other purposes; and H.R. 4300, To authorize Pacific Historic
Parks to establish a commemorative display to honor members of
the United States Armed Forces who served in the Pacific
Theater of World War II, and for other purposes.
December 12, 2017--Markup convened for opening statements.
December 13, 2017--Markup reconvened for consideration of:
H.R. 200, To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act to provide flexibility for fishery managers
and stability for fishermen, and for other purposes; H.R. 1157,
To clarify the United States interest in certain submerged
lands in the area of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, and
for other purposes; H.R. 1349, To amend the Wilderness Act to
ensure that the use of bicycles, wheelchairs, strollers, and
game carts is not prohibited in Wilderness Areas, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1350, To modify the boundary of Voyageurs
National Park in the State of Minnesota, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1675, To establish a national program to
identify and reduce losses from landslides hazards, to
establish a national 3D Elevation Program, and for other
purposes; H.R. 2888, To establish the Ste. Genevieve National
Historic Site in the State of Missouri, and for other purposes;
H.R. 3588, To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act to provide for management of red snapper in
the Gulf of Mexico, and for other purposes; H.R. 4033, To
reauthorize the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992; H.R.
4264, To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain
Bureau of Land Management land in Cache County, Utah, to the
City of Hyde Park for public purposes; H.R. 4266, To clarify
the boundary of Acadia National Park, and for other purposes;
H.R. 4465, To maintain annual base funding for the Upper
Colorado and San Juan fish recovery programs through fiscal
year 2023, to require a report on the implementation of those
programs, and for other purposes; H.R. 4475, To provide for the
establishment of the National Volcano Early Warning and
Monitoring System; H.R. 4568, To amend the Geothermal Steam Act
of 1970 to promote timely exploration for geothermal resources
under geothermal leases, and for other purposes; S. 825, To
provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Southeast
Alaska Regional Health Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska, and
for other purposes; and S. 1285, To allow the Confederated
Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, the
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Cow Creek Band of
Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Klamath Tribes, and the Burns
Paiute Tribes to lease or transfer certain lands.
January 10, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 219, To correct the
Swan Lake hydroelectric project survey boundary and to provide
for the conveyance of the remaining tract of land within the
corrected survey boundary to the State of Alaska; H.R. 801, To
amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Route 66
National Historic Trail, and for other purposes; H.R. 1220, To
establish the Adams Memorial Commission to carry out the
provisions of Public Law 107-62, and for other purposes; H.R.
2711, To designate a National Memorial to Fallen Educators at
the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas; H.R.
3133, To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to
reduce unnecessary permitting delays by clarifying associated
procedures to increase economic development and support coastal
restoration programs, and for other purposes; and S. 117, To
designate a mountain peak in the State of Montana as ``Alex
Diekmann Peak''.
January 17, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 146, To take certain
Federal lands in Tennessee into trust for the benefit of the
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and for other purposes; H.R.
443, To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the
suitability and feasibility of designating the James K. Polk
Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as a unit of the National Park
System, and for other purposes; H.R. 553, To redesignate
Gravelly Point Park, located along the George Washington
Memorial Parkway in Arlington County, Virginia, as the Nancy
Reagan Memorial Park, and for other purposes; H.R. 805, To
authorize the conveyance of and remove the reversionary
interest of the United States in certain lands in the City of
Tulare, California; H.R. 1417, To amend the National Law
Enforcement Museum Act to allow the Museum to acquire, receive,
possess, collect, ship, transport, import, and display
firearms, and for other purposes; H.R. 2987, To amend the
Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to establish the 21st Century
Conservation Service Corps to place youth and veterans in
national service positions to conserve, restore, and enhance
the great outdoors of the United States, and for other
purposes; H.R. 3058, To redesignate the Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial in the State of Missouri as the ``Gateway
Arch National Park''; H.R. 3225, To allow the Confederated
Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, the
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the Cow Creek Band of
Umpqua Tribe of Indians to lease or transfer certain lands; and
H.R. 3961, To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate
segments of the Kissimmee River and its tributaries in the
State of Florida for study for potential addition to the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.
February 14, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 835, To update the
map of, and modify the maximum acreage available for inclusion
in, the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument; H.R. 4134, To
redesignate the White Clouds Wilderness in the Sawtooth and
Challis National Forests in the State of Idaho as the Cecil D.
Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness in honor of former Idaho
Governor and Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus; and
H.R. 4895, To establish the Medgar Evers National Monument in
the State of Mississippi, and for other purposes.
March 7, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 520, To require the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to
more efficiently develop domestic sources of the minerals and
mineral materials of strategic and critical importance to the
economic and national security and manufacturing
competitiveness of the United States, and for other purposes;
H.R. 4731, To extend the retained use estate for the Caneel Bay
resort in St. John, United States Virgin Islands, and for other
purposes; and H.R. 5133, To reauthorize the Federal Land
Transaction Facilitation Act, and for other purposes.
March 14, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 401, To designate the
mountain at the Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, as
Devils Tower, and for other purposes; H.R. 3008, To authorize
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource
study of the George W. Bush Childhood Home, located at 1412
West Ohio Avenue, Midland, Texas, and for other purposes; H.R.
4609, To provide for the conveyance of a Forest Service site in
Dolores County, Colorado, to be used for a fire station; H.R.
4851, To establish the Kennedy-King National Historic Site in
the State of Indiana, and for other purposes; S. 35, A bill to
transfer administrative jurisdiction over certain Bureau of
Land Management land from the Secretary of the Interior to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for inclusion in the Black Hills
National Cemetery, and for other purposes; and S. 466, A bill
to clarify the description of certain Federal land under the
Northern Arizona Land Exchange and Verde River Basin
Partnership Act of 2005 to include additional land in the
Kaibab National Forest.
April 11, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 3144, To provide for
operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant
to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, and
for other purposes; H.R. 3392, To provide for stability of
title to certain land in the State of Louisiana, and for other
purposes; H.R. 3997, To waive the application fee for any
special use permit for veterans demonstrations and special
events at war memorials on Federal land, and for other
purposes; H.R. 4257, To maximize land management efficiencies,
promote land conservation, generate education funding, and for
other purposes; and H.R. 5005, To direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the
suitability and feasibility of establishing the birthplace of
James Weldon Johnson in Jacksonville, Florida, as a unit of the
National Park System.
April 18, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 788, To amend the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to facilitate the
establishment of additional or expanded public target ranges in
certain States; H.R. 1026, To revise the authorized route of
the North Country National Scenic Trail in northeastern
Minnesota and to extend the trail into Vermont to connect with
the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes;
H.R. 1037, To authorize the National Emergency Medical Services
Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the
District of Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes;
H.R. 2991, To establish the Susquehanna National Heritage Area
in the State of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes; H.R.
3400, To promote innovative approaches to outdoor recreation on
Federal land and to open up opportunities for collaboration
with non-Federal partners, and for other purposes; H.R. 4069,
To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify the treatment
of authentic Alaska Native articles of handicraft containing
nonedible migratory bird parts, and for other purposes; and
H.R. 4645, To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate
certain segments of East Rosebud Creek in Carbon County,
Montana, as components of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
May 8, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 221, To reauthorize the
Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1791, To establish the Mountains to Sound
Greenway National Heritage Area in the State of Washington, and
for other purposes; H.R. 2591, To amend the Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize the funding of wildlife
conservation, and for other purposes; H.R. 3535, To restore
Federal recognition to the Ruffey Rancheria of California, and
for other purposes; H.R. 4032, To confirm undocumented Federal
rights-of-way or easements on the Gila River Indian
Reservation, clarify the northern boundary of the Gila River
Indian Community's Reservation, to take certain land located in
Maricopa County and Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the
benefit of the Gila River Indian Community, and for other
purposes; H.R. 4506, To provide incentives to encourage tribal
job creation and economic activity, and for other purposes;
H.R. 4689, To authorize early repayment of obligations to the
Bureau of Reclamation within the Northport Irrigation District
in the State of Nebraska; H.R. 5317, To repeal section 2141 of
the Revised Statutes to remove the prohibition on certain
alcohol manufacturing on Indian lands; and H.R. 5655, To
establish the Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument in the
State of Kentucky as a unit of the National Park System, and
for other purposes.
May 16, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 224, To amend the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation of polar
bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date
the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes;
H.R. 857, To provide for conservation and enhanced recreation
activities in the California Desert Conservation Area, and for
other purposes; H.R. 3045, To amend the National Trails System
Act to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and
for other purposes; H.R. 3186, To establish an Every Kid
Outdoors program, and for other purposes; H.R. 3916, To amend
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to vest in the Secretary of
the Interior functions under that Act with respect to species
of fish that spawn in fresh or estuarine waters and migrate to
ocean waters, and species of fish that spawn in ocean waters
and migrate to fresh waters; and H.R. 4419, To facilitate and
streamline the Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian
Affairs processes for creating or expanding certain water
projects, and for other purposes.
June 6, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 3777, To direct the
Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain National Forest
System land containing the Nephi Work Center in Juab County,
Utah, to Juab County; H.R. 4528, To make technical amendments
to certain marine fish conservation statutes, and for other
purposes; H.R. 4824, To allow certain State permitting
authority to encourage expansion of broadband service to rural
communities, and for other purposes; H.R. 5597, To provide for
the expansion of the Desert Tortoise Habitat Conservation Plan,
Washington County, Utah; H.R. 5751, To redesignate Golden Spike
National Historic Site and to establish the Transcontinental
Railroad Network; and H.R. 5875, To amend the Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Federal Aid in
Sport Fish Restoration Act, to provide parity for United States
territories and the District of Columbia, to make technical
corrections to such Acts and related laws, and for other
purposes.
June 13, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 2365, To convey certain
Federal land in California to Apple Valley, California,
Twentynine Palms, California, Barstow, California, and
Victorville, California; H.R. 2606, To amend the Act of August
4, 1947 (commonly known as the Stigler Act), with respect to
restrictions applicable to Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes
of Oklahoma, and for other purposes; H.R. 3744, To provide that
an Indian group may receive Federal acknowledgment as an Indian
tribe only by an Act of Congress; H.R. 5787, To amend the
Coastal Barrier Resources Act to give effect to more accurate
maps of units of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources
System that were produced by digital mapping of such units, and
for other purposes; and H.R. 5874, To amend the Indian Health
Care Improvement Act to improve the recruitment and retention
of employees in the Indian Health Service, restore
accountability in the Indian Health Service, improve health
services, and for other purposes.
June 20, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 6088, To amend the
Mineral Leasing Act to authorize notifications of permit to
drill, and for other purposes; and H.R. 6106, To amend the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 to clarify the authorized categorical
exclusions and authorize additional categorical exclusions to
streamline the oil and gas permitting process, and for other
purposes.
June 27, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 5859, To amend the
Mineral Leasing Act to require that a portion of revenues from
new Federal mineral and geothermal leases be paid to States for
use to supplement the education of students in kindergarten
through grade 12 and public support of institutions of higher
education, and for other purposes; H.R. 6087, To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to recover the cost of processing
administrative protests for oil and gas lease sales,
applications for permits to drill, and right of way
applications, and for other purposes; H.R. 6088 (continued
consideration from June 20), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act
to authorize notifications of permit to drill, and for other
purposes; and H.R. 6107, To clarify that Bureau of Land
Management shall not require permits for oil and gas activities
conducted on non-Federal surface estate to access subsurface
mineral estate that is less than 50 percent Federally owned,
and for other purposes.
July 11, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 577, To designate a peak
in the State of Nevada as Maude Frazier Mountain; H.R. 1482, To
authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to maintain or replace
certain facilities and structures for commercial recreation
services at Smith Gulch in Idaho, and for other purposes; H.R.
3764, To extend the Federal recognition to the Little Shell
Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, and for other purposes;
H.R. 5613, To designate the Quindaro Townsite in Kansas City,
Kansas, as a National Historic Landmark, and for other
purposes; H.R. 6077, Recognizing the National Comedy Center in
Jamestown, New York; and H.R. 6302, To enact as law certain
regulations relating to the taking of double-crested
cormorants.
July 18, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 5171, To amend the
Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to
provide for the establishment of a Ski Area Fee Retention
Account; H.R. 5347, To facilitate resolution of environmental
remediation and reclamation, resolve potential liability of the
United States, and promote economic development in Lyon County,
Nevada, and for other purposes; H.R. 5532, To redesignate the
Reconstruction Era National Monument as the Reconstruction Era
National Historical Park, and for other purposes; H.R. 5556, To
provide for transparency and reporting related to direct and
indirect costs incurred by the Bonneville Power Administration,
the Western Area Power Administration, the Southwestern Power
Administration, and the Southeastern Power Administration
related to compliance with any Federal environmental laws
impacting the conservation of fish and wildlife, and for other
purposes; H.R. 5923, To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to
exchange certain public lands in Ouachita National Forest, and
for other purposes; H.R. 5979, To establish the Mill Springs
Battlefield National Monument in the State of Kentucky as a
unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes; H.R.
6038, To establish a procedure for the conveyance of certain
Federal property around the Dickinson Reservoir in the State of
North Dakota; H.R. 6039, To establish a procedure for the
conveyance of certain Federal property around the Jamestown
Reservoir in the State of North Dakota, and for other purposes;
H.R. 6040, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey
certain land and facilities of the Central Valley Project; and
H.R. 6146, To authorize, direct, expedite, and facilitate a
land exchange in Yavapai County, Arizona, and for other
purposes.
September 5, 2018--Markup held on H.Res. 418, Urging the
Secretary of the Interior to recognize the cultural
significance of Rib Mountain by adding it to the National
Register of Historic Places; H.Res. 460, Requesting the
Secretary of the Interior to recognize the rich history of the
logging industry and the importance of lumberjack sports by
adding the Lumberjack Bowl to the National Register of Historic
Places; H.R. 5420, To authorize the acquisition of land for
addition to the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic
Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes; H.R.
5513, To provide for an exchange of lands with San Bernardino
County, California, to enhance management of lands within the
San Bernardino National Forest, and for other purposes; H.R.
6013, To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to establish
January 31 of each year as the Federal closing date for duck
hunting season and to establish special duck hunting days for
youths, veterans, and active military personnel, and for other
purposes; H.R. 6287, To provide competitive grants for the
operation, security, and maintenance of certain memorials to
victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; H.R.
6299, To modify the process of the Secretary of the Interior
for examining certain mining claims on Federal lands in Storey
County, Nevada, to facilitate certain pinyon-juniper-related
projects in Lincoln County, Nevada, to modify the boundaries of
certain wilderness areas in the State of Nevada, to fully
implement the White Pine County Conservation, Recreation, and
Development Act, and for other purposes; H.R. 6599, To modify
the application of temporary limited appointment regulations to
the National Park Service, and for other purposes; H.R. 6665,
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to apply to
territories of the United States, to establish offshore wind
lease sale requirements, to provide dedicated funding for coral
reef conservation, and for other purposes; H.R. 6678, To direct
the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain National Park
Service land in Fairfax County, Virginia, to the Friends of the
Claude Moore Farm; H.R. 6687, To direct the Secretary of the
Interior to manage the Point Reyes National Seashore in the
State of California consistent with Congress' longstanding
intent to maintain working dairies and ranches on agricultural
property as part of the seashore's unique historic, cultural,
scenic and natural values, and for other purposes; and S. 2857,
A bill to designate the Nordic Museum in Seattle, Washington,
as the ``National Nordic Museum'', and for other purposes.
September, 13, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 6510, To
establish, fund, and provide for the use of amounts in a
National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund
to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park
Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of
Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education, and for other
purposes. (MU #1)
September 13, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 502, To permanently
reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund; and H.R.
6771, To amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006,
and for other purposes. (MU #2)
September 26, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 4644, To withdraw
certain National Forest System land in the Emigrant Crevice
area located in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, Park
County, Montana, from the mining and mineral leasing laws of
the United States, and for other purposes; H.R. 5636, To
designate additions to the Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita
National Forest, and for other purposes; H.R. 5706, To
establish the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in the State of
Hawai'i and the Honouliuli National Historic Site in the State
of Hawai'i, and for other purposes; H.R. 5727, To establish the
San Rafael Swell Western Heritage and Historic Mining National
Conservation Area in the State of Utah, to designate wilderness
areas in the State, to provide for certain land conveyances,
and for other purposes; H.R. 6064, To rename the Oyster Bay
National Wildlife Refuge as the Congressman Lester Wolff
National Wildlife Refuge; H.R. 6118, To direct the Secretary of
the Interior to annually designate at least one city in the
United States as an ``American World War II Heritage City'',
and for other purposes; H.R. 6255, To amend title 18, United
States Code, to establish measures to combat invasive lionfish,
and for other purposes; H.R. 6666, To authorize the Secretary
of the Interior to grant to States and local governments
easements and rights-of-way over Federal land within Gateway
National Recreation Area for construction, operation, and
maintenance of projects for control and prevention of flooding
and shoreline erosion; H.R. 6682, To amend the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 to improve the transparency
and oversight of land conveyances involving disposal or
acquisition of National Forest System lands or Bureau of Land
Management public lands, to provide protections and certainty
for private landowners related to resurveying such public
lands, and for other purposes; and H.R. 6784, To provide for
removal of the gray wolf in the contiguous 48 States from the
List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife published under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973.
September 26, 2018--Legislative hearing held on H.R. 3608,
To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require
publication on the Internet of the basis for determinations
that species are endangered species or threatened species, and
for other purposes; H.R. 6344, To amend the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 to encourage voluntary conservation efforts; H.R.
6345, To provide for greater county and State consultation with
regard to petitions under the Endangered Species Act of 1973,
and for other purposes; H.R. 6346, To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to provide for consideration of the
totality of conservation measures in determining the impact of
proposed Federal agency action; H.R. 6354, To amend the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit designation as
critical habitat of certain areas in artificial water diversion
or delivery facilities; H.R. 6355, To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to define petition backlogs and provide
expedited means for discharging petitions during such a
backlog; H.R. 6356, To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973
to provide for improved precision in the listing, delisting,
and downlisting of endangered species and potentially
endangered species; H.R. 6360, To amend the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 to provide for greater certainty and improved
planning for incidental take permit holders; and H.R. 6364, To
amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to increase State and
local involvement in management plans.
September 27, 2018--Markup held on H. Res. 792, Urging the
Secretary of the Interior to recognize the historical
significance of Roberto Clemente's place of death near Pinones
in Loiza, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register of
Historic Places; H.R. 237, To reauthorize the Integrated
Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, and for other
purposes; H.R. 3608, To amend the Endangered Species Act of
1973 to require publication on the Internet of the basis for
determinations that species are endangered species or
threatened species, and for other purposes; H.R. 6108, To
provide for partnerships among State and local governments,
regional entities, and the private sector to preserve,
conserve, and enhance the visitor experience at nationally
significant battlefields of the American Revolution, War of
1812, and Civil War, and for other purposes; H.R. 6345, To
provide for greater county and State consultation with regard
to petitions under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for
other purposes; H.R. 6346, To amend the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 to provide for consideration of the totality of
conservation measures in determining the impact of proposed
Federal agency action; H.R. 6355, To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to define petition backlogs and provide
expedited means for discharging petitions during such a
backlog; H.R. 6365, To establish the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo Land Grant-Merced Claims Commission and other Federal
policies for the restoration of land for hardships resulting
from the incomplete and inequitable implementation of the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, to affirm Land Grant-Merced
property rights protected by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
and for other purposes; H.R. 6434, To amend section 7 of Public
Law 100-515 (16 U.S.C. 1244 note) to promote continued use of
the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory at Gateway
National Recreation Area by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration; and S. 607, A bill to establish a
business incubators program within the Department of the
Interior to promote economic development in Indian reservation
communities.
November 15, 2018--Markup held on H.R. 3593, To amend the
Wilderness Act to authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection
to conduct certain activities to secure the international land
borders of the United States, and for other purposes; H.R.
5025, To amend the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries
Convention Implementation Act to limit the imposition of
penalties against a person fishing on a United States flag
fishing vessel in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean based on a
report by an observer on such a vessel; H.R. 6507, To amend the
Oil Region National Heritage Area Act to reauthorize the Oil
Region National Heritage Area, and for other purposes; H.R.
6602, To reauthorize the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail
Route, and for other purposes; H.R. 6652, To direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain facilities,
easements, and rights-of-way to the Kennewick Irrigation
District, and for other purposes; H.R. 6939, To protect and
ensure multiple use and public access to public lands in
Wyoming per the request of the respective counties, and for
other purposes; S. 245, A bill to amend the Indian Tribal
Energy Development and Self Determination Act of 2005, and for
other purposes; and S. 669, A bill to authorize the Secretary
of the Interior to assess sanitation and safety conditions at
Bureau of Indian Affairs facilities that were constructed to
provide affected Columbia River Treaty tribes access to
traditional fishing grounds and expend funds on construction of
facilities and structures to improve those conditions, and for
other purposes.
III. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
June 22, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining the Department
of the Interior's Spending Priorities and the President's
Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Proposal.''
October 25, 2017--Hearing held on ``Empowering State Based
Management Solutions for Greater Sage Grouse Recovery.''
November 7, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining Challenges in
Puerto Rico's Recovery and the Role of the Financial Oversight
and Management Board.''
November 14, 2017--Hearing held on ``The Need for
Transparent Financial Accountability in Territories' Disaster
Recovery Efforts.''
November 29, 2017--Hearing held on ``Modernizing NEPA for
the 21st Century.''
March 6, 2018--Hearing held on ``Exploring Innovative
Solutions to Reduce the Department of the Interior's
Maintenance Backlog.''
March 15, 2018--Hearing held on ``Policy Priorities at the
Department of the Interior and the Administration's Fiscal Year
2019 Budget Proposal.''
April 25, 2018--Hearing held on ``The Weaponization of the
National Environmental Policy Act and the Implications of
Environmental Lawfare.''
June 1, 2018--Field hearing held in Grand Junction,
Colorado, on ``Examining the Natural Gas and Oil Shale
Opportunities in Western Colorado.''
June 11, 2018--Field hearing held in Alpena, Michigan, on
``Examining Effects of Mismanagement of the Cormorant in the
Great Lakes Region.''
July 25, 2018--Hearing held on ``Management Crisis at the
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and Implications for
Recovery.''
September 10, 2018--Field hearing held in Pasco,
Washington, on ``The Federal Columbia River Power System: The
Economic Lifeblood & Way of Life for the Pacific Northwest.''
September 17, 2018--Field hearing held in Hot Springs,
Arkansas, on ``Historic Leasing in the National Park System:
Assessing Challenges and Building on Successes.''
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
I. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Chaired by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), the Subcommittee worked
this Congress to advance federalist principles for our nation's
energy management on federal lands and waters, to examine
alternative uses of energy resources, and to oversee American
mining and reclamation activities across the country.
Additionally, the Subcommittee continued its efforts to ensure
proper enforcement of the Puerto Rico Oversight Management and
Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), enacted in the prior Congress
(P.L. 114-187).
Returning Federalism and Regulatory Sensibility to Federal Lands and
Waters
The Subcommittee held a series of legislative and oversight
hearings focused on the burdens American businesses face when
attempting to produce energy on federal lands. For instance, in
the Permian Basin producers were met with permitting delays of
over 300 days when submitting an Application for a Permit to
Drill (APD) to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); when
similar APDs were submitted to the New Mexico Oil and Gas
Conservation Division, approval took on average eight days.
These delays not only impact state budgetary decisions,
limiting revenues for school resources, fire and safety
officials, but also hinder America's energy security. As such,
the Subcommittee's legislative efforts focused on granting the
states greater regulatory control over Federal lands located
within a state's respective borders.
In October 2017, the Subcommittee developed two separate
bills, the ASTRO Act and the ONSHORE Act, which would later be
combined into H.R. 4239, the SECURE American Energy Act. H.R.
4239, which was successfully marked up on November 7, promoted
both onshore and offshore regulatory reforms. This bill would
allow for state permitting of oil and gas activities on federal
land, an expedited process for offshore geophysical surveys,
and revenue sharing for coastal states with untapped offshore
resources.
In June 2018, the Subcommittee marked up four bills aimed
at further improving the Federal onshore oil and gas leasing
and permitting process: H.R. 6106, the Common Sense Permitting
Act; H.R. 6107, the Ending Duplicative Permitting Act; H.R.
6087, the Removing Barriers to Energy Independence Act, and
H.R. 6088, the SPEED Act. These bills seek to reduce
duplicative regulatory requirements for oil and gas development
on Federal land while ensuring appropriate environmental
safeguards remain in place.
Continuing to advance greater state control, the
Subcommittee discussed the Enhancing State Management of
Federal Lands and Waters Act in June of 2018. This novel
legislation would grant states greater control of leasing
decisions on Federal lands and waters, by incentivizing states
via increased revenue sharing to promote production or by
allowing states opposed to natural resource production to
reimburse the government for lost revenues.
Finally, from the SECURE American Energy Act, which would
raise the cap on revenues eligible for disbursement to Gulf
states, to the advancement of H.R. 6763, the Domestic Offshore
Energy Reinvestment Act of 2018, creating parity for Gulf
states in the amount of federal revenues realized, the
Subcommittee turned much of its attention towards advancing
equitable revenue sharing for offshore-producing Gulf of Mexico
states.
Examining Alternative Uses of Energy Resources
Outside production of oil and natural gas, the Subcommittee
highlighted developing opportunities and technologies across
the federal estate. In a June 2017 legislative hearing, the
Subcommittee addressed the effect the shutdown of the Amarillo
helium reserve would have on America's helium supply, and the
need for legislation that would allow for the production of
helium on Federal lands. As an outgrowth of this hearing, H.R.
3279, the Helium Extraction Act of 2017, which allows the BLM
to lease Federal land solely for the production of helium, was
drafted. H.R. 3279 passed the House by suspension in November
2017 and was subsequently marked up in the Senate.
Additionally, the Subcommittee promoted the development of
renewable resources on Federal lands through H.R. 825, the
Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act and H.R. 4568,
the Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act. Both
acts would ease the regulatory burdens for renewable
development on Federal lands. Notably, the Subcommittee held
one of the first hearings in the House of Representatives on
offshore wind, advocating for three bills that would provide
certainty to the nascent offshore wind industry, allow for the
leasing of offshore tracts surrounding the nation's
territories, and promote greater job development in the wind
industry.
Overseeing Mining and Reclamation Activities Across the Country
Similar to the Subcommittee's onshore and offshore
activities, greater state involvement and regulatory
efficiencies were sought in regard to mining and reclamation
operations.
In October 2017, the House passed on suspension H.R. 2937,
the Community Reclamation Partnerships Act, which would
facilitate cooperation between states and entities to reclaim
abandoned coal mines. Another major effort to address hazards
of abandoned coal mines and their negative impact on
surrounding areas was H.R. 1731, the RECLAIM Act of 2017, which
would spur development in economically depressed coal-mining
communities.
The Subcommittee also advanced two separate bills in July
2017 aimed at limiting the regulatory and executive overreach
of the former administration. H.R. 3117, the Transparency and
Honesty in Energy Regulations Act of 2017 would prohibit the
use of ambiguous metrics, including the social costs of carbon,
methane, or nitrous oxide as justification in environmental
rulemakings; while H.R. 1778 limited the authority of the
Secretary of the Interior to impose moratoria on coal mining on
Federal land.
The Subcommittee also advanced H.R. 520, the National
Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2017, which
would allow the United States to more efficiently develop the
nation's strategic and critical minerals and streamline the
permitting process for mineral development. H.R. 520 was passed
by the House as an amendment to the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. The House also passed
H.R. 3905, Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National
Forest Act, legislation to protect economic opportunities for
Minnesotans through mining for decades to come. In November
2018, the House passed on suspension H.R. 4033, the National
Geologic Mapping Act Reauthorization Act, maintaining funding
for geologic maps and the continued discovery of mineral
resources, tracking of soil and rock formations, and the
identification of natural hazards and abandoned mine lands.
Ensuring Proper Execution of the Puerto Rico Oversight Management and
Economic Stability Act
The Subcommittee continued to lead oversight efforts
relating to PROMESA. Such efforts were thrust into the national
spotlight with the devastating arrival of Hurricanes Irma and
Maria in September 2017, which re-highlighted the fiscal and
energy crisis Puerto Ricans face on a daily basis.
In response to the hurricanes, and the ensuing
mismanagement, the Committee held two oversight hearings in
November 2017 both of which examined the challenges facing
Puerto Rico's recovery and the respective roles of the
Financial Oversight and Management Board and government of
Puerto Rico. In turn, these hearings resulted in the inclusion
of Section 21210 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L.
115-123), which required the Governor of Puerto Rico, in
consultation with relevant Federal agencies and the Federal
Oversight and Management Board, to develop a disaster recovery
plan, which defined the priorities, goals, and expected
outcomes of Puerto Rico's recovery efforts.
Finally, in July 2018, the Committee held a hearing
concerning the management crisis at the Puerto Rico Electric
Power Authority (PREPA). That hearing resulted in a bipartisan
consensus that acknowledged for Puerto Rico to have reliable,
cost-effective energy: (1) PREPA must be depoliticized, and (2)
a strong, independent regulator must be in place to oversee the
transformation of PREPA and its associated electricity rates.
II. LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS
April 5, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 1731, To amend the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to provide
funds to States and Indian tribes for the purpose of promoting
economic revitalization, diversification, and development in
economically distressed communities through the reclamation and
restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by
coal mining carried out before August 3, 1977, and for other
purposes.
May 24, 2017--Hearing held on Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to
authorize partnerships between States and non-governmental
entities for the purpose of reclaiming and restoring land and
water resources adversely affected by coal mining activities
before August 3, 1977, and other purposes. ``Community
Reclamation Partnerships Act.''
June 21, 2017--Hearing held on Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide that extraction of
helium from gas produced under a Federal mineral lease shall
maintain the lease as if the helium were oil and gas. ``Helium
Extraction Act of 2017.''
July 27, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 1778, To provide that
an order by the Secretary of the Interior imposing a moratorium
on Federal coal leasing shall not take effect unless a joint
resolution of approval is enacted, and for other purposes; H.R.
3117, To prohibit the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of the
Interior, and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality
from considering the social cost of carbon, the social cost of
methane, or the social cost of nitrous oxide, in taking any
action, and for other purposes; and Discussion Draft, H.R. __,
To require congressional approval of any mineral withdrawal or
monument designation involving the National Forest System lands
in the State of Minnesota, to provide for the renewal of
certain mineral leases in such lands, and for other purposes.
September 6, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 2661, To amend the
Mineral Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to
convey to a State all right, title, and interest in and to a
percentage of the amount of royalties and other amounts
required to be paid to the State under that Act with respect to
public land and deposits in the State, and for other purposes;
H.R. 2907, To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the
Secretary of the Interior to develop and publish an all-of-the-
above quadrennial Federal onshore energy production strategy to
meet domestic energy needs, and for other purposes; and H.R.
3565, To achieve domestic energy independence by empowering
States to control the exploration, development, and production
of oil and gas on all available Federal land, and for other
purposes.
October 11, 2017--Hearing held on Discussion Draft H.R. __,
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to distribute
revenues from oil and gas leasing on the outer Continental
Shelf to certain coastal States, and for other purposes.
``Accessing Strategic Resources Offshore Act'' or ``ASTRO
Act.''
October 13, 2017--Hearing held on Discussion Draft H.R. __,
To achieve domestic energy independence by empowering States to
manage the development and production of oil and gas on
available Federal land, and for other purposes. ``Opportunities
for the Nation and States to Harness Onshore Resources'' or
``ONSHORE Act.''
November 7, 2017--Hearing held on Discussion Draft of H.R.
__, To distribute revenues from oil and gas leasing on the
outer Continental Shelf to certain coastal States, to require
sale of approved and scheduled offshore oil and gas leases, to
establish offshore wind lease sale requirements, and to empower
States to manage the development and production of oil and gas
on available Federal land, and for other purposes.
November 30, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 1675, To establish
a national program to identify and reduce losses from landslide
hazards, to establish a national 3D Elevation Program, and for
other purposes; H.R. 4033, To reauthorize the National Geologic
Mapping Act of 1992; Discussion Draft H.R. __, To amend the
Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to promote timely exploration for
geothermal resources under geothermal leases, and for other
purposes. ``Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands
Act''; and Discussion Draft H.R. __, To amend the Geothermal
Steam Act of 1970 to promote timely exploration for geothermal
resources under geothermal leases, and for other purposes.
``Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act.''
February 15, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 520, To require the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to
more efficiently develop domestic sources of the minerals and
mineral materials of strategic and critical importance to the
economic and national security and manufacturing
competitiveness of the United States, and for other purposes.
April 18, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 3846, To amend the
Mineral Leasing Act to require payment to counties of a portion
of certain revenues received by the United States under Federal
oil and gas leases, and for other purposes.
June 6, 2018--Hearing held on Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to recover the cost of
processing the cost of processing administrative protests for
oil and gas lease sales, applications for permits to drill, and
right of way applications, and for other purposes; Discussion
Draft H.R. __, To clarify the categorical exclusions authorized
by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and authorize additional
categorical exclusions to streamline the oil and gas permitting
process, and for other purposes; Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
amend the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize notifications of
permit to drill, and for other purposes; and Discussion Draft
H.R. __, To clarify that Bureau of Land Management shall not
require permits for oil and gas activities conducted on non-
Federal surface estate to access subsurface mineral estate that
is less than 50 percent Federally owned, and for other
purposes.
June 14, 2018--Hearing held on Discussion Draft H.R. __,
``Enhancing State Management of Federal Lands and Waters Act''.
June 21, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 4644, To withdraw
certain National Forest System land in the Emigrant Crevice
area located in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, Park
County, Montana, from the mining and mineral leasing laws of
the United States, and for other purposes; and H.R. 5859, To
amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require that a portion of
revenues from new Federal mineral and geothermal leases be paid
to States for use to supplement the education of students in
kindergarten through grade 12 and public support of
institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
June 26, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 5291, To establish an
offshore wind career training grant program, and for other
purposes; Discussion Draft H.R. __, To amend the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act to apply to territories of the
United States, to establish offshore wind lease sale
requirements, to provide dedicated funding for coral reef
conservation, and for other purposes ``Offshore Renewable
Energy for Territories Act''; and Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide for a
leasing program for offshore renewable energy, and for other
purposes ``National OCS Renewable Energy leasing Program Act''.
III. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
March 21, 2017--Hearing held on ``The Importance of
Domestically Sourced Raw Materials for Infrastructure
Projects.''
May 17, 2017--Hearing held on ``Reviewing Recent State
Successes with the Rigs to Reefs Program.''
June 7, 2017--Hearing held on the ``Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement's Abandoned Mine Lands
Program.''
June 29, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining Access to Oil
and Gas Development on Federal Lands.''
July 12, 2017--Hearing held on ``Evaluating Federal
Offshore Oil and Gas Development on the Outer Continental
Shelf.''
July 18, 2017--Hearing held on ``Promoting Onshore Oil and
Gas Development in Alaska.''
July 20, 2017--Hearing held on ``Seeking Innovative
Solutions for the Future of Hardrock Mining.''
December 12, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining Consequences
of America's Growing Dependence on Foreign Minerals.''
January 18, 2018--Hearing held on ``Examining the
Department of the Interior's Actions to Eliminate Onshore
Energy Burdens.''
January 19, 2018--Hearing held on ``Deficiencies in the
Permitting Process for Offshore Seismic Research.''
February 27, 2018--Hearing held on ``Liquefied Natural Gas
and U.S. Geopolitics.''
March 15, 2018--Hearing held on ``Abandoned Hardrock Mines
and the Role of Non-Governmental Entities.''
April 12, 2018--Hearing held on ``The Benefits of the
Navajo Generation Station on Local Economies.''
April 26, 2018--Hearing held on ``Examining the Critical
Importance of Offshore Energy Revenue Sharing for Gulf
Producing States.''
July 24, 2018--Hearing held on ``Assessing Innovative and
Alternative Uses of Coal.''
Subcommittee on Federal Lands
I. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Chaired by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), the Subcommittee
advanced increased public access to public lands, restoration
of sound forest and rangeland management practices, and the
reestablishment of the federal government as a good neighbor to
the communities affected by land management decisions.
Restoring Public Access to Public Lands
The Subcommittee worked this Congress to ensure public
access to public lands for recreational enjoyment and economic
development. The Subcommittee held oversight hearings to
investigate how Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park
Service (NPS), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) policies stymied
economic growth, historic uses of land, and recreational
opportunities. The Subcommittee advanced policies to restore
sensible access for America's sportsmen and women to ensure
they can continue to hunt, fish, shoot, hike, and recreate on
public lands. The House passed Chairman Bishop's H.R. 6013, the
Migratory Bird Framework and Hunting Opportunities for Veterans
Act, which allows states to identify special duck hunting days
for youths and members of the Armed Forces to encourage hunting
activity on federal land. In addition, the Committee marked-up
and passed H.R. 3668, the SHARE Act introduced by Rep. Jeff
Duncan (R-SC), to protect sportsmen's Second Amendment rights
and reduce regulations that limit or prohibit recreational and
sporting activities on public lands. The Committee also
reported Chairman Bishop's H.R. 3400, the Recreation Not Red-
Tape Act, which expands outdoor recreation opportunities by
removing bureaucratic hurdles in the permitting and recreation
pass process, establishes a new National Recreation Area
System, and facilitates private-sector volunteer maintenance
programs across public lands.
The Subcommittee also investigated how current federal land
use regulations for Wilderness areas restrict access to public
lands for certain means of transportation. Although the
Wilderness Act allows travel across wilderness lands on foot
and with the use of horses and pack animals, the use of
bicycles, wheelchairs and other human-powered means of
transportation is largely prohibited. As a result, this policy
restricts access to some of our most special federal lands for
more than 40 million recreational cyclists and countless more
Americans with disabilities. As a result, the Committee
advanced H.R. 1349, introduced by Subcommittee Chairman
McClintock, which amends the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(c))
to permit the use of bicycles, strollers and other human
powered wheeled implements, and motorized and non-motorized
wheelchairs in wilderness.
Promoting Sound Management of Public Lands
The Subcommittee also focused on promoting sound management
of public lands and held several hearings examining the impact
of litigation on national forests, the consequences of
catastrophic wildfires, tribal, local, and state forestry
practices, and the ways that forest health degrade when there
is a lack of active management. The Committee reported out and
the House passed H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act
of 2017, to return resiliency and promote health in our fire-
prone, overgrown national forests. Several legislative
proposals that originated as a part of H.R. 2936 were enacted
into law as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018
(P.L. 115-141) and the 2018 Farm Bill (P.L. 115-334) including:
increasing stewardship contracting terms up to 20-years,
reforming Good Neighbor Authority to authorize repair and
reconstruction of forest roads, amending Resource Advisory
Committee quorum requirements to promote more effective and
locally driven appointments and fixing the problem of fire
borrowing.
The Subcommittee worked to improve management within the
NPS and reduce the Department of the Interior's $16 billion
deferred maintenance backlog. The Subcommittee held multiple
oversight and legislative hearings on the subject, which
culminated in the Committee reporting out Chairman Bishop's
bipartisan H.R. 6510, the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands
Act. The bill creates a fund to address the growing backlog and
take care of needed infrastructure improvements on our public
lands. The Subcommittee also investigated new and innovative
ways to improve visitor experiences, including traveling to Hot
Springs National Park in Arkansas to examine historic leasing
agreements in the National Park System.
The Subcommittee also advanced solutions to ensure that
parks with the greatest levels of visitor demand have the
resources they need to continue providing high quality visitor
services. The Committee reported, and the House passed
subcommittee Chairman McClintock's H.R. 3607, which creates a
fund in the Treasury to allow the NPS to retain insurance
revenues and donations to help offset the costs of providing
medical services within its units. Revenue retention will
support a high standard of patient care within our parks at no
cost to taxpayers.
In addition, the Subcommittee crafted a permanent
reauthorization of the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation
Act (FLTFA). This legislation, H.R. 5133, provided meaningful
improvements to the program, ensuring it will continue to serve
as a tool for responsible conservation efforts, thoughtful land
use decisions and greater economic development opportunities.
H.R. 5133, the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act
Reauthorization of 2018 passed out of the Committee and
advanced to become law (P.L. 115-141).
Making the Federal Government a Good Neighbor to Local Communities
One of the Subcommittee's top priorities is ensuring that
the federal government acts as a good neighbor to local
communities impacted by public lands. Americans in the Western
United States are too often hindered by the large presence of
checkerboard federal land in the West, which restricts local
tax bases and creates challenges for expanding rural
communities. The Subcommittee worked to remedy this by
advancing legislation to convey excess federal land to local
cities and counties in support of local priorities. Among the
land conveyance legislation that the Subcommittee heard and
advanced through the House were bills to allow for the building
of much needed fire stations in Colorado and Utah\1\ and remove
federal restrictions limiting the growth of local
institutions.\2\
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\1\e.g. H.R. 4609, the ``West Fork Fire Station Act of 2017''
introduced by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO); H.R. 3777, the ``Juab County
Conveyance Act of 2018'' introduced by Rep. Mia Love (R-UT).
\2\e.g. H.R. 5923, the ``Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act''
introduced the Subcommittee Vice Chairman Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR);
H.R. 6146, the ``Cottonwood Land Exchange Act of 2018'' introduced by
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ).
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The Subcommittee also focused on giving certainty to the
communities and Americans that rely on public lands to make a
living and support their way of life. The Subcommittee held an
oversight hearing on July 12, 2018 to examine the importance of
livestock grazing on public lands to the communities
surrounding them. At this hearing, the Subcommittee evaluated
solutions to address regulatory burdens that weigh on public
lands communities and examined potential reforms to better
align land management policies with the needs of communities
across Western states. One example of these efforts is H.R.
6687 introduced by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), which provides
certainty to the multi-generational family dairies operating
within the Point Reyes National Seashore in California. The
bill, which requires the Secretary of the Interior to continue
managing the Seashore in a way that preserves the working
dairies and ranches, passed Committee on September 5, 2018.
Antiquities Act Oversight
The Subcommittee continues to be concerned about abuses of
the Antiquities Act. In May 2017, the Subcommittee held an
oversight hearing examining executive overreach and
politicization of the Act. This hearing focused on national
monuments designated without significant local input or support
as well as national monuments with excessively large or
restrictive designations. Following this important oversight
into the misuse of the Antiquities Act, Chairman Bishop, along
with all five Natural Resources Subcommittee Chairmen,
introduced H.R. 3990, the National Monument Creation and
Protection Act. This legislation reforms to the Antiquities Act
to allow for the protection of actual antiquities without the
disenfranchisement of local voices and perspectives. H.R. 3990
was marked-up and reported by the Full Committee in October
2017.
The Subcommittee also focused its attention on addressing
two especially egregious Antiquities Act designations in Utah,
the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument proclamation in
1996 and the Bears Ears National Monument proclamation in 2016.
The Antiquities Act specifies that national monuments ``be
confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and
management of the objects to be protected.'' Neither of these
monument designations fell within the letter or intent of the
law.
The original 1.7 million-acre Grand Staircase Escalante
monument designation was hastily made without local input or
proper notification during the closing days of President Bill
Clinton's first term. On December 14, 2017, the Subcommittee
held a legislative hearing on H.R. 4558, the Grand Staircase
Escalante Enhancement Act, introduced by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-
UT). H.R. 4558 represents a locally negotiated effort that
balances the protection of important antiquities with
responsible land management that meets the unique needs of the
rural communities in that area.
President Obama designated the Bears Ears National Monument
in San Juan County, Utah, during the final weeks of his
administration. The National Monument, totaling 1,351,849
acres, covers an area larger than the State of Delaware. On
December 4, 2017, President Trump issued a proclamation
substantially reducing the total acreage of the monument while
protecting identified antiquities in the region. On January 9,
2018, the Subcommittee held a legislative hearing on H.R. 4532,
the Shash Jaa National Monument and Indian Creek National
Monument Act, introduced by Rep. John Curtis (R-UT). The
legislation codified the Trump administration's proclamation,
reasserting Congressional authority over monument designations,
and created the first ever tribally co-managed national
monument in history.
II. LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS
April 5, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 218, To provide for the
exchange of Federal land and non-Federal land in the State of
Alaska for the construction of a road between King Cove and
Cold Bay; H.R. 497, To direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey certain public lands in San Bernardino County,
California, to the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation
District, and to accept in return certain exchanged non-public
lands, and for other purposes; H.R. 1157, To clarify the United
States interest in certain submerged lands in the area of the
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, and for other purposes; and
H.R. 1728, To modify the boundaries of the Morley Nelson Snake
River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, and for other
purposes.
May 23, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 1107, To promote
conservation, improve public land management, and provide for
sensible development in Pershing County, Nevada, and for other
purposes; H.R. 2199, To improve Federal land management,
resource conservation, environmental protection, and use of
Federal real property, by requiring the Secretary of the
Interior to develop a multipurpose cadastre of Federal real
property and identifying inaccurate, duplicate, and out-of-date
Federal land inventories, and for other purposes; H.R. 2423, To
implement certain measures relating to management of Washington
County, Utah, required by Public Law 111-11; and H.R. 2425, To
support the establishment and improvement of communications
sites on or adjacent to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of
the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture
through the retention and use of rental fees associated with
such sites, and for other purposes.
June 15, 2017--Hearing held on Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
expedite under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
and improve forest management activities on National Forest
System lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the
Bureau of Land Management, and on Tribal lands to return
resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for
other purposes. ``Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017.''
July 14, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 873, To authorize the
Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation to establish the
National Global War on Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative
work in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes; H.R.
1547, To provide for the unencumbering of title to non-Federal
land owned by the city of Tucson, Arizona, for purposes of
economic development by conveyance of the Federal reversionary
interest to the City; H.R. 2582, To authorize the State of Utah
to select certain lands that are available for disposal under
the Pony Express Resource Management Plan to be used for the
support and benefit of State institutions, and for other
purposes; and H.R. 3115, To provide for a land exchange
involving Federal land in the Superior National Forest in
Minnesota acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture through the
Weeks Law, and for other purposes.
September 12, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 3668, To provide
for the preservation of sportsmen's heritage and enhance
recreation opportunities on Federal land, and for other
purposes.
October 3, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 3400, To promote
innovative approaches to outdoor recreation on Federal land and
to open up opportunities for collaboration with non-Federal
partners, and for other purposes.
October 11, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 219, To correct the
Swan Lake hydroelectric project survey boundary and to provide
for the conveyance of the remaining tract of land within the
corrected survey boundary to the State of Alaska; H.R. 2630, To
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land
to La Paz County, Arizona, and for other purposes; H.R. 3373,
To amend the District of Columbia Stadium Act of 1957 to extend
for an additional 50 years the lease under which the government
of the District of Columbia uses the ground under and the
parking facilities associated with Robert F. Kennedy Memorial
Stadium; and H.R. 3607, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to establish fees for medical services provided in
units of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
November 15, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 801, To amend the
National Trails System Act to designate the Route 66 National
Historic Trail, and for other purposes; H.R. 2888, To establish
the Ste. Genevieve National Historic Site in the State of
Missouri, and for other purposes; H.R. 3979, To amend the Fish
and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize the volunteer services,
community partnership, and refuge education programs of the
National Wildlife Refuge System, and for other purposes; and
H.R. 4266, To clarify the boundary of Acadia National Park, and
for other purposes.
December 7, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 805, To authorize
the conveyance of and remove the reversionary interest of the
United States in certain lands in the City of Tulare,
California; H.R. 1349, To amend the Wilderness Act to ensure
that the use of bicycles, wheelchairs, strollers, and game
carts is not prohibited in Wilderness Areas, and for other
purposes; H.R. 3371, To provide for the conveyance of an
obsolete Over-the-Horizon Backscatter Radar System receiving
station in Modoc County, California, to promote economic
development of the site; and H.R. 3961, To amend the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Kissimmee River
and its tributaries in the State of Florida for study for
potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System, and for other purposes.
December 14, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 4558, To provide
greater conservation, recreation, economic development and
local management of Federal lands in Garfield and Kane
Counties, Utah.
January 9, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 4532, To create the
first Tribally managed national monument, and for other
purposes. (Part 1) [Note: Hearing convened but not adjourned
due to a letter submitted by the Ranking Member, stating House
Rule XI.]
January 30, 2018--Hearing reconvened on H.R. 4532, To
create the first Tribally managed national monument, and for
other purposes. (Part 2)
February 6, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 835, To update the
map of, and modify the maximum acreage available for inclusion
in, the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument; H.R. 857, To
provide for conservation and enhanced recreation activities in
the California Desert Conservation Area, and for other
purposes; and H.R. 4895, To establish the Medgar Evers National
Monument in the State of Mississippi, and for other purposes.
February 15, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 2591, To amend the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize the
funding of wildlife conservation, and for other purposes; H.R.
4429, To direct the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a rule
relating to extension of the expiration dates for double-
crested cormorant depredation orders, and for other purposes;
H.R. 4609, To provide for the conveyance of a Forest Service
site in Dolores County, Colorado, to be used for a fire
station; H.R. 4647, To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife
Restoration Act to make supplemental funds available for
management of fish and wildlife species of greatest
conservation need as determined by State fish and wildlife
agencies, and for other purposes; and H.R. 4851, To establish
the Kennedy-King National Historic Site in the State of
Indiana, and for other purposes.
February 28, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 1992, To direct the
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study
of the site of the Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park in
Jessamine County, Kentucky, and for other purposes; H.R. 3008,
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study of the George W. Bush Childhood Home, located at
1412 West Ohio Avenue, Midland, Texas, and for other purposes;
H.R. 4731, To extend the retained use estate for the Caneel Bay
resort in St. John, United States Virgin Islands, and for other
purposes; and H.R. 5005, To direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the
suitability and feasibility of establishing the birthplace of
James Weldon Johnson in Jacksonville, Florida, as a unit of the
National Park System.
March 20, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 2584, To amend title
54, United States Code, to establish, fund, and provide for the
use of amounts in a National Park Service Legacy Restoration
Fund to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park
Service, and for other purposes; and H.R. 5210, To establish
the National Park Restoration Fund, and for other purposes.
April 11, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 1037, To authorize the
National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to
establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and
its environs, and for other purposes; H.R. 1791, To establish
the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area in the
State of Washington, and for other purposes; H.R. 2991, To
establish the Susquehanna National Heritage Area in the State
of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes; and H.R. 3045, To
amend the National Trails System Act to extend the Lewis and
Clark National Historic Trail, and for other purposes.
May 17, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 2365, To convey certain
Federal land in California to Apple Valley, California,
Twentynine Palms, California, Barstow, California, and
Victorville, California; H.R. 3777, To direct the Secretary of
Agriculture to convey certain National Forest System land
containing the Nephi Work Center in Juab County, Utah, to Juab
County; H.R. 4824, To allow certain State permitting authority
to encourage expansion of broadband service to rural
communities, and for other purposes; and H.R. 5023, To
designate the Civil War Defenses of Washington National
Historical Park comprised of certain National Park System
lands, and by affiliation and cooperative agreements other
historically significant resources, located in the District of
Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland, that were part of the Civil
War defenses of Washington and related to the Shenandoah Valley
Campaign of 1864, to study ways in which the Civil War history
of both the North and South can be assembled, arrayed, and
conveyed for the benefit of the public, and for other purposes.
May 22, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 5597, To provide for the
expansion of the Desert Tortoise Habitat Conservation Plan,
Washington County, Utah; H.R. 5751, To redesignate Golden Spike
National Historic Site and to establish the Transcontinental
Railroad Network; and H.R. 5875, To amend the Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Federal Aid in
Sport Fish Restoration Act, to provide parity for United States
territories and the District of Columbia, to make technical
corrections to such Acts and related laws, and for other
purposes.
June 21, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 4599, To redesignate
Rock Creek Park in the District of Columbia as Rock Creek
National Park; H.R. 5148, To release certain wilderness study
areas in the State of Montana; H.R. 5149, To provide that
certain wilderness study areas in Montana have been adequately
studied for wilderness designation; H.R. 5613, To designate the
Quindaro Townsite in Kansas City, Kansas, as a National
Historic Landmark, and for other purposes; and H.R. 5727, To
establish the San Rafael Swell Western Heritage and Historic
Mining National Conservation Area in the State of Utah, to
designate wilderness areas in the State, to provide for certain
land conveyances, and for other purposes.
July 17, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 5171, To amend the
Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to
provide for the establishment of a Ski Area Fee Retention
Account; H.R. 5262, To redesignate the Hudson River Valley
National Heritage Area as the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River
Valley National Heritage Area, and for other purposes; H.R.
5347, To facilitate resolution of environmental remediation and
reclamation, resolve potential liability of the United States,
and promote economic development in Lyon County, Nevada, and
for other purposes; H.R. 5532, To redesignate the
Reconstruction Era National Monument as the Reconstruction Era
National Historical Park, and for other purposes; H.R. 5923, To
direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain public
lands in Ouachita National Forest, and for other purposes; H.R.
5979, To establish the Mill Springs Battlefield National
Monument in the State of Kentucky as a unit of the National
Park System, and for other purposes; H.R. 6013, To amend the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act to establish January 31 of each year
as the Federal closing date for duck hunting season and to
establish special duck hunting days for youths, veterans, and
active military personnel, and for other purposes; and H.R.
6146, To authorize, direct, expedite, and facilitate a land
exchange in Yavapai County, Arizona, and for other purposes.
September 6, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 5706, To establish
the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in the State of Hawai'i and
the Honouliuli National Historic Site in the State of Hawai'i,
and for other purposes; H.R. 6108, To provide for partnerships
among State and local governments, regional entities, and the
private sector to preserve, conserve, and enhance the visitor
experience at nationally significant battlefields of the
American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War, and for other
purposes; H.R. 6118, To direct the Secretary of the Interior to
annually designate at least one city in the United States as an
`American World War II Heritage City', and for other purposes;
H.R. 6365, To establish the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Land
Grant-Merced Claims Commission and other Federal policies for
the restoration of land for hardships resulting from the
incomplete and inequitable implementation of the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo, to affirm Land Grand-Merced property rights
protected by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and for other
purposes; and H.R. 6682, To amend the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 to improve the transparency and
oversight of land conveyances involving disposal or acquisition
of National Forest System Lands or Bureau of Land Management
public lands, to provide protections and certainty for private
landowners related to resurveying such public lands, and for
other purposes.
III. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
March 16, 2017--Hearing held on ``Identifying Innovative
Infrastructure Ideas for the National Park Service and Forest
Service.''
May 2, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining the Consequences
of Executive Branch Overreach of the Antiquities Act.''
May 17, 2017--Hearing held on ``Seeking Better Management
of America's Overgrown, Fire-Prone National Forests.''
June 8, 2017--Hearing held on ``Burdensome Litigation and
Federal Bureaucratic Roadblocks to Manage our Nation's
Overgrown, Fire-Prone National Forests.''
June 7, 2018--Hearing held on ``Wildfire Risk, Forest
Health, and Associated Management Priorities of the U.S. Forest
Service.''
July 12, 2018--Hearing held on ``The Essential Role of
Livestock Grazing on Federal Lands and its Importance to Rural
America.''
Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs
I. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Chaired by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), the Subcommittee
focused on promoting job creation, economic growth, and freedom
from excessive and outdated government regulations for the
benefit of American Indian, Alaska Native, and U.S. Insular
communities. The Subcommittee also continued to lay the
groundwork begun in previous sessions for Congress to reclaim
from the Executive and Judicial branches the power to regulate
Indian affairs, a power reserved exclusively to the Legislative
Branch under Article I of the Constitution.
Tribal Prosperity through Energy Development and Economic Independence
For decades, Native American communities and U.S. Insular
Areas have struggled with a wide array of difficulties relating
to economic development on their land, including bureaucratic
hurdles, poor access to capital, remote and rural locations,
and degradation of the local infrastructure. The Subcommittee
highlighted these issues and pursued legislation centered on
improving economic opportunities, infrastructure and
bureaucratic processes for Indian tribes and U.S. territories.
Beginning in March 2017, the Subcommittee held a hearing on
how to improve and expand infrastructure in tribal and Insular
communities. The Subcommittee primarily focused on tribal
health facility improvement, as the average age of Indian
hospitals is triple the national average. This hearing was an
integral first step in the Executive and Legislative Branches'
attention to national infrastructure improvements.
On May 23, 2017, the Subcommittee held a hearing focused on
land fractionation, an issue that can often impede development
on tribal lands. The Trump administration testified that the
Cobell Buy-Back Program land consolidation efforts developed by
the previous administration have not satisfactorily reduced
fractionization and the problem has persisted over the past
eight years.
On January 17, 2018, the Subcommittee held a hearing on
H.R. 4506, the Jobs for Tribes Act. Introduced by Rep. Norma
Torres (D-CA) in November 2017, H.R. 4506 is intended to
address tribal economic development and self-sustainability by
increasing the access to capital for tribes and tribally owned
businesses, create a business incubator program for tribally
owned businesses through the Department of the Interior, and by
directing the Secretary of State to provide assistance to
countries in the Western Hemisphere to promote and facilitate
entrepreneurship among their indigenous peoples by
strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations and
local governments. The hearing was successful in outlining the
various hurdles tribes must overcome while also displaying the
need and potential benefits of federal programs.
Following the success of the hearing, the Subcommittee held
another hearing on July 24, 2018 on S. 607, Native American
Business Incubators Program Act, and S. 1116, Indian Community
Economic Enhancement Act of 2018, two bills whose text is
largely identical to Titles II and I of H.R. 4506,
respectively. The hearing continued the previous hearing's
themes about the difficulties surrounding business development
in Indian country, and the necessity and importance of
supporting a vibrant, strong economy of tribally owned
business. Both bills had previously passed the Senate, and S.
607 was reported out of the Committee by unanimous consent on
September 27, 2018.
In October 2018, the Committee adopted and favorably
reported H.R. 210, Native American Energy Act, a bill sponsored
by Rep. Don Young (R-AK). The bill would streamline or
eliminate burdensome and duplicative government regulations and
increase the opportunity for Indian tribes to develop energy
resources on their own land.
In November 2018, the Committee passed S. 245, the Indian
Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act of 2017.
The measure, which passed the House and was signed into law
(P.L. 115-325) in December 2018, amends certain provisions of
the Energy Policy Act of 2005, primarily impacting the process
by which a tribe may obtain Tribal Energy Resource Agreements
(TERAs).
S. 245 also contained several provisions mirroring those
found in H.R. 210, including changes to energy appraisal and
permitting processes, the establishment of a biomass
demonstration project and enhancing tribal long-term leasing
authority. Both S. 245 and H.R. 210 were intended to remove
federal disincentives to developing tribal trust energy
resources and assist Indian tribes interested in pursuing the
development of these resources consistent with the federal
policy of promoting Indian self-determination.
Reclaiming Congress' Constitutional Authority over Federal Recognition
of Indian Tribes
The Committee continued its efforts, begun in the 114th
Congress, to reclaim Congress' Article I role over recognizing
tribes from the Executive Branch, which has wrongly
appropriated this power. Specifically, the Committee held a
hearing and approved a bill to establish a statutory process
for examining the evidence submitted by groups seeking
recognition as tribes and for reserving to Congress the
prerogative to render a final determination.
Legislation is necessary because the Indian Commerce Clause
(Article I, Section 8) of the Constitution gives sole
responsibility for Indian policy to Congress, not to the
Secretary of the Interior or the Bureau of Indian Affairs or a
federal judge. The Committee holds that this is a separation of
powers issue of significant constitutional importance.
Recognition of a tribe is a solemn act of the United States
government, with long-term consequences not only to a tribe's
members, but to other tribes, and to states and non-Indian
citizens. This makes recognition a question for the political--
or legislative--branch. A tribe is eligible for a variety of
federal services and benefits, including operation of a casino
on its lands, and absolute sovereign immunity against anyone
except the federal government. It usually obtains federal
protection in controversies where states, local governments, or
private citizens are adverse parties. A tribe may exercise
special political authority over its territory and its Indian
members. Land acquired in trust for a tribe divests state and
local government jurisdiction over such property. A tribe is
not deemed to be a party to the Constitution and as a result,
an individual under a tribe's civil or criminal jurisdiction
does not possess on that tribe's lands any of the rights
guaranteed by the Constitution, except as provided by Congress.
These unique tribal powers and immunities exist through
centuries of treaties and statutes enacted in and by the
Congress.
Concern over the Executive Branch's appropriation of this
congressional power reached a bipartisan high during the Obama
Administration. On July 1, 2015, the Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) finalized a controversial rule to revise the ``Part 83''
recognition regulations (regulations codified in 25 C.F.R. Part
83) that relaxed the criteria and lowered the evidentiary
standards a petitioner must meet to be acknowledged as a tribe.
The Obama administration lowered the bar for BIA to recognize
tribes without authorization from Congress despite there being
virtually no requests from Congress or currently recognized
tribes to relax the criteria or lower the evidentiary
standards.
In September of 2017, Chairman Bishop introduced H.R. 3744,
the Tribal Recognition Act of 2018. H.R. 3744 recognizes and
reasserts Congress' appropriate role over the formation of
Indian policy by establishing a basis for the Secretary to
examine the evidence submitted by groups seeking recognition as
tribes, and for the determination on extending recognition to
be reserved to the Congress. On September 26, 2017, the
Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the bill and its
potential effects on Indian country. In September 2018, the
Committee ordered the bill reported, as amended.
The criteria contained in the bill reflect the major parts
of the ``old'' Part 83 criteria as they existed before the 2018
revisions. Under the bill, the Secretary shall not have any
power to recognize a tribe (except as expressly authorized by
Act of Congress), and the Part 83 rule shall have no force or
effect.
On September 26, 2017 the subcommittee examined H.R. 3535,
The Ruffey Rancheria Restoration Act of 2017, sponsored by
Subcommittee Chairman LaMalfa. The bill was ordered reported on
May 8, 2018.
In May of 2017, the House passed H.R. 984, the Thomasina E.
Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of
2017, introduced by Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA). The Act extends
federal recognition to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the
Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi
Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation,
and the Nansemond Indian Tribe in Virginia. The bill was signed
into Public Law 115-121 on January 29, 2018.
The House also passed H.R. 3764, the Little Shell Tribe of
Chippewa Indians Restoration Act of 2018 on September 12, 2018.
Introduced by Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) in September 2017, the
bill extends federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of
Chippewa Indians of Montana and takes 200 acres of land within
the tribe's service area into trust to be used for a tribal
land base.
Oversight of the Indian Health Service and Improving Alaska Native
Healthcare
For decades, federally-run Indian Health Service (IHS)
facilities have been plagued by low-quality health care,
accusations of impropriety, nepotism, and corruption. To make
matters worse, the tribes served by the Great Plains area are
generally located on large rural reservations that are beset by
long-term systemic non-healthcare problems like high
unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, a youth suicide epidemic,
housing shortages, and lack of education.
In 2010 Congress permanently reauthorized the Indian Health
Care Improvement Act through the Affordable Care Act. However,
since that time, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) continues to find serious health deficiencies at several
IHS hospitals. CMS has terminated its provider contract with
the Omaha-Winnebago Indian Health Service Hospital in Nebraska,
while several in South Dakota were put on notice that their
performance was potentially deficient. Holding the offending
parties accountable for these failures while ensuring educated,
qualified individuals are staffed throughout IHS facilities
remains a high priority for the Subcommittee.
The troubles with the provision of services by IHS are not
a function of federal spending levels on Indian programs. The
problems occurred if not worsened after Congress elevated
funding for the Service, including an increase in annual
appropriations almost each year since the 2010. In fact, since
2008, funding for the IHS has increased by almost 50 percent.
The House's fiscal year (FY) 2018 proposed appropriation sits
at approximately $750 million over FY 2010 levels, yet the
dangerous situation in the Great Plains area and the staffing
shortage problem throughout the twelve IHS areas continues to
exist if not grow.
In May of 2017, Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) introduced H.R.
2662, the Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service
Act of 2017. On June 21, 2017, the Subcommittee held a
legislative hearing on the bill, receiving favorable testimony.
The Subcommittee continued to address stakeholder comments to
H.R. 2662 throughout 2017 and on May 18, 2018, Rep. Kristi Noem
introduced a revised bill, H.R. 5874. The Committee ordered
H.R. 5874 favorably reported on June 13, 2018.
Tribal Forest Management
The lack of active federal forest management has destroyed
tens of thousands of jobs, deprived rural counties of revenue,
and made our national forests increasingly susceptible to
devastating wildfires and invasive species. Tribal forest
managers continue to be more effective at using their limited
resources to better protect forest health, prevent catastrophic
wildfires and create jobs. By allowing tribes to manage and
maintain their own forests and timber, new avenues for economic
development will be made available as well as increased levels
of safety and prevention against wildfires.
In January of 2018, H.R. 1306, the Western Oregon Tribal
Fairness Act, which was sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR),
was signed into law (P.L. 115-103). The bill requires land to
be held in trust for the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of
Indians, and another trust for the Confederated Tribes of Coos,
Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. The bill also amends the
Coquille Restoration Act providing that the Department of the
Interior manage the Coquille forest in accordance with only
those laws pertaining to the management of Indian trust land.
In December of 2018, Congress passed S. 245 (P.L. 115-325)
which contained a provision amending the Tribal Forest
Protection Act of 2004 (TFPA) to include new authority that
directs the Secretary (of Agriculture or the Interior) to enter
into a minimum number of contracts or agreements with Indian
tribes to enable the tribes to carry out various activities.
One such activity under this demonstration project will be for
Indian tribes and Alaska Natives to promote biomass energy
production on Indian forest land and in nearby communities by
providing reliable supplies of woody biomass from federal land.
Resolving Native American Land Issues
On October 25, 2017, the Subcommittee held a hearing on
H.R. 215, American Indian Empowerment Act of 2017, sponsored by
Rep. Don Young (R-AK). The bill requires the Department of the
Interior, upon the request of an Indian tribe, to transfer land
held in trust for the tribe to the tribe as restricted fee
tribal land. The Subcommittee received favorable testimony on
the bill, as several witnesses remarked that the bill would
help tribes take true economic control over their lands.
The Subcommittee continued to exercise its legislative
authority to review bills to place excess federal land into
trust for Indian tribes. Restoring tribal homelands continues
to be a priority of the Subcommittee, working alongside
federal, local and tribal stakeholders. These measures include:
H.R. 1901, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Land
Transfer Act. On June 7, 2017 the Subcommittee held a hearing
on the bill and on December 12, 2017 the Full Committee ordered
the identical senate bill, S. 825 to be reported. The bill
would transfer approximately 19 acres of federal land to the
Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium located in Sitka,
Alaska for health-related purposes. Once the land title is
received by the Health Consortium, the hospital expansion and
renovations can move forward. S. 825 passed the House and
became law on December 18, 2018 (P.L. 115-326).
H.R. 4032, the Gila River Indian Community Federal Rights-
of-Way, Easements and Boundary Clarification Act. In July 2018,
the House passed H.R. 4032, which corrected undocumented
rights-of-way or easements on the Gila River Indian
Reservation, as well as clarifies the northern boundary of the
Reservation. The bill also placed approximately 3,400 acres
into trust for the tribe in Maricopa and Pinal counties,
Arizona. This bill passed the U.S. Senate and was signed into
law in December 2018.
H.R. 146, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands
Reacquisition Act. In April 2018, the House passed H.R. 146,
which takes specified lands in Monroe County, Tennessee, into
trust for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
H.R. 1491, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Land
Affirmation Act of 2017. In November 2017, the House passed
H.R. 1491, which placed approximately 1,427 acres of federal
land in Santa Barbara County, California, into trust for the
benefit of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
H.R. 597, the Lytton Rancheria Homelands Act of 2017. In
July 2017, the House passed H.R. 597 which places land into
trust in Sonoma County, California into trust for the benefit
of the Lytton Rancheria of California.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico continues to be in a fiscal and economic
crisis. The island has accumulated over $110 billion in
combined debt and unfunded pension liabilities and has seen a
ten percent decline in population over the past decade. Due to
the realities facing the island, and the inability of its local
politicians to bring order and transparency to its institutions
of government, immediate congressional action was required.
Congress, through the leadership of this Committee, has taken
concrete measures to alleviate the crisis, including the
development and enactment of the Puerto Rico Oversight and
Management & Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) in the 114th
Congress (P.L. 114-187). Conditions on the territory were
further complicated by hurricanes Irma and Maria that
devastated the island in 2017. The Full Committee has taken a
central role in PROMESA-related matters and, in coordination
with other congressional committees, oversight of hurricane
recovery and rebuilding. The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral
Resources has run point on all issues pertaining to energy
production reconstruction and improvements, as well as issues
pertaining to Puerto Rico's debt negotiations.
Improvements to the Insular Workforce
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) has
struggled with attracting and maintaining a quality workforce
for decades due to the island's relative isolation and somewhat
stagnant economy. Due to the Commonwealth's political union
with the United States, Congress can unilaterally extend U.S.
immigration and naturalization laws to the CNMI under the
Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA). The CNRA
allowed a Commonwealth Only Transitional Worker (CW)
classification to help assist with the CNMI's need for foreign
workers to meet demand, as well as a vocational training for
U.S. citizens and legal residents. While the CW program was
viewed as temporary assistance to help bolster the workforce in
the CNMI while U.S. citizens and residents to improve their
qualifications, a May 2017 report from the GAO titled
``Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Implementation
of Federal Minimum Wage and Immigration Laws'' revealed a
doubling in demand for CW permits over a 3 year span (6,325 in
2013 to 13,299 in 2016.) The same report found that foreign
workers made up more than half of the CNMI's workforce, a
clearly unsustainable system that found an unparalleled amount
of wages paid flowing out of the Commonwealth.
To help incentivize the hiring of United States workers in
the CMNI, on May 24, 2018 Chairman Bishop introduced H.R. 5956,
the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018. The
bill increases the percentage of United States workers in the
CNMI by creating incentives for businesses for the hiring,
protection, and retention of U.S. workers, as well as increase
the annual number of authorized CNMI-only transitional workers
and their labor protections. The bill became law on July 24,
2018 (P.L. 115-218).
II. LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS
June 7, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 1074, To repeal the Act
entitled ``An Act to confer jurisdiction on the State of Iowa
over offenses committed by or against Indians on the Sac and
Fox Indian Reservation''; H.R. 1901, To provide for the
conveyance of certain property to the Southeast Alaska Regional
Health Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska, and for other
purposes; and S. 249, A bill to provide that the pueblo of
Santa Clara may lease for 99 years certain restricted land, and
for other purposes.
June 21, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 2662, To amend the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act to improve the recruitment
and retention of employees in the Indian Health Service,
restore accountability in the Indian Health Service, improve
health services, and for other purposes.
September 26, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 3535, To restore
Federal recognition to the Ruffey Rancheria of California, and
for other purposes; H.R. 3650, To provide for the recognition
of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and for other purposes;
and H.R. 3744, To provide that an Indian group may receive
Federal acknowledgement as an Indian tribe only by an Act of
Congress.
October 4, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 146, To take certain
Federal lands in Tennessee into trust for the benefit of the
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and for other purposes; H.R.
2402, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to retire coal
preference right lease applications for which the Secretary has
made an affirmative commercial quantities determination, to
substitute certain land selections of the Navajo Nation, and
for other purposes; and H.R. 2606, To amend the Act of August
4, 1947 (commonly known as the Stigler Act), with respect to
restrictions applicable to Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes
of Oklahoma, and for other purposes.
October 25, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 215, To empower
federally recognized Indian tribes to accept restricted fee
tribal lands, and for other purposes.
November 15, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 212, To amend the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to
provide a process for expediting congressional review of an
Indian tribe's funding agreement at the Indian tribe's request,
and for other purposes; H.R. 2320, To direct the Secretary of
the Interior to place certain lands in Skagit and San Juan
Counties, Washington, into trust for the Samish Indian Nation,
and for other purposes; and H.R. 3225, To allow the
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians,
the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon,
the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the Cow Creek Band of
Umpqua Tribe of Indians to lease or transfer certain lands.
January 17, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 4506, To provide
incentives to encourage tribal job creation and economic
activity, and for other purposes.
February 6, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 231, To fulfill the
land conveyance requirements under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act for the Alaska Native Village of Canyon Village,
and for other purposes; and H.R. 4032, To confirm undocumented
Federal rights-of-way or easements on the Gila River Indian
Reservation, clarify the northern boundary of the Gila River
Indian Community's Reservation, to take certain land located in
Maricopa County and Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the
benefit of the Gila River Indian Community, and for other
purposes.
April 26, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 211, To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to complete a land exchange with the
Chugach Regional Alaska Native Corporation, and for other
purposes; and H.R. 5317, To repeal section 2141 of the Revised
Statutes to remove the prohibition on certain alcohol
manufacturing on Indian lands.
July 24, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 5244, To reaffirm the
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe reservation, and for other purposes; S.
607, A bill to establish a business incubators program within
the Department of the Interior to promote economic development
in Indian reservation communities; and S. 1116, A bill to amend
the Native American Business Development, Trade Promotion, and
Tourism Act of 2000, the Buy Indian Act, and the Native
American Programs Act of 1974 to provide industry and economic
development opportunities to Indian communities.
September 13, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 4985, To restore
an opportunity for tribal economic development on terms that
are equal and fair, and for other purposes.
III. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
March 9, 2017--Hearing held on ``Improving and Expanding
Infrastructure in Tribal and Insular Communities''.
March 22, 2017--Hearing held on ``The Status of the Puerto
Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) Restructuring Support
Agreement.''
May 23, 2017--Hearing held on ``The Status and Future of
the Cobell Land Consolidation Program''.
July 13, 2017--Hearing held on ``Comparing 21st Century
Trust Land Acquisition with the Intent of the 73rd Congress in
Section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act.''
July 25, 2017--Hearing held on ``Assessing Current
Conditions and Challenges at the Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical
Medical Center in American Samoa.''
March 20, 2018--Hearing held on ``Policy Priorities for the
Administration's FY 2019 Budget for Indian Affairs and Insular
Areas.''
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
I. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Chaired by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), the Subcommittee
continued to ensure the accountability and efficiency of
programs and policies within the Committee's jurisdiction.
Through regulatory oversight, assessment of grants and fiscal
management, as well as employee misconduct, among other
reviews, the Subcommittee exposed waste, fraud, and abuse in
order to promote the transparent and effective use of taxpayer
dollars.
Regulatory Oversight
Endangered Species Act
On March 28, 2017, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled,
``ESA Consultation Impediments to Economic and Infrastructure
Development.'' The hearing reviewed challenges created by
section 7 consultation processes under the Endangered Species
Act (ESA). On October 3, 2017, the Committee held a legislative
hearing, prepared by the Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations staff, on five ESA reform bills: H.R. 1274, H.R.
424, H.R. 717, H.R. 2603, and H.R. 3131. These bills sought to
improve the ESA by empowering states, ensuring scientific data
transparency, streamlining the ESA listing and delisting
process, and making more resources available for species
recovery. All five bills were reported out of the Committee by
February 2018. On September 26, 2018, the Committee held a
second legislative hearing, prepared by Subcommittee staff, on
nine ESA reform bills: H.R. 3608, H.R. 6344, H.R. 6345, H.R.
6346, H.R. 6354, H.R. 6355, H.R. 6356, H.R. 6360, and H.R.
6364. On September 27, 2018 the Committee reported H.R. 3608,
H.R. 6345, and H.R. 6355 out of Committee.
Examining the Impact of Federal Natural Resources Laws
In hearings held on May 24, 2017 and July 18, 2017, the
Subcommittee examined the implementation of five major federal
natural resources laws: the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934
(IRA), the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act (FLPMA), Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972
(MMPA), and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
(NHPA). These two hearings, titled ``Examining Impacts of
Federal Natural Resources Laws Gone Astray'' and ``Examining
Impacts of Federal Natural Resources Laws Gone Astray, Part
II'' focused on instances where federal agencies' application
of natural resources laws has expanded beyond congressional
intent. Subcommittee members heard testimony from stakeholders,
constituents, and experts on how these laws have resulted in
burdensome regulations, costly litigation, and other adverse
consequences to American taxpayers.
On June 7, 2017 the Subcommittee sent a letter to Secretary
of the Interior Ryan Zinke about the Department of the
Interior's (DOI) litigation settlement practices. The
Subcommittee requested that DOI provide documents identifying
all settlements and consent decrees, where DOI was a defendant,
entered into from January 1, 2016 through January 19, 2017. The
Subcommittee reviewed responsive documents received from DOI
and continues to monitor any litigation, including settlements
and consent decrees, involving DOI and its bureaus. On March
22, 2018, Chairman Bishop and Subcommittee Chairman Bruce
Westerman wrote to Advisory Council on National Historic
Preservation Chairman Milford W. Donaldson urging adoption of
Federal Communications Commission regulations permitting
colocation of new cellular infrastructure on existing cell
towers without requiring individualized consultation with State
and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers under the NHPA.
Examining the Impact of Federal Natural Resources Laws on
Border Security
On February 15, 2018, the Subcommittee held a hearing
titled ``The Costs of Denying Border Patrol Access: Our
Environment and Security.'' This hearing examined challenges
faced by Border Patrol agents on federal borderlands and the
environmental impact of illegal border crossings and drug
smuggling. Subcommittee members heard testimony from
stakeholders, including the President of the National Border
Patrol Council and a representative of the Arizona Cattleman's
Association. Testimony at the hearing reiterated that the
remote location of large portions of federally owned borderland
make them a popular location for cross border violators (CBVs),
such as drug and human smugglers, foreign nationals, and
terrorists and terrorist organizations. Moreover, witnesses
stated that bureaucratic regulations and policies related to
federal natural resources laws slow or impede Border Patrol's
operations on federally owned land. Finally, witnesses stated
that violence associated with high levels of CBVs deprives the
public of access to federally owned lands and large numbers of
CBVs cause significant environmental damage.
Foreign Influence on U.S. Environmental and Natural
Resources Policy
In 2018, the Subcommittee began an investigation into how
environmental and natural resources laws, and litigation under
those laws by special interest groups, may detrimentally
influence U.S. national interests. On February 23, 2018, the
U.S. Navy submitted an information paper, in response to a
Subcommittee request, stating that ``Environmental Laws, and in
particular litigation under [MMPA], have on various occasions
unreasonably restricted Navy training and testing activities
and do, on a daily basis, limit the time, place and types of
training activities that [the] Navy is able to conduct.'' On
March 1, 2018, the U.S. Army similarly reported to the
Subcommittee that ``[c]ompliance with environmental laws, such
as the ESA, and the use of environmental laws by interest
groups has at certain installations resulted in limitations on
training land, accessibility, and on range infrastructure
improvement.''
On June 13, 2018, Chairman Bishop and Subcommittee Chairman
Westerman wrote to Secretary of Defense James Mattis requesting
information on how foreign entities may leverage connections
with U.S.-based 501(c) organizations to negatively impact U.S.
military deployments and training through strategic
environmental and natural resources litigation. In addition,
Subcommittee staff reviewed relevant court filings by special
interest groups participating in environmental and natural
resources litigation against the U.S. armed services.
From June to October 2018, Chairman Bishop and Subcommittee
Chairman Westerman wrote to several of the special interest
groups involved in environmental and natural resources
litigation: Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Center
for Biological Diversity (CBD), Earthjustice, and World
Resources Institute (WRI) requesting documents and information
on their interactions with foreign entities in regards to
advocacy for and influence on U.S. natural resources and
environmental laws. Subcommittee staff also reviewed relevant
communications and documents received from outside sources
detailing efforts by foreign entities to influence U.S.
environmental and natural resources policy through lobbying and
litigation by U.S. based 501(c) organizations. On October 19,
2018, Chairman Bishop and Subcommittee Chairman Westerman wrote
to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher
Wray seeking information on the FBI's efforts to combat
potential foreign interference in U.S. environmental and
natural resources policy. The Subcommittee's investigation is
on-going.
Insular Affairs
Oversight of Federal and Territorial Government Response to
Hurricanes Irma and Marie
In September 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands causing widespread
destruction. On October 17, 2017 Chairman Bishop, Subcommittee
Chairman Westerman, Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee
Chairman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), and Indian and Insular Affairs
Subcommittee Vice-Chair Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR) wrote
to both Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator
William B. ``Brock'' Long and FBI Director Christopher Wray
requesting a briefing on reports that federal emergency aid was
being misappropriated by local government officials in Puerto
Rico. Subcommittee staff subsequently received a briefing on
the investigations and on FEMA's operations in response to
Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
On October 26, 2017, Chairman Bishop and Subcommittee
Chairman Westerman wrote to Puerto Rico Electric Power
Authority (PREPA) Executive Director Ricardo Ramos regarding a
$300,000,000 contract PREPA entered into with a small
engineering firm to rebuild Puerto Rico's damaged electrical
grid. The Subcommittee sought information and documents in
order to better understand how PREPA decided to enter into the
contract. The Subcommittee also sought information and
documents on PREPA's decision not to activate its existing
mutual aid agreements with utilities based on the U.S.
mainland. Subcommittee staff received and reviewed responsive
documents totalling over 2,000 pages. On November 17, 2017,
PREPA Executive Director Ramos resigned.
On March 12, 2018, Chairman Bishop, Subcommittee Chairman
Westerman, and Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska
Native Affairs Chairman Doug LaMalfa wrote to PREPA Interim
Executive Director Justo Gonzalez regarding multiple
allegations of corruption in the power restoration process.
Allegations included that PREPA officials were accepting or
demanding bribes to restore power to residences and businesses.
The investigative letter sought information on allegations that
PREPA employees restored power to their residences before
restoring power to critical public infrastructure such as San
Juan's Rio Piedras Medical Center and the Luis Munoz Marin
International Airport and on reports that federal officials
raided a previously undisclosed PREPA warehouse containing
critical electrical grid components withheld from FEMA
contractors. The Subcommittee reviewed documents produced by
PREPA and continues to monitor recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.
On July 18, 2018, Chairman Bishop and House Judiciary
Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) wrote to U.S. Virgin
Islands (USVI) Governor Kenneth E. Mapp seeking information and
documents regarding a USVI Executive Order authorizing the USVI
National Guard to ``seize arms, ammunition, explosives, and
incendiary material and other property'' as needed during the
2018 hurricane season. The chairmen expressed concern that the
Executive Order's language empowered the National Guard to
seize lawfully owned firearms from U.S. citizens, in violation
of their constitutional rights. In writing to Governor Mapp,
the chairmen sought clarification on the executive order's
wording and implementation. The Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations reviewed document production from the USVI
governor's office. In addition to the documents produced by the
USVI governor's office, the Subcommittee reviewed information
provided by national and local stakeholders related to
restrictions and obstacles to legal gun ownership in the USVI.
Ethics and Transparency at the Department of the Interior and U.S.
Forest Service
On February 2, 2017, Chairman Bishop wrote to the Acting
Secretary of the Interior Kevin ``Jack'' Haugrud requesting
information and documents on DOI's employment policies. The
chairman expressed concerns about DOI hiring and human
resources practices given repeated instances of employee
misconduct across all DOI bureaus. On May 3, 2017, Chairman
Bishop and then-Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Chairman Raul Labrador (R-ID) wrote to Secretary of the
Interior Ryan Zinke requesting information on the funding and
operations of two climate change adaption programs within DOI,
the U.S. Geological Survey's Climate Science Centers and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey's Landscape Conservation
Cooperatives.
On October 3, 2017, Chairman Bishop and Subcommittee
Chairman Westerman wrote to Secretary of the Interior Ryan
Zinke regarding DOI's use of non-commercial air travel for
official business. The chairmen requested documents sufficient
to identify each use of government-owned, rented, leased, or
chartered aircraft by the Secretary of the Interior since
January 20, 2009, including information sufficient to show the
dates, destinations, purpose, cost, and approval by the Office
of the Solicitor. On October 5, 2017, Chairman Bishop and
Subcommittee Chairman Westerman sent a letter to DOI Principal
Deputy Solicitor Daniel Jorjani to investigate improper
disclosures of internal DOI documents, including deliberative
documents prepared for Secretary Zinke and legal memoranda
prepared for President Trump. The Committee also received a
briefing on DOI's policies and procedures related to the
unauthorized disclosure of sensitive documents.
On January 10, 2018, Chairman Bishop and Subcommittee
Chairman Westerman wrote to Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Acting Director Brian Steed regarding a senior BLM law
enforcement's misconduct. The BLM law enforcement officer
mishandled evidence and abused the authority of his official
position. The Subcommittee received a briefing on BLM's actions
to address its law enforcement practices. The law enforcement
officer in question was removed from duty.
On January 19, 2018, Subcommittee Chairman Westerman wrote
to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke concerning contracting
and procurement problems in the Forest Service's aerial
firefighting tanker program. Specifically, Subcommittee
Chairman requested information and documents on the status of
the Service's Aerial Firefighting Use and Effectiveness Study
(AFUE). As of the date of the letter, the AFUE was two years
behind schedule and the results of the study were unknown.
Subcommittee staff reviewed over 1,500 pages of documents
provided by the Service in response to the January 19, 2018
letter. Subcommittee staff also reviewed documents provided by
outside stakeholders, relevant government contracting law
provisions, and litigation. Subcommittee staff briefed
Subcommittee Chairman Westerman and other committee members on
the staff's findings.
On September 4, 2018, Chairman Bishop wrote to Secretary of
the Interior Ryan Zinke regarding the Committee's on-going
oversight of employee misconduct issues at DOI. While
acknowledging the progress made during Secretary Zinke's
tenure, the Chairman's letter highlighted examples of recently
exposed employee wrongdoing. The letter requested DOI provide
the Committee with documents and information on the
Department's new comprehensive anti-harassment policy, the
Department's enforcement plan for its revised ethical
standards, and a document identifying the number of DOI
employees terminated or disciplined for workplace misconduct
since January 1, 2015. Subcommittee staff reviewed the
responsive documents provided by DOI and received a bipartisan
briefing from DOI's senior human capital and ethics officials.
Grants and Fiscal Management
On April 6, 2017 then-Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations Chairman Raul Labrador (R-ID) wrote a letter to
six DOI agencies, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National
Marine Fisheries Service requesting information about grant
awards and cooperative agreements. The Subcommittee also
consistently engaged with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) about its grants and cooperative agreement awarding
process. As part of the Subcommittee's oversight of DOI's
grants and cooperative agreements, the Subcommittee
investigated alleged misconduct by a senior FWS official who
failed to properly disclose a conflict of interest. The
Subcommittee also coordinated with the Office of the Inspector
General to review the FWS official's potentially improper
engagement in the decision process of awarding a grant to an
organization tied to the official's spouse.
II. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
March 28, 2017--Hearing held on ``ESA Consultation
Impediments to Economic and Infrastructure Development.''
May 24, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining Impacts of
Federal Natural Resources Laws Gone Astray.''
June 28, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining Policy Impacts
of Excessive Litigation Against the Department of the
Interior.''
July 18, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining Impacts of
Federal Natural Resources Laws Gone Astray, Part II.''
September 27, 2017--Hearing held on ``Exploring Solutions
to Reduce Risks of Catastrophic Wildfire and Improve Resiliency
of National Forests.''
December 7, 2017--Hearing held on ``Transforming the
Department of the Interior for the 21st Century.''
February 15, 2018--Hearing held on ``The Costs of Denying
Border Patrol Access: Our Environment and Security.''
Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
I. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Chaired by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), the Subcommittee
worked towards enhancing and modernizing water and power
supplies, providing regulatory certainty and eliminating
conflicting federal requirements that endanger American jobs,
protecting and promoting fishing access, and instilling federal
transparency and accountability while empowering states.
Empowering States
Whether legislative or oversight in nature, nearly all of
the Subcommittee's work revolved around a core agenda of
empowering states and the communities directly impacted by
statutes and policies under its purview.
Most notably, the Subcommittee advanced a number of Bureau
of Reclamation title transfers which give federal water assets
to the locals that already operate and maintain the assets
being transferred. In all cases, the federal investment in
these assets has been, or will be, repaid by the applicant
prior to receiving title to the asset. H.R. 6038 and H.R. 6039,
both introduced by Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), H.R. 6040
introduced by Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), H.R. 6652 introduced
by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and H.R. 6583 introduced by
Chairman Bishop all look to empower local water and power
managers by giving them title to the infrastructure assets that
they have operated, maintained, and repaid.
The Subcommittee also addressed empowering states with the
Committee passage of H.R. 2939, the Water Rights Protection
Act, introduced by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO). In the past, there
have been instances where the federal government has tried to
require that private entities relinquish their water rights to
the federal government as a condition of permitting a land use
lease, superseding state law. This bill protects longstanding
water rights by prohibiting agencies within the Departments of
the Interior and Agriculture from conditioning or withholding
the issuance of any permit on the requirement to transfer
privately held water rights to the United States.
Unfortunately, federal overreach is not unique to the water
and power community. A notable example is in the Gulf of
Mexico, where federal overreach and significant inconsistencies
between federal and state fisheries data have nearly decimated
a regional economy. H.R. 3588, the RED SNAPPER Act proposed by
Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), looks to remedy this longstanding
issue of fishery access in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to
expanding State management jurisdiction and providing greater
regulatory certainty, the bill requires consideration of
collaborative scientific data on species' stock and season
duration to be included in the development of fishery
management in the Gulf states. Due to Congressman Graves'
efforts, the Department of Commerce released Exempted Fishing
Permits to implement a pilot program that gives state fishery
managers much greater say in the science behind the management
of the fishery and the management regulations themselves.
Enhancing and Modernizing Water and Power Supplies
The Subcommittee began the Congress with an oversight
hearing entitled, ``Modernizing Western Water and Power
Infrastructure in the 21st century.'' Laying the groundwork for
the Subcommittee's water and power agenda, this hearing
examined ways to protect existing water and power
infrastructure as well as help facilitate the construction of
new water and power facilities.
Existing drought conditions, along with regulations on new
and existing infrastructure have exacerbated water and power
supply uncertainty throughout the West. To that end the
Committee passed H.R. 4419, the Bureau of Reclamation and
Bureau of Indian Affairs Water Project Streamlining Act,
sponsored by Rep. Dan Newhouse. This bill reforms the current
cumbersome process required by the Bureau of Reclamation to
study the feasibility of new and/or expanded water projects.
With aging infrastructure, population growth, and drought
conditions, it is critical we modernize our process to expand
water storage to meet continuously growing demands.
The Subcommittee also focused on bills to reduce
inefficiencies in our current water storage and delivery
systems. H.R. 1967, the Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage
Hydropower Development Act and H.R. 3281, the Reclamation Title
Transfer and Non-Federal Infrastructure Incentivization Act,
both sponsored by Subcommittee Chairman Lamborn, reduced
overbearing and redundant regulation and placed more power into
the hands of the local people and entities operating and
maintaining water infrastructure projects.
Providing Regulatory Certainty and Eliminating Conflicting Federal
Requirements
The Subcommittee addressed many bills which aim to ensure
regulatory certainty while balancing environmental and economic
needs.
One of these bills, H.R. 3144, a bipartisan bill introduced
by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), was passed by the
Committee and the House. For decades, there has been
uncertainty over the operations of existing hydropower in the
Pacific Northwest due to federal regulations, court orders and
other administrative decisions. This bill provides certainty
over the reliable management of the Federal Columbia River
Power System. It removes patchwork regulation and requires
federal agencies to operate in a manner that is consistent with
the current operations plan. Additionally, in September 2018,
the Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing in Pasco,
Washington with Representatives McMorris Rodgers and Newhouse
to examine the costs and impacts of a water and power system
where constant litigation has resulted in the system not being
managed by sound science, but by judicial edict.
Another bill of interest is H.R. 4465, the Endangered Fish
Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2017, a bipartisan bill
introduced by Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), which was passed by the
Committee and the House. This legislation extends the
endangered fish recovery programs on the Upper Colorado and San
Juan Rivers using funding collected by power generation in the
respective basins. This promotes the dual goals of delisting
certain Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed species, while at
the same time ensuring the continued reliability of water and
power operations in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River
Basins. It also requires a report to Congress on the efficacy
and cost effectiveness of the Upper Colorado and San Juan Fish
Recovery Programs.
Finally, H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries
Predation Prevention Act introduced by Rep. Jaime Herrera
Buetler (R-WA), garnered wide support, passing the House with a
vote of 288-116. It aims to assist in the recovery of ESA-
listed salmon in the Columbia River watershed by authorizing
permits to allow state and tribal lethal takings of harmful,
invasive sealions under certain conditions. Ratepayers in the
Pacific Northwest pay premiums on their power rates to fund
mitigation programs for ESA-listed endangered Salmon in the
Columbia River Basin; allowing invasive sealions to gorge on
these protected salmon not only drastically increases the cost
of mitigation but fundamentally undermines the goal of recovery
for the fish population. A similar bill, S. 311, passed the
House and Senate and became law on December 18, 2018 (P.L. 115-
329).
Protecting and Promoting Fishing Access
The Subcommittee also pursued policies to promote proper
fishery conservation and stewardship, while recognizing proper
tools and flexibility necessary to manage fisheries
effectively. H.R. 200, the Strengthening Fishing Communities
and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act,
introduced by Rep. Don Young (R-AK), passed the House on July
11, 2018. This bill revises and reauthorizes the landmark
fishery management law, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) and affords managerial
flexibility by allowing Councils to base timeframes on best
available science. It also increases public transparency,
including greater stakeholder inclusion in planning processes,
and requires the Secretary to incorporate cooperative research
with fishermen and outside groups.
H.R. 2023, the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries
Management Act of 2017 introduced by Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA)
modernizes federal fisheries management specific to
recreational angling. The bill, which aims to increase access
for recreational anglers to federal waters, emphasize
cooperative federalism in data collection, and facilitate
alternative regulatory measures that ditch the ``one-size-fits-
all'' method for practices that may be more appropriate for the
respective fishing sectors. A similar bill, S. 1520, passed the
House and Senate and became law on December 31, 2108.
The burdens of superfluous fishery regulations are not
limited to the Gulf but affect populations on the East Coast as
well. H.R. 1411, the Transparent Summer Flounder Quotas Act,
introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) aims to mitigate
effects of arduous summer flounder quotas--called an ``attack
on our economy and our way of life'' in the Congressman's home
state--and require state and federal entities to manage
fisheries under pre-revised frameworks regarding seasonal
allowable biological catch.
Federal Transparency and Accountability
The Subcommittee remains committed to the principles of
good governance and Federal accountability. This includes the
revision of regulatory resources when warranted. In response to
imprecise mapping of coastal areas, the Subcommittee updated
the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) through H.R. 2947,
introduced by Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) and H.R. 4880, introduced
by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) to codify federal
corrections to maps covering areas in Florida and Delaware,
respectively. These bills implement U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) recommendations, which found various structures
to be erroneously added to the CBRA System due to limitations
and inaccuracies of the original maps. Due to the outdated
technology in the development of these maps, inclusion of these
areas would inappropriately prohibit residents from taking
advantage of federal benefits.
For that reason, the Subcommittee also advanced multiple
bills addressing concerns for bureaucratic transparency,
including three by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ).
To alleviate apprehensions of procedural impropriety by the
Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), H.R. 2371, the
Western Area Power Administration Transparency Act was
introduced, passed by the Committee and the House. This bill
requires the establishment of a pilot project to increase
transparency of WAPA's costs, rates, staffing, and other
financial and operational dealings. The program will make an
annual summary of updates in information and unobligated
balances publicly available on the web.
With much of the Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation)
water infrastructure built over 50 years ago, they have
developed a backlog of maintenance issues. However, there have
been concerns that Reclamation has not been fully transparent
in providing the extent of its maintenance backlog. H.R. 660,
the Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act, which requires
Reclamation to compile an infrastructure assessment report
every two years, passed the House on September 12, 2018.
H.R. 5556, the Environmental Compliance Cost Transparency
Act of 2018, requires Power Marking Administrations (PMAs) to
estimate and report direct and indirect costs associated with
any federal environmental laws impacting the conservation of
fish and wildlife to each wholesale firm power customer on a
monthly basis. It also directs PMA administrators to provide an
annual report on such costs and sources of replacement power to
the appropriate Congressional committees. H.R. 5556 passed the
Committee on September 20, 2018.
II. LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS
April 4, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 220, To authorize the
expansion of an existing hydroelectric project, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1411, To continue in effect for the 2017 and
2018 fishing seasons certain fishing specifications for the
summer flounder fishery, and for other purposes; and Discussion
Draft H.R. __, To amend the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to
authorize pumped storage hydropower development utilizing
multiple Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs.
May 18, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 2371, To require the
Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration to
establish a pilot project to provide increased transparency for
customers, and for other purposes; and Discussion Draft H.R.
__, To prohibit the conditioning of any permit, lease, or other
use agreement on the transfer of any water right to the United
States by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, and
for other purposes. ``Water Rights Protection Act.''
June 8, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 2083, To amend the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to reduce predation on
endangered Columbia River salmon and other nonlisted species,
and for other purposes; and Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to facilitate the
transfer to non-Federal ownership of appropriate reclamation
projects or facilities, and for other purposes. ``Reclamation
Title Transfer Act.''
September 26, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 200, To amend the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to
provide flexibility for fishery managers and stability for
fishermen, and for other purposes; H.R. 2023, To modernize
recreational fisheries management; H.R. 3588, To amend the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to
provide for management of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico,
and for other purposes; and Discussion Draft of H.R.__, To
amend and reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act, and for other purposes.
October 12, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 3144, To provide for
operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant
to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, and
for other purposes; and H.R. 3916, To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to vest in the Secretary of the Interior
functions under that Act with respect to species of fish that
spawn in fresh or estuarine waters and migrate to ocean waters,
and species of fish that spawn in ocean waters and migrate to
fresh waters.
November 2, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 221, To reauthorize
the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and for
other purposes; H.R. 1176, To amend the Coastal Zone Management
Act of 1972 to establish a Working Waterfront Task Force and a
working waterfronts grant program, and for other purposes; and
S. 140, A bill to amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water
Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to clarify the use of amounts
in the WMAT Settlement Fund.
November 30, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 4419, To facilitate
and streamline the Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian
Affairs processes for creating or expanding certain water
projects, and for other purposes.
December 6, 2017--Hearing held on H.R. 4465, To maintain
annual base funding for the Upper Colorado and San Juan fish
recovery programs through fiscal year 2023, to require a report
on the implementation of those programs, and for other
purposes.
February 27, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 2947, To replace
certain Coastal Barrier Resources System maps; and H.R. 4880,
To revise the boundaries of certain John H. Chafee Coastal
Barrier Resources System units in Delaware.
April 17, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 1456, To prohibit the
sale of shark fins, and for other purposes; H.R. 4528, To make
technical amendments to certain marine fish conservation
statutes, and for other purposes; and H.R. 5248, To amend and
enhance the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection
Act to improve the conservation of sharks.
July 11, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 5556, To provide for
transparency and reporting related to direct and indirect costs
incurred by the Bonneville Power Administration, the Western
Area Power Administration, the Southwestern Power
Administration, and the Southeastern Power Administration
related to compliance with any Federal environmental laws
impacting the conservation of fish and wildlife, and for other
purposes; H.R. 6038, To establish a procedure for the
conveyance of certain Federal property around the Dickinson
Reservoir in the State of North Dakota; H.R. 6039, To establish
a procedure for the conveyance of certain Federal property
around the Jamestown Reservoir in the State of North Dakota,
and for other purposes; and H.R. 6040, To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land and facilities
of the Central Valley Project.
September 5, 2018--Hearing held on H.R. 6583, To authorize
the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands and
facilities of the Big Sand Wash Project, Utah; and H.R. 6652,
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain
facilities, easements, and rights-of-way to the Kennewick
Irrigation District, and for other purposes.
III. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
March 1, 2017--Hearing held on ``Modernizing Western Water
and Power Infrastructure in the 21st Century.''
March 15, 2017--Hearing held on ``Examining the Creation
and Management of Marine Monuments and Sanctuaries.''
May 3, 2017--Hearing held on ``The Challenges of Keeping
Hydropower Affordable and Opportunities for New Development.''
July 19, 2017--Hearing held on ``Exploring the Successes
and Challenges of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.''
February 14, 2018--Hearing held on ``The State of the
Nation's Water and Power Infrastructure.''
April 12, 2018--Hearing held on ``Examining the Proposed
Fiscal Year 2019 Spending, Priorities and Missions of the
Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Four
Power Marketing Administrations.''
May 17, 2018--Hearing held on ``Federal Impediments to
Commerce and Innovative Injurious Species Management.''
Jurisdiction of the Committee
The jurisdiction of the Committee on Natural Resources, as
prescribed by clause (m)(1) of Rule X of the Rules of the House
is as follows:
(1) Fisheries and wildlife, including research,
restoration, refuges, and conservation.
(2) Forest reserves and national parks created from the
public domain.
(3) Forfeiture of land grants and alien ownership,
including alien ownership of mineral lands.
(4) Geological Survey.
(5) International fishing agreements.
(6) Interstate compacts relating to apportionment of waters
for irrigation purposes.
(7) Irrigation and reclamation, including water supply for
reclamation projects and easements of public lands for
irrigation projects; and acquisition of private lands when
necessary to complete irrigation projects.
(8) Native Americans generally, including the care and
allotment of Native American lands and general and special
measures relating to claims that are paid out of Native
American funds.
(9) Insular areas of the United States generally (except
those affecting the revenue and appropriations).
(10) Military parks and battlefields, national cemeteries
administered by the Secretary of the Interior, parks within the
District of Columbia, and the erection of monuments to the
memory of individuals.
(11) Mineral land laws and claims and entries thereunder.
(12) Mineral resources of the public lands.
(13) Mining interests generally.
(14) Mining schools and experimental stations.
(15) Marine affairs, including coastal zone management
(except for measures relating to oil and other pollution of
navigable waters).
(16) Oceanography.
(17) Petroleum conservation on public lands and
conservation of the radium supply in the United States.
(18) Preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of
interest on the public domain.
(19) Public lands generally, including entry, easements,
and the grazing thereon.
(20) Relations of the United States with Native Americans
and Native American tribes.
(21) Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline (except ratemaking).
Rules for the Committee on Natural Resources
(Adopted February 7, 2017)
RULE 1. RULES OF THE HOUSE; VICE CHAIRMEN
(a) Applicability of House Rules.
(1) The Rules of the House of Representatives, so far as
they are applicable, are the rules of the Committee on Natural
Resources (hereinafter in these rules referred to as the
``Committee'') and its Subcommittees.
(2) Each Subcommittee is part of the Committee and is
subject to the authority, direction and rules of the Committee.
References in these rules to ``Committee'' and ``Chairman''
shall apply to each Subcommittee and its Chairman wherever
applicable.
(3) House Rule XI is incorporated and made a part of the
rules of the Committee to the extent applicable.
(b) Vice Chairmen.--Unless inconsistent with other rules,
the Chairman shall appoint Vice Chairmen of the Committee and
the Subcommittees. If the Chairman of the Committee or
Subcommittee is not present at any meeting of the Committee or
Subcommittee, as the case may be, the Vice Chairman shall
preside. If the Vice Chairman is not present, the Ranking
Member of the Majority party on the Committee or Subcommittee
who is present shall preside at that meeting.
RULE 2. MEETINGS IN GENERAL
(a) Scheduled Meetings.--The Committee shall meet at 10
a.m. the first Wednesday of each month when the House is in
session if so noticed by the Chairman under Committee Rule
3(a). The Committee shall also meet at the call of the Chairman
subject to advance notice to all Members of the Committee.
Special meetings shall be called and convened by the Chairman
as provided in clause 2(c)(1) of House Rule XI. Any Committee
meeting or hearing that conflicts with a party caucus,
conference, or similar party meeting shall be rescheduled at
the discretion of the Chairman, in consultation with the
Ranking Minority Member. The Committee may not sit during a
joint session of the House and Senate or during a recess when a
joint meeting of the House and Senate is in progress.
(b) Open Meetings.--Each meeting for the transaction of
business, including the markup of legislation, and each hearing
of the Committee or a Subcommittee shall be open to the public,
except as provided by clause 2(g) and clause 2(k) of House Rule
XI.
(c) Broadcasting.--Whenever a meeting for the transaction
of business, including the markup of legislation, or a hearing
is open to the public, that meeting or hearing shall be open to
coverage by television, radio, and still photography in
accordance with clauses 2(a)(1) and 4 of House Rule XI. The
provisions of clause 4(f) of House Rule XI are specifically
made part of these rules by reference. To the maximum extent
practicable, the Committee shall provide audio and visual
coverage of each hearing or meeting for the transaction of
business in a manner that allows the public to easily listen to
and view the proceedings, and maintain the recordings of such
coverage in a manner that is easily accessible to the public.
Operation and use of any Committee Internet broadcast system
shall be fair and nonpartisan and in accordance with clause
4(b) of House Rule XI and all other applicable rules of the
Committee and the House.
(d) Authorization and Oversight Plan.--No later than
February 15 of the first session of each Congress, the
Committee shall adopt its authorization and oversight plan for
that Congress in accordance with clause 2(d) of House Rule X.
RULE 3. MEETING AND HEARING PROCEDURES IN GENERAL
(a) Notice and Information for Members and the Public.
(1) The Chairman shall publicly announce the date, place
and subject matter of a Committee hearing or meeting in
accordance with clause 2(g)(3) of House Rule XI.
(2) A hearing or meeting may begin sooner if the Chairman,
with the concurrence of the Ranking Minority Member, determines
that there is good cause to begin the meeting or hearing
sooner, or if the Committee so determines by majority vote. In
these cases, the Chairman shall publicly announce the meeting
or hearing at the earliest possible time. The Committee shall
promptly notify the Daily Digest Clerk of the Congressional
Record and shall promptly make publicly available in electronic
form the appropriate information as soon as possible after the
public announcement is made.
(3) To the extent practicable, a background memorandum
prepared by the Majority staff summarizing the major provisions
of any bill being considered by the Committee, including the
need for the bill and its effect on current law, will be
available for the Members of the Committee and the public no
later than 48 hours before the meeting.
(b) Public Availability of Markup Text.--At least 24 hours
prior to the markup of any legislation (or at the time of an
announcement under paragraph (a)(2) above made within 24 hours
before such meeting), the Chairman shall cause the text of such
legislation to be made publicly available in electronic form.
(c) Meetings and Hearings to Begin Promptly.--Each meeting
or hearing of the Committee shall begin promptly at the time
stipulated in the public announcement of the meeting or
hearing.
(d) Addressing the Committee.--A Committee Member may
address the Committee or a Subcommittee on any bill, motion, or
other matter under consideration or may question a witness at a
Hearing held only when recognized by the Chairman for that
purpose. The time a Member may address the Committee or
Subcommittee for any purpose or to question a witness shall be
limited to five minutes, except as provided in Committee Rule
4(f). A Member shall limit his remarks to the subject matter
under consideration. The Chairman shall enforce the preceding
provision.
(e) Quorums.
(1) A majority of the Members of the Committee shall
constitute a quorum for the reporting of any measure or
recommendation, the authorizing of a subpoena, the closing of
any meeting or hearing to the public under clause 2(g)(1),
clause 2(g)(2)(A) and clause 2(k)(5)(B) of House Rule XI, and
the releasing of executive session materials under clause
2(k)(7) of House Rule X. Testimony and evidence may be received
at any hearing at which there are at least two Members of the
Committee present. For the purpose of transacting all other
business of the Committee, one-third of the Members shall
constitute a quorum.
(2) When a call of the roll is required to ascertain the
presence of a quorum, the offices of all Members shall be
notified and the Members shall have not less than 15 minutes to
prove their attendance. The Chairman shall have the discretion
to waive this requirement when a quorum is actually present or
whenever a quorum is secured and may direct the relevant
Committee Staff to note the names of all Members present within
the 15-minute period.
(f) Participation of Members in Committee and
Subcommittees.--Any Member of the Committee may sit with any
Subcommittee during any meeting or hearing, and by unanimous
consent of the Members of the Subcommittee, may participate in
such meeting or hearing, except that a former Chairman or
former Ranking Member of the Full Committee may participate
without unanimous consent. However, a Member who is not a
Member of the Subcommittee (including former Full Committee
Chairmen or Full Committee Ranking Members) may not vote on any
matter before the Subcommittee, be counted for purposes of
establishing a quorum or raise points of order.
(g) Proxies.--No vote in the Committee or its Subcommittees
may be cast by proxy.
(h) Record Votes.--Record votes shall be ordered on the
demand of one-fifth of the Members present, or by any Member in
the apparent absence of a quorum.
(i) Postponed Record Votes.
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Chairman may, after
consultation with the Ranking Minority Member, postpone further
proceedings when a record vote is ordered on the question of
approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment. The
Chairman shall resume proceedings on a postponed request at any
time after reasonable notice, but no later than the next
meeting day.
(2) Notwithstanding any intervening order for the previous
question, when proceedings resume on a postponed question under
paragraph (1), an underlying proposition shall remain subject
to further debate or amendment to the same extent as when the
question was postponed.
(3) This rule shall apply to Subcommittee proceedings.
(j) Privileged Motions.--A motion to recess from day to
day, a motion to recess subject to the call of the Chairman
(within 24 hours), and a motion to dispense with the first
reading (in full) of a bill or resolution if printed copies are
available, are nondebatable motions of high privilege.
(k) Layover and Copy of Bill.--No measure or recommendation
reported by a Subcommittee shall be considered by the Committee
until two calendar days from the time of Subcommittee action.
No bill shall be considered by the Committee unless a copy has
been delivered to the office of each Member of the Committee
requesting a copy. These requirements may be waived by a
majority vote of the Committee at the time of consideration of
the measure or recommendation.
(l) Access to Dais and Conference Room.--Access to the
hearing rooms' daises (and to the conference rooms adjacent to
the Committee hearing rooms) shall be limited to Members of
Congress and employees of the Committee during a meeting or
hearing of the Committee, except that Committee Members'
personal staff may be present on the daises if their employing
Member is the author of a bill or amendment under consideration
by the Committee, but only during the time that the bill or
amendment is under active consideration by the Committee.
Access to the conference rooms adjacent to the Committee
hearing rooms shall be limited to Members of Congress and
employees of Congress during a meeting or hearing of the
Committee.
(m) Cellular Telephones.--The use of cellular telephones is
prohibited on the Committee dais or in the Committee hearing
rooms during a meeting or hearing of the Committee.
(n) Motion to go to Conference with the Senate.--The
Chairman may offer a motion under clause 1 of Rule XXII
whenever the Chairman considers it appropriate.
(o) Materials for Record.--Other than witness questions for
the hearing record, materials must be submitted within 10
business days following the last day of the hearing or meeting.
Witness questions for the hearing record must be submitted to
the relevant Full Committee Staff or Subcommittee Clerk within
3 business days following the last day of the hearing. The
materials submitted must address the subject matter of the
hearing or meeting. Only a Member of the Committee or an
invited witness may submit materials for inclusion in the
hearing or meeting record.
RULE 4. HEARING PROCEDURES
(a) Written Statement; Oral Testimony.--Each witness who is
to appear before the Committee or a Subcommittee shall file
with the relevant Full Committee Staff or Subcommittee Clerk,
at least two working days before the day of his or her
appearance, a written statement of their proposed testimony.
Each witness shall limit his or her oral presentation to a
five-minute summary of the written statement, unless the
Chairman, in consultation with the Ranking Minority Member,
extends this time period. Subject to the approval of the
Committee, the Chairman may waive oral testimony of any witness
who has submitted written testimony for the record. In
addition, a witness appearing in a nongovernmental capacity
shall include a curriculum vitae and a disclosure of any
Federal grants or contracts, or contracts or payments
originating with a foreign government, received during the
current calendar year or either of the previous two calendar
years by the witness or by the entity represented by the
witness and related to the subject matter of the hearing. The
disclosure shall include the amount and source of each Federal
grant (or subgrant thereof) or contract (or subcontract
thereof) related to the subject matter of the hearing and the
amount and country of origin of any payment or contract related
to the subject matter of the hearing originating with a foreign
government. Failure to comply with these disclosure
requirements may result in the exclusion of the written
testimony from the hearing record and/or the barring of an oral
presentation of the testimony.
(b) Minority Witnesses.--When any hearing is conducted by
the Committee or any Subcommittee upon any measure or matter,
the Minority party Members on the Committee or Subcommittee
shall be entitled, upon request to the Chairman by a majority
of those Minority Members before the completion of the hearing,
to call witnesses selected by the Minority to testify with
respect to that measure or matter during at least one day of
hearings thereon.
(c) Information for Members.--After announcement of a
hearing, the Committee shall make available as soon as
practicable to all Members of the Committee a tentative witness
list and to the extent practicable the Majority staff shall
make publicly available a memorandum explaining the subject
matter of the hearing (including relevant legislative reports
and other necessary material). In addition, the Chairman shall
make available to the Members of the Committee any official
reports from departments and agencies on the subject matter as
they are received.
(d) Subpoenas.--The Committee or a Subcommittee may
authorize and issue a subpoena under clause 2(m) of House Rule
XI if authorized by a majority of the Members voting. In
addition, the Chairman of the Committee may authorize and issue
subpoenas during any period of time in which the House of
Representatives has adjourned for more than three days.
Subpoenas shall be signed only by the Chairman of the
Committee, or any Member of the Committee authorized by the
Committee, and may be served by any person designated by the
Chairman or Member.
(e) Oaths.--The Chairman of the Committee, the Chairmen of
the Subcommittees or any Member designated by the Chairman may
administer oaths to any witness before the Committee. All
witnesses appearing in hearings may be administered the
following oath by the Chairman or his designee prior to
receiving the testimony: ``Do you solemnly swear or affirm that
the testimony that you are about to give is the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?''
(f) Opening Statements; Questioning of Witnesses.
(1) Opening statements may be made by the Chairman, Ranking
Member, Vice Chair, and Vice Ranking Member only. If a witness
scheduled to testify at any hearing of the Committee is a
constituent of a Member of the Committee, that Member may be
recognized for up to 30 seconds to briefly introduce the
witness at the hearing.
(2) The questioning of witnesses in Committee and
Subcommittee hearings shall be initiated by the Chairman,
followed by the Ranking Minority Member and all other Members
alternating between the Majority and Minority parties. In
recognizing Members to question witnesses, the Chairman shall
take into consideration the ratio of the Majority to Minority
Members present and shall establish the order of recognition
for questioning in a manner so as not to disadvantage the
Members of the Majority or the Members of the Minority. A
motion is in order to allow designated Majority and Minority
party Members to question a witness for a specified period to
be equally divided between the Majority and Minority parties.
This period shall not exceed one hour in the aggregate.
(g) Claims of Privilege.--Claims of common-law privileges
made by witnesses in hearings, or by interviewees or deponents
in investigations or inquiries, are applicable only at the
discretion of the Chairman, subject to appeal to the Committee.
RULE 5. FILING OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
(a) Duty of Chairman.--Whenever the Committee authorizes
the favorable reporting of a measure from the Committee, the
Chairman or his designee shall report the same to the House of
Representatives and shall take all steps necessary to secure
its passage without any additional authority needing to be set
forth in the motion to report each individual measure. In
appropriate cases, the authority set forth in this rule shall
extend to moving in accordance with the Rules of the House of
Representatives that the House be resolved into the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the
consideration of the measure; and to moving in accordance with
the Rules of the House of Representatives for the disposition
of a Senate measure that is substantially the same as the House
measure as reported.
(b) Filing.--A report on a measure which has been approved
by the Committee shall be filed within seven calendar days
(exclusive of days on which the House of Representatives is not
in session) after the day on which there has been filed with
the relevant Full Committee Staff a written request, signed by
a majority of the Members of the Committee, for the reporting
of that measure. Upon the filing with the relevant Full
Committee Staff of this request, the Staff shall transmit
immediately to the Chairman notice of the filing of that
request.
(c) Supplemental, Additional, Dissenting or Minority
Views.--Any Member may, if notice is given by any Member at the
time a measure or matter is approved by the Committee, file
supplemental, additional, dissenting or minority views. These
views must be in writing and signed by each Member joining
therein and be filed with the Committee Chief Counsel not less
than two additional calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays
and legal holidays except when the House is in session on those
days) of the time the bill or resolution is approved by the
Committee. This paragraph shall not preclude the filing of any
supplemental report on any measure or matter that may be
required for the correction of any technical error in a
previous report made by the Committee on that bill or
resolution.
(d) Review by Members.--Each Member of the Committee shall
be given an opportunity to review each proposed Committee
report before it is filed with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives. Nothing in this paragraph extends the time
allowed for filing supplemental, additional or minority views
under paragraph (c).
(e) Disclaimer.--All Committee or Subcommittee reports
printed and not approved by a majority vote of the Committee or
Subcommittee, as appropriate, shall contain the following
disclaimer on the cover of the report:
``This report has not been officially adopted by the
(Committee on Natural Resources) (Subcommittee) and may not
therefore necessarily reflect the views of its Members.''
RULE 6. ESTABLISHMENT OF SUBCOMMITTEES; FULL COMMITTEE JURISDICTION;
BILL REFERRAL
(a) Subcommittees.--There shall be five standing
Subcommittees of the Committee, with the following jurisdiction
and responsibilities:
Subcommittee on Federal Lands
(1) Measures and matters related to the National Park
System and its units, including Federal reserved water rights.
(2) The National Wilderness Preservation System.
(3) Wild and Scenic Rivers System, National Trails System,
national heritage areas and other national units established
for protection, conservation, preservation or recreational
development, other than coastal barriers.
(4) Military parks and battlefields, national cemeteries
administered by the Secretary of the Interior, parks in and
within the vicinity of the District of Columbia and the
erection of monuments to the memory of individuals.
(5) Federal and non-Federal outdoor recreation plans,
programs and administration including the Land and Water
Conservation Fund Act of 1965 and the Outdoor Recreation Act of
1963.
(6) Preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of
interest on the public domain and other historic preservation
programs and activities, including national monuments, historic
sites and programs for international cooperation in the field
of historic preservation.
(7) Matters concerning the following agencies and programs:
Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery Program, Historic American
Buildings Survey, Historic American Engineering Record, and
U.S. Holocaust Memorial.
(8) Public lands generally, including measures or matters
relating to entry, easements, withdrawals, grazing and Federal
reserved water rights.
(9) Forfeiture of land grants and alien ownership,
including alien ownership of mineral lands.
(10) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve
international programs for the protection of the environment
and the conservation of natural resources otherwise within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
(11) Forest reservations, including management thereof,
created from the public domain.
(12) Public forest lands generally, including measures or
matters related to entry, easements, withdrawals, grazing and
Federal reserved water rights.
(13) Wildlife resources, including research, restoration,
refuges and conservation, and National Wildlife Refuges.
Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
(1) Generation and marketing of electric power from Federal
water projects by Federally chartered or Federal regional power
marketing authorities.
(2) All measures and matters concerning water resources
planning conducted pursuant to the Water Resources Planning
Act, water resource research and development programs and
saline water research and development.
(3) Compacts relating to the use and apportionment of
interstate waters, water rights and major interbasin water or
power movement programs.
(4) All measures and matters pertaining to irrigation and
reclamation projects and other water resources development and
recycling programs, including policies and procedures.
(5) Indian water rights and settlements.
(6) Rights of way over public lands for energy-related
transmission.
(7) Fisheries management and fisheries research generally,
including the management of all commercial and recreational
fisheries (including the reauthorization of the Magnuson
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act),
interjurisdictional fisheries, international fisheries
agreements, aquaculture, seafood safety, and fisheries
promotion.
(8) All matters pertaining to the protection of coastal and
marine environments, estuarine protection, and coastal barriers
(except coastal zone management).
(9) Oceanography.
(10) Ocean engineering, including materials, technology and
systems.
(11) Marine sanctuaries.
(12) U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
(13) All matters regarding Antarctica within the
Committee's jurisdiction.
(14) Sea Grant programs and marine extension services.
(15) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve
international programs for the protection of the environment
and the conservation of natural resources otherwise within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
(1) All measures and matters concerning the U.S. Geological
Survey, except for the activities and programs of the Water
Resources Division or its successor.
(2) All measures and matters affecting geothermal
resources.
(3) Conservation of United States uranium supply.
(4) Mining interests generally, including all matters
involving mining regulation and enforcement, including the
reclamation of mined lands, the environmental effects of
mining, and the management of mineral receipts, mineral land
laws and claims, long-range mineral programs and deep seabed
mining.
(5) Mining schools, experimental stations and long-range
mineral programs.
(6) Mineral resources on public lands.
(7) Conservation and development of oil and gas resources
of the Outer Continental Shelf.
(8) Petroleum conservation on the public lands and
conservation of the radium supply in the United States.
(9) Measures and matters concerning the transportation of
natural gas from or within Alaska and disposition of oil
transported by the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.
(10) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve
international programs for the protection of the environment
and the conservation of natural resources otherwise within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
(11) Coastal zone management.
Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs
(1) Measures relating to the welfare of Native Americans,
including management of Indian lands in general and special
measures relating to claims which are paid out of Indian funds.
(2) All matters regarding the relations of the United
States with Native Americans and Native American tribes,
including special oversight functions under House Rule X.
(3) All matters regarding Native Alaskans.
(4) All matters related to the Federal trust responsibility
to Native Americans and the sovereignty of Native Americans.
(5) All matters regarding insular areas of the United
States.
(6) All measures or matters regarding the Freely Associated
States.
(7) All matters regarding Native Hawaiians.
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
(1) Primary and general oversight and investigative
authority on all activities, policies and programs within the
jurisdiction of the Committee under House Rule X.
(b) Full Committee.--The following measures and matters
shall be retained at the Full Committee:
(1) Environmental and habitat measures of general
applicability, including the National Environmental Policy Act
and the Endangered Species Act.
(2) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve
international programs for the protection of the environment
and the conservation of natural resources otherwise within the
jurisdiction of the Full Committee under this paragraph.
(3) All other measures and matters retained by the Full
Committee, including those retained under Committee Rule 6(e).
(4) General and continuing oversight and investigative
authority over activities, policies and programs within the
jurisdiction of the Full Committee.
(c) Ex-officio Members.--The Chairman and Ranking Minority
Member of the Committee may serve as ex-officio Members of each
standing Subcommittee to which the Chairman or the Ranking
Minority Member have not been assigned. Ex-officio Members
shall have the right to fully participate in Subcommittee
activities but may not vote and may not be counted in
establishing a quorum.
(d) Powers and Duties of Subcommittees.--Each Subcommittee
is authorized to meet, hold hearings, receive evidence and
report to the Committee on all matters within its jurisdiction.
Each Subcommittee shall review and study, on a continuing
basis, the application, administration, execution and
effectiveness of those statutes, or parts of statutes, the
subject matter of which is within that Subcommittee's
jurisdiction; and the organization, operation, and regulations
of any Federal agency or entity having responsibilities in or
for the administration of such statutes, to determine whether
these statutes are being implemented and carried out in
accordance with the intent of Congress. Each Subcommittee shall
review and study any conditions or circumstances indicating the
need of enacting new or supplemental legislation within the
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. Each Subcommittee shall have
general and continuing oversight and investigative authority
over activities, policies and programs within the jurisdiction
of the Subcommittee.
(e) Referral to Subcommittees; Recall.
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) and for those
measures or matters retained at the Full Committee, every
legislative measure or other matter referred to the Committee
shall be referred to the maximum extent possible to the
Subcommittee of jurisdiction within two weeks of the date of
its referral to the Committee. If any measure or matter is
within or affects the jurisdiction of one or more
Subcommittees, the Chairman may refer that measure or matter
simultaneously to two or more Subcommittees for concurrent
consideration or for consideration in sequence subject to
appropriate time limits, or divide the matter into two or more
parts and refer each part to a Subcommittee.
(2) The Chairman, with the approval of a majority of the
Majority Members of the Committee, may refer a legislative
measure or other matter to a select or special Subcommittee. A
legislative measure or other matter referred by the Chairman to
a Subcommittee may be recalled from the Subcommittee for direct
consideration by the Full Committee, or for referral to another
Subcommittee, provided Members of the Committee receive one
week written notice of the recall and a majority of the Members
of the Committee do not object. In addition, a legislative
measure or other matter referred by the Chairman to a
Subcommittee may be recalled from the Subcommittee at any time
by majority vote of the Committee for direct consideration by
the Full Committee or for referral to another Subcommittee.
(f) Consultation.--Each Subcommittee Chairman shall consult
with the Chairman of the Full Committee prior to setting dates
for Subcommittee meetings and hearings with a view towards
avoiding whenever possible conflicting Committee and
Subcommittee meetings and hearings.
(g) Vacancy.--A vacancy in the membership of a Subcommittee
shall not affect the power of the remaining Members to execute
the functions of the Subcommittee.
RULE 7. TASK FORCES, SPECIAL OR SELECT SUBCOMMITTEES
(a) Appointment.--The Chairman of the Committee is
authorized, after consultation with the Ranking Minority
Member, to appoint Task Forces, or special or select
Subcommittees, to carry out the duties and functions of the
Committee.
(b) Ex-officio Members.--The Chairman and Ranking Minority
Member of the Committee may serve as ex-officio Members of each
Task Force, or special or select Subcommittee if they are not
otherwise members. Ex-officio Members shall have the right to
fully participate in activities but may not vote and may not be
counted in establishing a quorum.
(c) Party Ratios.--The ratio of Majority Members to
Minority Members, excluding ex-officio Members, on each Task
Force, special or select Subcommittee shall be as close as
practicable to the ratio on the Full Committee.
(d) Temporary Resignation.--A Member can temporarily resign
his or her position on a Subcommittee to serve on a Task Force,
special or select Subcommittee without prejudice to the
Member's seniority on the Subcommittee.
(e) Chairman and Ranking Minority Member.--The Chairman of
any Task Force, or special or select Subcommittee shall be
appointed by the Chairman of the Committee. The Ranking
Minority Member shall select a Ranking Minority Member for each
Task Force, or standing, special or select Subcommittee.
RULE 8. RECOMMENDATION OF CONFEREES
Whenever it becomes necessary to appoint conferees on a
particular measure, the Chairman shall recommend to the Speaker
as conferees those Majority Members, as well as those Minority
Members recommended to the Chairman by the Ranking Minority
Member, primarily responsible for the measure. The ratio of
Majority Members to Minority Members recommended for
conferences shall be no greater than the ratio on the
Committee.
RULE 9. COMMITTEE RECORDS
(a) Segregation of Records.--All Committee records shall be
kept separate and distinct from the office records of
individual Committee Members serving as Chairmen or Ranking
Minority Members. These records shall be the property of the
House and all Members shall have access to them in accordance
with clause 2(e)(2) of House Rule XI.
(b) Availability.--The Committee shall make available to
the public for review at reasonable times in the Committee
office transcripts of public meetings and hearings, except
those that are unrevised or unedited and intended solely for
the use of the Committee.
(c) Archived Records.--Records of the Committee which are
deposited with the National Archives shall be made available
for public use pursuant to House Rule VII. The Chairman of the
Committee shall notify the Ranking Minority Member of any
decision, pursuant to clause 3(b)(3) or clause 4(b) of House
Rule VII, to withhold, or to provide a time, schedule or
condition for availability of any record otherwise available.
At the written request of any Member of the Committee, the
matter shall be presented to the Committee for a determination
and shall be subject to the same notice and quorum requirements
for the conduct of business under Committee Rule 3.
(d) Records of Closed Meetings.--Notwithstanding the other
provisions of this rule, no records of Committee meetings or
hearings which were closed to the public pursuant to the Rules
of the House of Representatives shall be released to the public
unless the Committee votes to release those records in
accordance with the procedure used to close the Committee
meeting.
(e) Classified Materials.--All classified materials shall
be maintained in an appropriately secured location and shall be
released only to authorized persons for review, who shall not
remove the material from the Committee offices without the
written permission of the Chairman.
(f) Committee Information Available for the Public.--In
addition to any other requirement of these rules or the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Chairman shall cause to be
made available publicly in electronic form the following:
(1) a record of the votes on any question on which a
recorded vote is taken which shall be posted no later than 24
hours after the vote is taken that shall include:
(i) a copy of the amendment or a detailed description
of the motion, order or other proposition; and
(ii) the name of each Member voting for and each
Member voting against such amendment, motion, order, or
proposition, the names of those Members voting present,
and the names of any Member not present.
(2) copies of all amendments adopted in Committee by voice
vote or unanimous consent within 24 hours of the adoption of
the amendment.
(3) the rules of the Committee, once adopted, and any
amendments thereto, in accordance with clause 2(a)(2) of House
Rule XI.
(4) the statements required under the second sentence of
clause 2(g)(5) of House Rule XI, with appropriate redactions to
protect the privacy of the witness, which shall be posted no
later than one day after the witness appears before the
Committee.
RULE 10. COMMITTEE BUDGET AND EXPENSES
(a) Budget.--At the beginning of each Congress, after
consultation with the Chairman of each Subcommittee and the
Ranking Minority Member, the Chairman shall present to the
Committee for its approval a budget covering the funding
required for staff, travel, and miscellaneous expenses.
(b) Expense Resolution.--Upon approval by the Committee of
each budget, the Chairman, acting pursuant to clause 6 of House
Rule X, shall prepare and introduce in the House a supporting
expense resolution, and take all action necessary to bring
about its approval by the Committee on House Administration and
by the House of Representatives.
(c) Amendments.--The Chairman shall report to the Committee
any amendments to each expense resolution and any related
changes in the budget.
(d) Additional Expenses.--Authorization for the payment of
additional or unforeseen Committee expenses may be procured by
one or more additional expense resolutions processed in the
same manner as set out under this rule.
(e) Monthly Reports.--Copies of each monthly report,
prepared by the Chairman for the Committee on House
Administration, which shows expenditures made during the
reporting period and cumulative for the year, anticipated
expenditures for the projected Committee program, and detailed
information on travel, shall be available to each Member.
RULE 11. COMMITTEE STAFF
(a) Rules and Policies.--Committee staff members are
subject to the provisions of clause 9 of House Rule X, as well
as any written personnel policies the Committee may from time
to time adopt.
(b) Majority and Nonpartisan Staff.--The Chairman shall
appoint, determine the remuneration of, and may remove, the
legislative and administrative employees of the Committee not
assigned to the Minority. The legislative and administrative
staff of the Committee not assigned to the Minority shall be
under the general supervision and direction of the Chairman,
who shall establish and assign the duties and responsibilities
of these staff members and delegate any authority he determines
appropriate.
(c) Minority Staff.--The Ranking Minority Member of the
Committee shall appoint, determine the remuneration of, and may
remove, the legislative and administrative staff assigned to
the Minority within the budget approved for those purposes. The
legislative and administrative staff assigned to the Minority
shall be under the general supervision and direction of the
Ranking Minority Member of the Committee who may delegate any
authority the Ranking Member determines appropriate.
(d) Availability.--The skills and services of all Committee
staff shall be available to all Members of the Committee.
RULE 12. COMMITTEE TRAVEL
In addition to any written travel policies the Committee
may from time to time adopt, all travel of Members and staff of
the Committee or its Subcommittees, to hearings, meetings,
conferences and investigations, including all foreign travel,
must be authorized by the Full Committee Chairman prior to any
public notice of the travel and prior to the actual travel. In
the case of Minority staff, all travel shall first be approved
by the Ranking Minority Member. Funds authorized for the
Committee under clauses 6 and 7 of House Rule X are for
expenses incurred in the Committee's activities within the
United States.
RULE 13. CHANGES TO COMMITTEE RULES
The rules of the committee may be modified, amended, or
repealed, by a majority vote of the committee, provided that
written notice of the proposed change has been provided each
member of the committee prior to the meeting date on which the
changes are to be discussed and voted on consistent with
committee rule 3(a). A change to the rules of the committee
shall be published in the congressional record no later than 30
days after its approval and made publicly available in
electronic form.
RULE 14. OTHER PROCEDURES
The Chairman may establish procedures and take actions as
may be necessary to carry out the rules of the Committee or to
facilitate the effective administration of the Committee, in
accordance with the rules of the Committee and the Rules of the
House of Representatives.
APPENDIX I
Printed Hearings
115-1--Oversight Hearing on ``Improving and Expanding
Infrastructure in Tribal and Insular Communities.'' March 9,
2017, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and
Alaska Native Affairs)
115-2--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining the Creation and
Management of Marine Monuments and Sanctuaries.'' March 15,
2017, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water, Power and
Oceans)
115-3--Oversight Hearing on ``The Status of the Puerto Rico
Electric Power Authority (PREPA) Restructuring Support
Agreement.'' March 22, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on
Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs)
115-4--Oversight Hearing on ``ESA Consultation Impediments
to Economic and Infrastructure Development.'' March 28, 2017,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation)
115-5--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining the Consequences of
Executive Branch Overreach of the Antiquities Act.'' May 2,
2017, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Federal Lands)
115-6--Oversight Hearing on ``The Status and Future of the
Cobell Land Consolidation Program.'' May 23, 2017, Washington,
D.C. (Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native
Affairs)
115-7--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining Impacts of Federal
Natural Resources Laws Gone Astray.'' May 24, 2017, Washington,
D.C. (Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations) [See also
Serial No. 115-16]
115-8--Legislative Hearing on Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to
authorize partnerships between States and non-governmental
entities for the purpose of reclaiming and restoring land and
water resources adversely affected by coal mining activities
before August 3, 1977, and other purposes, ``Community
Reclamation Partnerships Act.'' May 24, 2017, Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
115-9--Legislative Hearing on Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
expedite under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
and improve forest management activities on National Forest
System lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the
Bureau of Land Management, and on Tribal lands to return
resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for
other purposes. ``Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017''. June
15, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Federal Lands)
115-10--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2662, To amend the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act to improve the recruitment
and retention of employees in the Indian Health Service,
restore accountability in the Indian Health Service, improve
health services, and for other purposes. June 21, 2017,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska
Native Affairs)
115-11--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining the Department of
the Interior's Spending Priorities and the President's Fiscal
Year 2018 Budget Proposal.'' June 22, 2017, Washington, D.C.
(Full Committee)
115-12--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining Policy Impacts of
Excessive Litigation Against the Department of the Interior.''
June 28, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations)
115-13--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining Access to Oil and
Gas Development on Federal Lands.'' June 29, 2017, Washington,
D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
115-14--Oversight Hearing on ``Evaluating Federal Offshore
Oil and Gas Development on the Outer Continental Shelf.'' July
12, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral
Resources)
115-15--Oversight Hearing on ``Comparing 21st Century Trust
Land Acquisition with the Intent of the 73rd Congress in
Section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act.'' July 13, 2017,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Native
American Affairs)
115-16--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining Impacts of Federal
Natural Resources Laws Gone Astray, Part II.'' July 18, 2017,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations)
[See also Serial No. 115-7]
115-17--Oversight Hearing on ``Promoting Onshore Oil and
Gas Development in Alaska.'' July 18, 2017, Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
115-18--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 424, To direct the
Secretary of the Interior to reissue final rules relating to
listing of the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes and Wyoming
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other
purposes; H.R. 717, To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973
to require review of the economic cost of adding a species to
the list of endangered species or threatened species, and for
other purposes; H.R. 1274, To amend the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 to require making available to States affected by
determinations that species are endangered species or
threatened species all data that is the basis of such
determinations, and for other purposes; H.R. 2603, To amend the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that nonnative
species in the United States shall not be treated as endangered
species or threatened species for purposes of that Act; and
H.R. 3131, To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to
conform citizen suits under that Act with other existing law,
and for other purposes. July 19, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Full
Committee)
115-19--Oversight Hearing on ``Exploring the Successes and
Challenges of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.'' July 19, 2017,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water and Power)
115-20--Oversight Hearing on ``Seeking Innovative Solutions
for the Future of Hardrock Mining.'' July 20, 2017, Washington,
D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
115-21--Oversight Hearing on ``Assessing Current Conditions
and Challenges at the Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center
in American Samoa.'' July 25, 2017, Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs)
115-22--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 200, To amend the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to
provide flexibility for fishery managers and stability for
fishermen, and for other purposes; H.R. 2023, To modernize
recreational fisheries management; H.R. 3588, To amend the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to
provide for management of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico,
and for other purposes; and Discussion Draft of H.R. __, To
amend and reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act, and for other purposes. September 26, 2017,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans)
115-23--Oversight Hearing on ``Exploring Solutions to
Reduce Risks of Catastrophic Wildfire and Improve Resiliency of
National Forests.'' September 27, 2017, Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations)
115-24--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3144, To provide for
operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant
to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, and
for other purposes; and H.R. 3916, To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to vest in the Secretary of the Interior
functions under that Act with respect to species of fish that
spawn in fresh or estuarine waters and migrate to ocean waters,
and species of fish that spawn in ocean waters and migrate to
fresh waters. October 12, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee
on Water, Power and Oceans)
115-25--Oversight Hearing on ``Empowering State Based
Management Solutions for Greater Sage Grouse Recovery.''
October 25, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Full Committee)
115-26--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 221, To reauthorize the
Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and for other
purposes; H.R. 1176, To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act
of 1972 to establish a Working Waterfront Task Force and a
working waterfronts grant program, and for other purposes; and
S. 140, A bill to amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water
Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to clarify the use of amounts
in the WMAT Settlement Fund. November 2, 2017, Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans)
115-27--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining Challenges in
Puerto Rico's Recovery and the Role of the Financial Oversight
and Management Board.'' November 7, 2017, Washington, D.C.
(Full Committee)
115-28--Oversight Hearing on ``The Need for Transparent
Financial Accountability in Territories' Disaster Recovery
Efforts.'' November 14, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Full Committee)
115-29--Oversight Hearing on ``Modernizing NEPA for the
21st Century.'' November 29, 2017, Washington, D.C. (Full
Committee)
115-30--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4419, To facilitate and
streamline the Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian
Affairs processes for creating or expanding certain water
projects, and for other purposes.'' November 30, 2017,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans)
115-31--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4465, ``Endangered Fish
Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2017.'' December 6, 2017,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans)
115-32--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4558, To provide
greater conservation, recreation, economic development and
local management of Federal lands in Garfield and Kane
Counties, Utah. December 14, 2017, Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Federal Lands)
115-33--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4532, To create the
first Tribally managed national monument, and for other
purposes. January 9, 2018 (Part 1); and January 30, 2018 (Part
2), Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Federal Lands)
115-34--Oversight Hearing on ``Examining the Department of
the Interior's Actions to Eliminate Onshore Energy Burdens.''
January 18, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and
Mineral Resources)
115-35--Oversight Hearing on ``Deficiencies in the
Permitting Process for Offshore Seismic Research.'' January 19,
2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral
Resources)
115-36--Oversight Hearing on ``The Costs of Denying Border
Patrol Access: Our Environment and Security.'' February 15,
2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations)
115-37--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2591, To amend the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize the
funding of wildlife conservation, and for other purposes; H.R.
4429, To direct the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a rule
relating to extension of the expiration dates for double-
crested cormorant depredation orders, and for other purposes;
H.R. 4609, To provide for the conveyance of a Forest Service
site in Dolores County, Colorado, to be used for a fire
station; H.R. 4647, To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife
Restoration Act to make supplemental funds available for
management of fish and wildlife species of greatest
conservation need as determined by State fish and wildlife
agencies, and for other purposes; and H.R. 4851, To establish
the Kennedy-King National Historic Site in the State of
Indiana, and for other purposes. February 15, 2018, Washington,
D.C. (Subcommittee on Federal Lands)
115-38--Oversight Hearing on ``Liquefied Natural Gas and
U.S. Geopolitics.'' February 27, 2018, Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
115-39--Oversight Hearing on ``Exploring Innovative
Solutions to Reduce the Department of the Interior's
Maintenance Backlog.'' March 6, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Full
Committee)
115-40--Oversight Hearing on ``Policy Priorities at the
Department of the Interior and the Administration's Fiscal Year
2019 Budget Proposal.'' March 15, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Full
Committee)
115-41--Oversight Hearing on ``Abandoned Hardrock Mines and
the Role of Non-Governmental Entities.'' March 15, 2018,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
115-42--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2584, To amend title
54, United States Code, to establish, fund, and provide for the
use of amounts in a National Park Service Legacy Restoration
Fund to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park
Service, and for other purposes; and H.R. 5210, To establish
the National Park Restoration Fund, and for other purposes.
March 20, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Federal
Lands)
115-43--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 1456, To prohibit the
sale of shark fins, and for other purposes; H.R. 4528, To make
technical amendments to certain marine fish conservation
statutes, and for other purposes; and H.R. 5248, To amend and
enhance the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection
Act to improve the conservation of sharks. April 17, 2018,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans)
115-44--Oversight Hearing on ``The Weaponization of the
National Environmental Policy Act and the Implications of
Environmental Lawfare.'' April 25, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Full
Committee)
115-45--Oversight Hearing on ``Federal Impediments to
Commerce and Innovative Injurious Species Management.'' May 17,
2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water, Power and
Oceans)
115-46--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 5597, To provide for
the expansion of the Desert Tortoise Habitat Conservation Plan,
Washington County, Utah; H.R. 5751, To redesignate Golden Spike
National Historic Site and to establish the Transcontinental
Railroad Network; and H.R. 5875, To amend the Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Federal Aid in
Sport Fish Restoration Act, to provide parity for United States
territories and the District of Columbia, to make technical
corrections to such Acts and related laws, and for other
purposes. May 22, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on
Federal Lands)
115-47--Legislative Hearing on Discussion Draft H.R. __, To
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to recover the cost of
processing administrative protests for oil and gas lease sales,
applications for permits to drill, and right of way
applications, and for other purposes; Discussion Draft H.R. __,
To clarify the categorical exclusions authorized by the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 and authorize additional categorical
exclusions to streamline the oil and gas permitting process,
and for other purposes; Discussion Draft
H.R. __, To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize
notifications of permit to drill, and for other purposes; and
Discussion Draft H.R. __, To clarify that Bureau of Land
Management shall not require permits for oil and gas activities
conducted on non-Federal surface estate to access subsurface
mineral estate that is less than 50 percent Federally owned,
and for other purposes. June 6, 2018, Washington, D.C.
(Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources)
115-48--Oversight Hearing on ``Wildfire Risk, Forest
Health, and Associated Management Priorities of the U.S. Forest
Service.'' June 7, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on
Federal Lands)
115-49--Legislative Hearing on Discussion Draft H.R. __,
``Enhancing State Management of Federal Lands and Waters Act.''
June 14, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Energy and
Mineral Resources)
115-50--Oversight Hearing on ``The Essential Role of
Livestock Grazing on Federal Lands and its Importance to Rural
America.'' July 12, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on
Federal Lands)
115-51--Oversight Hearing on ``Management Crisis at the
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and Implications for
Recovery.'' July 25, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Full Committee)
115-52--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 6583, To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands and
facilities of the Big Sand Wash Project, Utah; and H.R. 6652,
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain
facilities, easements, and rights-of-way to the Kennewick
Irrigation District, and for other purposes. September 5, 2018,
Washington, D.C. (Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans)
115-53--Oversight Field Hearing in Pasco, Washington, on
``The Federal Columbia River Power System: The Economic
Lifeblood & Way of Life for the Pacific Northwest.'' September
10, 2018, Pasco, Washington. (Full Committee)
115-54--Oversight Field Hearing in Hot Springs, Arkansas,
on ``Historic Leasing in the National Park System: Assessing
Challenges and Building on Successes.'' September 17, 2018, Hot
Springs, Arkansas. (Full Committee)
115-55--Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3608, To amend the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require publication on the
Internet of the basis for determinations that species are
endangered species or threatened species, and for other
purposes; H.R. 6344, To amend the Endangered Species Act of
1973 to encourage voluntary conservation efforts; H.R. 6345, To
provide for greater county and State consultation with regard
to petitions under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for
other purposes; H.R. 6346, To amend the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 to provide for consideration of the totality of
conservation measures in determining the impact of proposed
Federal agency action; H.R. 6354, To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to prohibit designation as critical habitat
of certain areas in artificial water diversion or delivery
facilities; H.R. 6355, To amend the Endangered Species Act of
1973 to define petition backlogs and provide expedited means
for discharging petitions during such a backlog; H.R. 6356, To
amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide for
improved precision in the listing, delisting, and downlisting
of endangered species and potentially endangered species; H.R.
6360, To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide
for greater certainty and improved planning for incidental take
permit holders; and H.R. 6364, To amend the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 to increase State and local involvement in
management plans. September 26, 2018, Washington, D.C. (Full
Committee)
APPENDIX II
Legislation Passed/Failed to Pass the House
BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE THAT PASSED THE HOUSE
[Asterisk (*) denotes bills that the Committee on Natural
Resources was not the lead Committee]
01/04/2017--H.J. Res. 3, Approving the location of a
memorial to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed
Forces who served on active duty in support of Operation Desert
Storm or Operation Desert Shield. Passed House by voice vote.
01/30/2017--H.R. 46, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study of Fort Ontario in
the State of New York. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law
115-255)
01/30/2017--H.R. 339, To amend Public Law 94-241 with
respect to the Northern Mariana Islands. Passed House by voice
vote. (Public Law 115-53)
01/30/2017--H.R. 374, To remove the sunset provision of
section 203 of Public Law 105-384, and for other purposes.
Passed House by a vote of 388-0. (Public Law 115-49)
01/30/2017--H.R. 381, To designate a mountain in the John
Muir Wilderness of the Sierra National Forest as ``Sky Point''.
Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-109)
01/30/2017--H.R. 538, To redesignate Ocmulgee National
Monument in the State of Georgia and revise its boundary, and
for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 396-
8.
01/30/2017--H.R. 558, To adjust the boundary of the
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to include the
Wallis House and Harriston Hill, and for other purposes. Passed
House by voice vote.
01/30/2017--H.R. 560, To amend the Delaware Water Gap
National Recreation Area Improvement Act to provide access to
certain vehicles serving residents of municipalities adjacent
to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and for
other purposes. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-
101)
02/01/2017--H.J. Res. 38, Disapproving the rule submitted
by the Department of the Interior known as the Stream
Protection Rule. Passed House by a vote of 228-194. (Public Law
115-5)
02/03/2017--H.J. Res. 36, Providing for congressional
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of
the final rule of the Bureau of Land Management relating to
``Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and
Resource Conservation''. Passed House by a vote of 221-191.
02/06/2017--H.R. 337, To transfer administrative
jurisdiction over certain Bureau of Land Management land from
the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs for inclusion in the Black Hills National Cemetery, and
for other purposes. Passed House by a vote of 407-0.
02/06/2017--H.R. 494, To expand the boundary of Fort
Frederica National Monument in the State of Georgia, and for
other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
02/06/2017--H.R. 618, To authorize, direct, expedite, and
facilitate a land exchange in El Paso and Teller Counties,
Colorado, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
02/06/2017--H.R. 688, To adjust the boundary of the Arapaho
National Forest, Colorado, and for other purposes. Passed House
by voice vote.
02/06/2017--H.R. 689, To insure adequate use and access to
the existing Bolts Ditch headgate and ditch segment within the
Holy Cross Wilderness in Eagle County, Colorado, and for other
purposes. Passed House by a vote of 409-1.
02/06/2017--H.R. 698, To require a land conveyance
involving the Elkhorn Ranch and the White River National Forest
in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes. Passed House
by voice vote. (Public Law 115-252)
02/07/2017--H.J. Res. 44, Disapproving the rule submitted
by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land
Management regulations that establish the procedures used to
prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Passed House by
a vote of 234-186. (Public Law 115-12)
02/14/2017--H.R. 428, To survey the gradient boundary along
the Red River in the States of Oklahoma and Texas, and for
other purposes. Passed House by a vote of 250-171.
02/16/2017--H.J. Res. 69, Providing for congressional
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of
the final rule of the Department of the Interior relating to
``Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation
and Closure Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in
Alaska''. Passed House by a vote of 225-193. (Public Law 115-
20)
02/27/2017--H.R. 88, To modify the boundary of the Shiloh
National Military Park located in Tennessee and Mississippi, to
establish Parker's Crossroads Battlefield as an affiliated area
of the National Park System, and for other purposes. Passed
House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-xxx)
02/27/2017--H.R. 228, To amend the Indian Employment,
Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 to
facilitate the ability of Indian tribes to integrate the
employment, training, and related services from diverse Federal
sources, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by
voice vote. (Public Law 115-93)
02/27/2017--H.R. 699, To amend the Omnibus Public Land
Management Act of 2009 to modify provisions relating to certain
land exchanges in the Mt. Hood Wilderness in the State of
Oregon. Passed House by a vote of 415-1. (Public Law 115-110)
02/27/2017--H.R. 863, To facilitate the addition of park
administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park, and
for other purposes. Passed House by a vote of 369-42. (Public
Law 115-111)
03/15/2017--H.R. 132, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to convey certain land and appurtenances of the
Arbuckle Project, Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy
District, and for other purposes. Passed House by a vote of
407-1.
03/15/2017--H.R. 267, To redesignate the Martin Luther
King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of Georgia,
and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice
vote. (Public Law 115-108)
03/15/2017--H.R. 648, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to amend the Definite Plan Report for the Seedskadee
Project to enable the use of the active capacity of the
Fontenelle Reservoir. Passed House by a vote of 408-0.
05/17/2017--H.R. 984, To extend Federal recognition to the
Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-
Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock
Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond
Indian Tribe. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-121)
06/21/2017--H.R. 1873, To amend the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 to enhance the reliability of the
electricity grid and reduce the threat of wildfires to and from
electric transmission and distribution facilities on Federal
lands by facilitating vegetation management on such lands.
Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 300-118.
06/22/2017--H.R. 1654, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to coordinate Federal and State permitting processes
related to the construction of new surface water storage
projects on lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture and to designate
the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead agency for permit
processing, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended,
by a vote of 233-180.
06/27/2017--H.R. 220, To authorize the expansion of an
existing hydroelectric project, and for other purposes. Passed
House, as amended, by a vote of 424-1. (Public Law 115-201)
06/27/2017--H.R. 497, To direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey certain Federal lands in San Bernardino
County, California, to the San Bernardino Valley Water
Conservation District, and to accept in return certain non-
Federal lands, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by a vote of 424-0.
06/27/2017--H.R. 1073, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to establish a structure for visitor services on the
Arlington Ridge tract, in the area of the U.S. Marine Corps War
Memorial, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
06/27/2017--H.R. 1135, To reauthorize the Historically
Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation program.
Passed House by voice vote.
06/27/2017--H.R. 1967, To amend the Reclamation Project Act
of 1939 to authorize pumped storage hydropower development
utilizing multiple Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs. Passed
House, as amended, by voice vote. (Public Law 115-xxx)
06/28/2017--H.R. 1500, To redesignate the small triangular
property located in Washington, DC, and designated by the
National Park Service as reservation 302 as ``Robert Emmet
Park'', and for other purposes. Passed House by a vote of 423-
0.
07/11/2017--H.R. 597, To take lands in Sonoma County,
California, into trust as part of the reservation of the Lytton
Rancheria of California, and for other purposes. Passed House
by voice vote.
07/11/2017--H.R. 954, To remove the use restrictions on
certain land transferred to Rockingham County, Virginia, and
for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law
115-116)
07/11/2017--H.R. 1306, To provide for the conveyance of
certain Federal land in the State of Oregon, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-103)
07/11/2017--H.R. 1397, To authorize, direct, facilitate,
and expedite the transfer of administrative jurisdiction of
certain Federal land, and for other purposes. Passed House by a
vote of 406-0. (Public Law 115-190)
07/11/2017--H.R. 1404, To provide for the conveyance of
certain land inholdings owned by the United States to the
Tucson Unified School District and to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of
Arizona. Passed House by voice vote.
07/11/2017--H.R. 1541, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to acquire certain property related to the Fort Scott
National Historic Site in Fort Scott, Kansas, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
07/11/2017--H.R. 1719, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to acquire approximately 44 acres of land in Martinez,
California, for inclusion in the John Muir National Historic
Site, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a
vote of 401-15. (Public Law 115-191)
07/11/2017--H.R. 1913, To establish the Clear Creek
National Recreation Area in San Benito and Fresno Counties,
California, to designate the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness in such
counties, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
07/11/2017--H.R. 2156, To provide for the establishment of
a national memorial and national monument to commemorate those
killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis Dam on March 12,
1928, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
07/12/2017--H.R. 23, To provide drought relief in the State
of California, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by a vote of 230-190.
07/19/2017--H.R. 2883*, To establish a more uniform,
transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction,
connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-
crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and
natural gas and the transmission of electricity. Passed House,
as amended, by a vote of 254-175.
07/20/2017--H.R. 218, To provide for the exchange of
Federal land and non-Federal land in the State of Alaska for
the construction of a road between King Cove and Cold Bay.
Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 248-179.
07/26/2017--H.R. 1927, To amend title 54, United States
Code, to establish within the National Park Service the African
American Civil Rights Network, and for other purposes. Passed
House, as amended, by voice vote. (Public Law 115-104)
07/26/2017--H.R. 2370, To authorize Escambia County,
Florida, to convey certain property that was formerly part of
Santa Rosa Island National Monument and that was conveyed to
Escambia County subject to restrictions on use and
reconveyance. Passed House by voice vote.
07/28/2017--H.R. 873, To authorize the Global War on Terror
Memorial Foundation to establish the National Global War on
Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative work in the District of
Columbia, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
(Public Law 115-51)
09/12/2017--H.R. 2611, To modify the boundary of the Little
Rock Central High School National Historic Site, and for other
purposes. Passed House by a vote of 390-0. (Public Law 115-117)
10/02/2017--H.R. 289, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to issue permits for
recreation services on lands managed by Federal agencies, and
for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
10/02/2017--H.R. 965, To redesignate the Saint-Gaudens
National Historic Site as the ``Saint-Gaudens National
Historical Park'', and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by a vote of 401-0.
10/02/2017--H.R. 1547, To provide for the unencumbering of
title to non-Federal land owned by the city of Tucson, Arizona,
for purposes of economic development by conveyance of the
Federal reversionary interest to the City. Passed House by a
vote of 401-0.
10/02/2017--H.R. 2316, To amend the Mineral Leasing Act and
the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to repeal provisions relating
only to the Allegheny National Forest. Passed House by voice
vote.
10/02/2017--H.R. 2582, To authorize the State of Utah to
select certain lands that are available for disposal under the
Pony Express Resource Management Plan to be used for the
support and benefit of State institutions, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
10/02/2017--H.R. 2937, To amend the Surface Mining Control
and Reclamation Act of 1977 to authorize partnerships between
States and nongovernmental entities for the purpose of
reclaiming and restoring land and water resources adversely
affected by coal mining activities before August 3, 1977, and
for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
10/31/2017--H.R. 2921*, To establish a vegetation
management pilot program on National Forest System land to
better protect utility infrastructure from passing wildfire,
and for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
11/01/2017--H.R. 1074, To repeal the Act entitled ``An Act
to confer jurisdiction on the State of Iowa over offenses
committed by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox Indian
Reservation''. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-301)
11/01/2017--H.R. 1488, To retitle Indiana Dunes National
Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes National Park, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
11/01/2017--H.R. 2600, To provide for the conveyance to the
State of Iowa of the reversionary interest held by the United
States in certain land in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
11/01/2017--H.R. 2936*, To expedite under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and improve forest management
activities on National Forest System lands, on public lands
under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, and on
Tribal lands to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone
forested lands, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by a vote of 232-188.
11/01/2017--H.R. 3279, To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to
provide that extraction of helium from gas produced under a
Federal mineral lease shall maintain the lease as if the helium
were oil and gas. Passed House by voice vote.
11/07/2017--H.R. 1900*, To designate the Veterans Memorial
and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, as the National Veterans Memorial
and Museum, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended,
by voice vote. (Public Law 115-186)
11/28/2017--H.R. 995, To direct the Secretary of
Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to modernize
terms in certain regulations. Passed House, as amended, by
voice vote.
11/28/2017--H.R. 1491, To reaffirm the action of the
Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for the
benefit of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians, and
for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
11/28/2017--H.R. 2615, To authorize the exchange of certain
land located in Gulf Islands National Seashore, Jackson County,
Mississippi, between the National Park Service and the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice
vote. (Public Law 115-279)
11/28/2017--H.R. 2768, To designate certain mountain peaks
in the State of Colorado as ``Fowler Peak'' and ``Boskoff
Peak''. Passed House by a vote of 409-0.
11/28/2017--H.R. 3115, To provide for a land exchange
involving Federal land in the Superior National Forest in
Minnesota acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture through the
Weeks Law, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by
a vote of 309-99.
11/30/2017--H.R. 3905, To require congressional approval of
any mineral withdrawal or monument designation involving the
National Forest System lands in the State of Minnesota, to
provide for the renewal of certain mineral leases in such
lands, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a
vote of 216-204.
12/07/2017--H.R. 4300, To authorize Pacific Historic Parks
to establish a commemorative display to honor members of the
United States Armed Forces who served in the Pacific Theater of
World War II, and for other purposes. Passed House without
objection. (Public Law 115-170)
12/12/2017--H.R. 2872*, To amend the Federal Power Act to
promote hydropower development at existing nonpowered dams, and
for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
12/18/2017--H.R. 3979, To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act
of 1956 to reauthorize the volunteer services, community
partnership, and refuge education programs of the National
Wildlife Refuge System, and for other purposes. Passed House,
as amended, by a vote of 371-14. (Public Law 115-168)
01/10/2018--S. 140*, A bill to amend the White Mountain
Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to clarify
the use of amounts in the WMAT Settlement Fund. Passed House,
as amended, by a vote of 239-173.
01/16/2018--H.R. 1107, To promote conservation, improve
public land management, and provide for sensible development in
Pershing County, Nevada, and for other purposes. Passed House,
as amended, by voice vote.
01/16/2018--H.R. 1532, To reaffirm that certain land has
been taken into trust for the benefit of the Poarch Band of
Creek Indians, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice
vote.
01/16/2018--H.R. 2897, To authorize the Mayor of the
District of Columbia and the Director of the National Park
Service to enter into cooperative management agreements for the
operation, maintenance, and management of units of the National
Park System in the District of Columbia, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
01/16/2018--S. 117*, A bill to designate a mountain peak in
the State of Montana as ``Alex Diekmann Peak''. Passed House by
a vote of 400-3. (Public Law 115-122)
02/05/2018--H.R. 2504, To ensure fair treatment in
licensing requirements for the export of certain echinoderms.
Passed House by voice vote.
02/05/2018--H.R. 2888, To establish the Ste. Genevieve
National Historic Site in the State of Missouri, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
02/06/2018--H.R. 219, To correct the Swan Lake
hydroelectric project survey boundary and to provide for the
conveyance of the remaining tract of land within the corrected
survey boundary to the State of Alaska. Passed House by voice
vote. (Public Law 115-200)
02/07/2018--H.R. 2371, To require the Administrator of the
Western Area Power Administration to establish a pilot project
to provide increased transparency for customers, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
02/07/2018--S. 1438*, A bill to redesignate the Jefferson
National Expansion Memorial in the State of Missouri as the
``Gateway Arch National Park''. Passed House by voice vote.
(Public Law 115-128)
03/13/2018--H.R. 1350, To modify the boundary of Voyageurs
National Park in the State of Minnesota, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
03/13/2018--H.R. 1800, To direct the Secretary of
Agriculture to transfer certain Federal land to facilitate
scientific research supporting Federal space and defense
programs. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
03/13/2018--H.R. 3469, To designate the bridge located in
Blount County, Tennessee, on the Foothills Parkway (commonly
known as ``Bridge 2'') as the ``Dean Stone Bridge''. Passed
House by voice vote.
03/13/2018--H.R. 4266, To clarify the boundary of Acadia
National Park, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by voice vote.
03/13/2018--H.R. 4465, To maintain annual base funding for
the Upper Colorado and San Juan fish recovery programs through
fiscal year 2023, to require a report on the implementation of
those programs, and for other purposes. Passed House by a vote
of 392-6.
03/19/2018--H.R. 835, To update the map of, and modify the
maximum acreage available for inclusion in, the Florissant
Fossil Beds National Monument. Passed House by a vote of 385-3.
03/19/2018--H.R. 4851, To establish the Kennedy-King
National Historic Site in the State of Indiana, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 391-0. (Public
Law 115-163)
04/16/2018--H.R. 146, To take certain Federal lands in
Tennessee into trust for the benefit of the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by a vote of 383-2.
04/16/2018--H.R. 443, To direct the Secretary of the
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating the James K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as a
unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Passed House by voice vote.
04/16/2018--H.R. 3607, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to establish fees for medical services provided in
units of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
04/16/2018--H.R. 3961, To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act to designate segments of the Kissimmee River and its
tributaries in the State of Florida for study for potential
addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
04/16/2018--H.R. 4609, To provide for the conveyance of a
Forest Service site in Dolores County, Colorado, to be used for
a fire station. Passed House by voice vote.
04/16/2018--S. 167*, A bill to designate a National
Memorial to Fallen Educators at the National Teachers Hall of
Fame in Emporia, Kansas. Passed House by a vote of 384-1.
(Public Law 115-169)
04/25/2018--H.R. 3144, To provide for operations of the
Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant to a certain
operation plan for a specified period of time, and for other
purposes. Passed House by a vote of 225-189.
04/27/2018--H.R. 4*, To reauthorize programs of the Federal
Aviation Administration, and for other purposes. Passed House
by a vote of 393-13.
05/07/2018--H.R. 4910*, To amend title 38, United States
Code, to provide outer burial receptacles for remains buried in
National Parks, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by a vote of 388-0. (Public Law 115-184)
05/10/2018--H.R. 3053*, To amend the Nuclear Waste Policy
Act of 1982, and for other purposes. Passed House by a vote of
340-72.
05/15/2018--H.R. 1417, To amend the National Law
Enforcement Museum Act to allow the Museum to acquire, receive,
possess, collect, ship, transport, import, and display
firearms, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
(Public Law 115-321)
05/15/2018--H.R. 4895, To establish the Medgar Evers Home
National Monument in the State of Mississippi, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
05/15/2018--S. 1285*, A bill to allow the Confederated
Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, the
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Cow Creek Band of
Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Klamath Tribes, and the Burns
Paiute Tribes to lease or transfer certain lands. Passed House
by voice vote. (Public Law 115-179)
05/16/2018--S. 35*, A bill to transfer administrative
jurisdiction over certain Bureau of Land Management land from
the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs for inclusion in the Black Hills National Cemetery, and
for other purposes. Passed House by a vote of 407-0. (Public
Law 115-175)
05/16/2018--S. 2372*, A bill to amend title 38, United
States Code, to provide outer burial receptacles for remains
buried in National Parks, and for other purposes. Passed House,
as amended, by a vote of 347-70.
06/05/2018--H.R. 801, To amend the National Trails System
Act to designate the Route 66 National Historic Trail, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
06/05/2018--H.R. 1026, To revise the authorized route of
the North Country National Scenic Trail in northeastern
Minnesota and to extend the trail into Vermont to connect with
the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes.
Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
06/05/2018--H.R. 2991, To establish the Susquehanna
National Heritage Area in the State of Pennsylvania, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 373-9.
06/05/2018--H.R. 3997, To waive the application fee for any
special use permit for veterans demonstrations and special
events at war memorials on Federal land, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
06/05/2018--H.R. 5005, To direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the
suitability and feasibility of establishing the birthplace of
James Weldon Johnson in Jacksonville, Florida, as a unit of the
National Park System. Passed House by a vote of 374-5.
06/05/2018--H.R. 5655, To establish the Camp Nelson
Heritage National Monument in the State of Kentucky as a unit
of the National Park System, and for other purposes. Passed
House by a vote of 376-4.
06/05/2018--H.R. 5956, To incentivize the hiring of United
States workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and for other purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
(Public Law 115-218)
06/25/2018--H.R. 221, To reauthorize the Hydrographic
Services Improvement Act of 1998, and for other purposes.
Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
06/25/2018--H.R. 805, To authorize the conveyance of and
remove the reversionary interest of the United States in
certain lands in the City of Tulare, California. Passed House
by voice vote.
06/25/2018--H.R. 857, To provide for conservation and
enhanced recreation activities in the California Desert
Conservation Area, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by voice vote.
06/25/2018--H.R. 1791, To establish the Mountains to Sound
Greenway National Heritage Area in the State of Washington, and
for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
06/25/2018--H.R. 3392, To provide for stability of title to
certain land in the State of Louisiana, and for other purposes.
Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
06/25/2018--H.R. 4257, To maximize land management
efficiencies, promote land conservation, generate education
funding, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by
voice vote.
06/25/2018--H.R. 4528, To make technical amendments to
certain marine fish conservation statutes, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-228)
06/25/2018--H.R. 5751, To redesignate Golden Spike National
Historic Site and to establish the Transcontinental Railroad
Network. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
06/26/2018--H.R. 2083, To amend the Marine Mammal
Protection Act of 1972 to reduce predation on endangered
Columbia River salmon and other nonlisted species, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 288-116.
07/11/2018--H.R. 200, To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act to provide flexibility for
fishery managers and stability for fishermen, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 222-193.
07/11/2018--H.R. 2075, To adjust the eastern boundary of
the Deschutes Canyon-Steelhead Falls and Deschutes Canyon
Wilderness Study Areas in the State of Oregon to facilitate
fire prevention and response activities to protect private
property, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by
voice vote.
07/12/2018--H.R. 3281, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to facilitate the transfer to non-Federal ownership of
appropriate reclamation projects or facilities, and for other
purposes. Passed House by a vote of 233-184.
07/17/2018--H.R. 3777, To direct the Secretary of
Agriculture to convey certain National Forest System land
containing the Nephi Work Center in Juab County, Utah, to Juab
County. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
07/17/2018--H.R. 4032, To confirm undocumented Federal
rights-of-way or easements on the Gila River Indian
Reservation, clarify the northern boundary of the Gila River
Indian Community's Reservation, to take certain land located in
Maricopa County and Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the
benefit of the Gila River Indian Community, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote. (Public Law
115-xxx)
07/17/2018--H.R. 4645, To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act to designate certain segments of East Rosebud Creek in
Carbon County, Montana, as components of the Wild and Scenic
Rivers System. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-229)
07/18/2018--H.R. 1037, To authorize the National Emergency
Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a
commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its
environs, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by
a vote of 414-0. (Public Law 115-275)
07/23/2018--H.R. 1220, To establish the Adams Memorial
Commission to carry out the provisions of Public Law 107-62,
and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice
vote.
07/23/2018--H.R. 2630, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to convey certain land to La Paz County, Arizona, and
for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
07/23/2018--H.R. 3045, To amend the National Trails System
Act to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and
for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
07/23/2018--H.R. 5613, To designate the Quindaro Townsite
in Kansas City, Kansas, as a National Commemorative Site.
Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
07/23/2018--H.R. 5875, To amend the Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Federal Aid in
Sport Fish Restoration Act, to provide parity for United States
territories and the District of Columbia, to make technical
corrections to such Acts and related laws, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
07/23/2018--H.R. 5979, To establish the Mill Springs
Battlefield National Monument in the State of Kentucky as a
unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
07/23/2018--H.R. 6077, Recognizing the National Comedy
Center in Jamestown, New York. Passed House, as amended, by
voice vote.
09/12/2018--H.R. 660, To require the Secretary of the
Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the
Bureau of Reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets.
Passed House by voice vote.
09/12/2018--H.R. 2591, To amend the Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize the funding of wildlife
conservation, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended,
by voice vote.
09/12/2018--H.R. 2606, To amend the Act of August 4, 1947
(commonly known as the Stigler Act), with respect to
restrictions applicable to Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes
of Oklahoma, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended,
by voice vote. (Public Law 115-xxx)
09/12/2018--H.R. 3186, To establish an Every Kid Outdoors
program, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a
vote of 383-2.
09/12/2018--H.R. 3764, To extend the Federal recognition to
the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
09/12/2018--H.R. 4689, To authorize early repayment of
obligations to the Bureau of Reclamation within the Northport
Irrigation District in the State of Nebraska. Passed House by a
vote of 378-1. (Public Law 115-xxx)
09/12/2018--H.R. 4824, To allow certain State and tribal
permitting authority to encourage expansion of broadband
service to rural and tribal communities, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
09/12/2018--H.R. 5317, To repeal section 2141 of the
Revised Statutes to remove the prohibition on certain alcohol
manufacturing on Indian lands. Passed House, as amended, by
voice vote. (Public Law 115-304)
09/12/2018--H.R. 5532, To redesignate the Reconstruction
Era National Monument as the Reconstruction Era National
Historical Park, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by voice vote.
09/12/2018--H.R. 5923, To direct the Secretary of
Agriculture to exchange certain public lands in Ouachita
National Forest, and for other purposes. Passed House, as
amended, by a vote of 379-3. (Public Law 115-xxx)
09/12/2018--H.R. 6040, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to convey certain land and facilities of the Central
Valley Project. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
09/12/2018--H.R. 6287, To provide competitive grants for
the operation, security, and maintenance of certain memorials
to victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Passed House, as amended, by voice vote. (Public Law 115-xxx)
09/25/2018--H.R. 5585, To extend the authorization for the
Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission. Passed House by
voice vote.
09/25/2018--H.R. 6013, To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act to establish January 31 of each year as the Federal
framework closing date for the duck hunting season and to
establish special duck hunting days for youths, veterans, and
active military personnel, and for other purposes. Passed
House, as amended, by voice vote. Passed House, as amended, by
voice vote.
09/25/2018--H.R. 6299, To modify the process of the
Secretary of the Interior for examining certain mining claims
on Federal lands in Storey County, Nevada, to facilitate
certain pinyon-juniper-related projects in Lincoln County,
Nevada, to modify the boundaries of certain wilderness areas in
the State of Nevada, to fully implement the White Pine County
Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
09/25/2018--H.R. 6599, To modify the application of
temporary limited appointment regulations to the National Park
Service, and for other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by
voice vote.
09/25/2018--H.R. 6687, To direct the Secretary of the
Interior to manage the Point Reyes National Seashore in the
State of California consistently with Congress' long-standing
intent to continue to authorize working dairies and ranches on
agricultural property as part of the seashore's unique
historic, cultural, scenic and natural values, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
09/25/2018--H.Res. 418, Urging the Secretary of the
Interior to recognize the cultural significance of Rib Mountain
by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places. House
agreed to the resolution without objection.
09/25/2018--H.Res. 460, Requesting the Secretary of the
Interior to recognize the rich history of the logging industry
and the importance of lumberjack sports by adding the
Lumberjack Bowl to the National Register of Historic Places.
House agreed to the resolution without objection.
09/25/2018--H.R. 5420, To authorize the acquisition of land
for addition to the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National
Historic Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes.
Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 394-15.
11/13/2018--H.R. 4033, To reauthorize the National Geologic
Mapping Act of 1992. Passed House by voice vote.
11/13/2018--H.R. 5636, To designate additions to the
Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita National Forest, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
(Public Law 115-xxx)
11/13/2018--H.R. 5706, To establish the Pearl Harbor
National Memorial in the State of Hawai`i and the Honouliuli
National Historic Site in the State of Hawai`i, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
11/13/2018--H.R. 6064, To rename the Oyster Bay National
Wildlife Refuge as the Congressman Lester Wolff National
Wildlife Refuge. Passed House by a vote of 385-4, 2 Present.
11/13/2018--H.R. 6146, To authorize, direct, expedite, and
facilitate a land exchange in Yavapai County, Arizona, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
11/14/2018--H.R. 6666, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to grant to States and local governments easements and
rights-of-way over Federal land within Gateway National
Recreation Area for construction, operation, and maintenance of
projects for control and prevention of flooding and shoreline
erosion. Passed House by voice vote.
11/16/2018--H.R. 5787, To amend the Coastal Barrier
Resources Act to give effect to more accurate maps of units of
the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System that were
produced by digital mapping of such units, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 375-1. (Public
Law 115-xxx)
11/16/2018--H.R. 6784, To provide for removal of the gray
wolf in the contiguous 48 States from the List of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife published under the Endangered Species
Act of 1973. Passed House by a vote of 196-180.
11/27/2018--S. 1768*, National Earthquake Hazards Reduction
Program Reauthorization Act of 2017. Passed House by voice
vote. (Public Law 115-307)
12/10/2018--H.R. 3008, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study of the George W.
Bush Childhood Home, located at 1412 West Ohio Avenue, Midland,
Texas, and for other purposes. Passed House by a vote of 382-4,
2 Present.
12/10/2018--H.R. 5513, To provide for an exchange of lands
with San Bernardino County, California, to enhance management
of lands within the San Bernardino National Forest, and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
12/10/2018--H.R. 6108, To provide for partnerships among
State and local governments, regional entities, and the private
sector to preserve, conserve, and enhance the visitor
experience at nationally significant battlefields of the
American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
12/10/2018--H.R. 6118, To authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to annually designate at least one city in the United
States as an ``American World War II Heritage City'', and for
other purposes. Passed House, as amended, by voice vote.
12/10/2018--H.R. 6665, To amend the Outer Continental Shelf
Lands Act to apply to territories of the United States, to
establish offshore wind lease sale requirements, to provide
dedicated funding for coral reef conservation, and for other
purposes. Passed House by voice vote.
12/10/2018--H. Res. 792, Urging the Secretary of the
Interior to recognize the historical significance of Roberto
Clemente's place of death near Pinones in Loiza, Puerto Rico,
by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places.
Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 385-1, 2 Present.
12/10/2018--S. 245, A bill to amend the Indian Tribal
Energy Development and Self Determination Act of 2005, and for
other purposes. Passed House by voice vote. (Public Law 115-
325)
12/10/2018--S. 2511, A bill to require the Under Secretary
of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to carry out a program on
coordinating the assessment and acquisition by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of unmanned maritime
systems, to make available to the public data collected by the
Administration using such systems, and for other purposes.
Passed House, as amended, by voice vote. (Public Law 115-xxx)
12/11/2018--H. Res. 1157*, Reaffirming the strong
commitment of the United States to the countries and
territories of the Pacific Islands region. Agreed to by voice
vote.
12/11/2018--S. 825*, A bill to provide for the conveyance
of certain property to the Southeast Alaska Regional Health
Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska, and for other purposes.
Passed House by a vote of 403-3. (Public Law 115-326)
12/19/2018--H.R. 6652, To direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey certain facilities, easements, and rights-
of-way to the Kennewick Irrigation District, and for other
purposes. Passed House, as amended, by a vote of 359-1. (Public
Law 115-xxx)
12/20/2018--H.R. 6602, To reauthorize the New Jersey
Coastal Heritage Trail Route, and for other purposes. Passed
House by a vote of 382-9. (Public Law 115-xxx)
BILLS THAT FAILED TO PASS THE HOUSE
06/21/2018--H.R. 4760*, To amend the immigration laws and
the homeland security laws, and for other purposes. Failed to
pass the House under suspension of the rules by a vote of 193-
231 (Roll no. 282).
06/27/2018--H.R. 6136*, To amend the immigration laws and
provide for border security, and for other purposes. Failed to
pass the House under suspension of the rules by a vote of 121-
301 (Roll no. 296).
APPENDIX III
Public Laws Enacted
[Asterisk (*) denotes bills that were not referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, but contain provisions under
the jurisdiction of the Committee]
Public Law 115-5: H.J. Res. 38, Disapproving the rule
submitted by the Department of the Interior known as the Stream
Protection Rule.
Public Law 115-12: H.J. Res. 44, Disapproving the rule
submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau
of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures
used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.
Public Law 115-18: S.J. Res 1* (H.J. Res. 3), A joint
resolution approving the location of a memorial to commemorate
and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on active
duty in support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert
Shield.
Public Law 115-20: H.J. Res. 69, Providing for
congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United
States Code, of the final rule of the Department of the
Interior relating to ``Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and
Public Participation and Closure Procedures, on National
Wildlife Refuges in Alaska''.
Public Law 115-31: H.R. 244* (H.R. 513, H.R. 1668, H.R.
1715, H.R. 2104), Making appropriations for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2017, and for other purposes.
(Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017)
Public Law 115-49: H.R 374, To remove the sunset provision
of section 203 of Public Law 105-384, and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-51: H.R. 873, To authorize the Global War on
Terror Memorial Foundation to establish the National Global War
on Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative work in the District
of Columbia, and for other purposes. (Global War on Terrorism
War Memorial Act)
Public Law 115-53: H.R. 339, To amend Public Law 94-241
with respect to the Northern Mariana Islands. (Northern Mariana
Islands Economic Expansion Act)
Public Law 115-93: H.R. 228, To amend the Indian
Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of
1992 to facilitate the ability of Indian tribes to integrate
the employment, training, and related services from diverse
Federal sources, and for other purposes. (Indian Employment,
Training and Related Services Consolidation Act of 2017)
Public Law 115-101: H.R. 560, To amend the Delaware Water
Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to provide access
to certain vehicles serving residents of municipalities
adjacent to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area,
and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-103: H.R. 1306, To provide for the
conveyance of certain Federal land in the State of Oregon, and
for other purposes. (Western Oregon Tribal Fairness Act)
Public Law 115-104: H.R. 1927, To amend title 54, United
States Code, to establish within the National Park Service the
African American Civil Rights Network, and for other purposes.
(African American Civil Rights Network Act of 2017)
Public Law 115-108: H.R. 267, To redesignate the Martin
Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of
Georgia, and for other purposes. (Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Historical Park Act of 2017)
Public Law 115-109: H.R. 381, To designate a mountain in
the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierra National Forest as ``Sky
Point''.
Public Law 115-110: H.R. 699, To amend the Omnibus Public
Land Management Act of 2009 to modify provisions relating to
certain land exchanges in the Mt. Hood Wilderness in the State
of Oregon. (Mount Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification
Act)
Public Law 115-111: H.R. 863, To facilitate the addition of
park administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park,
and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-116: H.R. 954, To remove the use
restrictions on certain land transferred to Rockingham County,
Virginia, and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-117: H.R. 2611, To modify the boundary of
the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, and
for other purposes. (Little Rock Central High School National
Historic Site Boundary Modification Act)
Public Law 115-121: H.R. 984, To extend Federal recognition
to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian
Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the
Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and the
Nansemond Indian Tribe. (Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of
Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017)
Public Law 115-122: S. 117, A bill to designate a mountain
peak in the State of Montana as ``Alex Diekmann Peak''. (Alex
Diekmann Peak Designation Act of 2017)
Public Law 115-128: S. 1438, A bill to redesignate the
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in the State of Missouri
as the ``Gateway Arch National Park''. (Gateway Arch National
Park Designation Act)
Public Law 115-141: H.R. 1625* (H.R. 216, H.R. 1281, H.R.
1873, H.R. 2888, H.R. 4134, H.R. 5133), To amend the State
Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to include severe
forms of trafficking in persons within the definition of
transnational organized crime for purposes of the rewards
program of the Department of State, and for other purposes.
(Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018)
Public Law 115-163: H.R. 4851, To establish the Kennedy-
King National Commemorative Site in the State of Indiana, and
for other purposes. (Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site
Act)
Public Law 115-168: H.R. 3979, To amend the Fish and
Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize the volunteer services,
community partnership, and refuge education programs of the
National Wildlife Refuge System, and for other purposes. (Keep
America's Refuges Operational Act)
Public Law 115-169: S. 167, A bill to designate a National
Memorial to Fallen Educators at the National Teachers Hall of
Fame in Emporia, Kansas. (National Memorial to Fallen Educators
Act)
Public Law 115-170: H.R. 4300, To authorize Pacific
Historic Parks to establish a commemorative display to honor
members of the United States Armed Forces who served in the
Pacific Theater of World War II, and for other purposes.
(Admiral Lloyd R. `Joe' Vasey Pacific War Commemorative Display
Establishment Act)
Public Law 115-175: S. 35, A bill to transfer
administrative jurisdiction over certain Bureau of Land
Management land from the Secretary of the Interior to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for inclusion in the Black Hills
National Cemetery, and for other purposes. (Black Hills
National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act)
Public Law 115-179: S. 1285, A bill to allow the
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians,
the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon,
the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Cow Creek Band of
Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Klamath Tribes, and the Burns
Paiute Tribes to lease or transfer certain lands. (Oregon
Tribal Economic Development Act)
Public Law 115-184: H.R. 4910, To amend title 38, United
States Code, to provide outer burial receptacles for remains
buried in National Parks, and for other purposes. (Veterans
Cemetery Benefit Correction Act)
Public Law 115-186: H.R. 1900, To designate the Veterans
Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, as the National Veterans
Memorial and Museum, and for other purposes. (National Veterans
Memorial and Museum Act)
Public Law 115-190: H.R. 1397, To authorize, direct,
facilitate, and expedite the transfer of administrative
jurisdiction of certain Federal land, and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-191: H.R. 1719, To authorize the Secretary
of the Interior to acquire approximately 44 acres of land in
Martinez, California, for inclusion in the John Muir National
Historic Site, and for other purposes. (John Muir National
Historic Site Expansion Act)
Public Law 115-200: H.R. 219, To correct the Swan Lake
hydroelectric project survey boundary and to provide for the
conveyance of the remaining tract of land within the corrected
survey boundary to the State of Alaska. (Swan Lake
Hydroelectric Project Boundary Correction Act)
Public Law 115-201: H.R. 220, To authorize the expansion of
an existing hydroelectric project, and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-218: H.R. 5956, To incentivize the hiring of
United States workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and for other purposes. (Northern Mariana
Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018)
Public Law 115-227: S. 2850* (S. 140, S. 249), A bill to
amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights
Quantification Act of 2010 to clarify the use of amounts in the
WMAT Settlement Fund.
Public Law 115-228: H.R. 4528, To make technical amendments
to certain marine fish conservation statutes, and for other
purposes.
Public Law 115-229: H.R. 4645, To amend the Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act to designate certain segments of East Rosebud Creek
in Carbon County, Montana, as components of the Wild and Scenic
Rivers System. (East Rosebud Wild and Scenic Rivers Act)
Public Law 115-232: H.R. 5515* (H.R. 1800), To authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military activities of
the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes. (John S. McCain National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2019)
Public Law 115-252: H.R. 698, To require a land conveyance
involving the Elkhorn Ranch and the White River National Forest
in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes. (Elkhorn
Ranch and White River National Forest Conveyance Act of 2017)
Public Law 115-255: H.R. 46, To authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to conduct a special resource study of Fort
Ontario in the State of New York. (Fort Ontario Study Act)
Public Law 115-265: S. 3508* (H.R. 2748), A bill to
reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris Act to promote
international action to reduce marine debris, and for other
purposes. (Save Our Seas Act of 2018)
Public Law 115-270: S. 3021* (H.R. 648, H.R. 4329), An Act
to provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the
United States, to provide for the conservation and development
of water and related resources, to provide for water pollution
control activities, and for other purposes. (America's Water
Infrastructure Act of 2018)
Public Law 115-275: H.R. 1037, To authorize the National
Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a
commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its
environs, and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-279: H.R. 2615, To authorize the exchange of
certain land located in Gulf Islands National Seashore, Jackson
County, Mississippi, between the National Park Service and the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, and for other purposes. (Gulf Islands
National Seashore Land Exchange Act)
Public Law 115-282: S. 140* (H.R. 221, H.R. 5319), A bill
to authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard, and for other
purposes. (Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of
2018)
Public Law 115-301: H.R. 1074, To repeal the Act entitled
``An Act to confer jurisdiction on the State of Iowa over
offenses committed by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox
Indian Reservation''.
Public Law 115-304: H.R. 5317, To repeal section 2141 of
the Revised Statutes to remove the prohibition on certain
alcohol manufacturing on Indian lands.
Public Law 115-306: S. 440* (H.R. 6038), A bill to
establish a procedure for the conveyance of certain Federal
property around the Dickinson Reservoir in the State of North
Dakota.
Public Law 115-307: S. 1768, A bill to reauthorize and
amend the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, and
for other purposes. (National Earthquake Hazards Reduction
Program Reauthorization Act of 2018)
Public Law 115-308: S. 2074* (H.R. 6039), A bill to
establish a procedure for the conveyance of certain Federal
property around the Jamestown Reservoir in the State of North
Dakota, and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-321: H.R. 1417, To amend the National Law
Enforcement Museum Act to allow the Museum to acquire, receive,
possess, collect, ship, transport, import, and display
firearms, and for other purposes. (National Law Enforcement
Museum Exhibits Act)
Public Law 115-325: S. 245, A bill to amend the Indian
Tribal Energy Development and Self Determination Act of 2005,
and for other purposes. (Indian Tribal Energy Development and
Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2017)
Public Law 115-326: S. 825, A bill to provide for the
conveyance of certain property to the Southeast Alaska Regional
Health Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska, and for other
purposes. (Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Land
Transfer Act of 2017)
Public Law 115-329: S. 3119* (H.R. 2083), A bill to allow
for the taking of sea lions on the Columbia River and its
tributaries to protect endangered and threatened species of
salmon and other nonlisted fish species. (Endangered Salmon
Predation Prevention Act)
Public Law 115-334: H.R. 2* (H.R. 2218, H.R. 2504, H.R.
2921, H.R. 3543, H.R. 4609, H.R. 4976, H.R. 5530), To provide
for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other
programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year
2023, and for other purposes. (Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018)
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 2606, To amend the Act of August
4, 1947 (commonly known as the Stigler Act), with respect to
restrictions applicable to Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes
of Oklahoma, and for other purposes. (Stigler Act Amendments of
2018)
Public Law 115-xxx: S. 2511, A bill to require the Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to carry out a
program on coordinating the assessment and acquisition by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of unmanned
maritime systems, to make available to the public data
collected by the Administration using such systems, and for
other purposes. (CENOTE Act of 2018)
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 4032, To confirm undocumented
Federal rights-of-way or easements on the Gila River Indian
Reservation, clarify the northern boundary of the Gila River
Indian Community's Reservation, to take certain land located in
Maricopa County and Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the
benefit of the Gila River Indian Community, and for other
purposes. (Gila River Indian Community Federal Rights-of-Way,
Easements and Boundary Clarification Act)
Public Law 115-xxx: S. 1520* A bill to expand recreational
fishing opportunities through enhanced marine fishery
conservation and management, and for other purposes.
(Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018)
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 5923, To direct the Secretary of
Agriculture to exchange certain public lands in Ouachita
National Forest, and for other purposes. (Walnut Grove Land
Exchange Act)
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 5787 (H.R. 2947, H.R. 4880), To
amend the Coastal Barrier Resources Act to give effect to more
accurate maps of units of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier
Resources System that were produced by digital mapping of such
units, and for other purposes. (Strengthening Coastal
Communities Act of 2018)
Public Law 115-xxx: S. 2200*, A bill to reauthorize the
National Integrated Drought Information System, and for other
purposes. (National Integrated Drought Information System
Reauthorization Act of 2018)
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 6652, To direct the Secretary of
the Interior to convey certain facilities, easements, and
rights-of-way to the Kennewick Irrigation District, and for
other purposes.
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 6602, To reauthorize the New
Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route, and for other purposes.
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 88, To modify the boundary of the
Shiloh National Military Park located in Tennessee and
Mississippi, to establish Parker's Crossroads Battlefield as an
affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other
purposes. (Shiloh National Military Park Boundary Adjustment
and Parker's Crossroads Battlefield Designation Act)
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 6287, To provide competitive
grants for the operation, security, and maintenance of certain
memorials to victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001. (9/11 Memorial Act)
Public Law 115-xxx: S. 3456*, A bill to redesignate Hobe
Sound National Wildlife Refuge as the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe
Sound National Wildlife Refuge, and for other purposes.
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Public Law 115-xxx*: Designates a bill that was signed by the
President, but not assigned a Public Law number prior to the filing of
this report.
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Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 5636, To designate additions to
the Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita National Forest, and
for other purposes. (Flatside Wilderness Enhancement Act)
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 4689, To authorize early repayment
of obligations to the Bureau of Reclamation within the
Northport Irrigation District in the State of Nebraska.
Public Law 115-xxx: H.R. 1967, To amend the Reclamation
Project Act of 1939 to authorize pumped storage hydropower
development utilizing multiple Bureau of Reclamation
reservoirs. (Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage Hydropower
Development Act)
APPENDIX IV
Committee Prints
FIRST SESSION
115-A Rules for the Committee on Natural Resources, 115th
Congress (Adopted: February 7, 2017)
SECOND SESSION
115-B Natural Resources Committee Legislative Calendar,
115th Congress (First and Second Sessions, 2017-2018)
APPENDIX V
Committee Bill Reports Filed
House Report 115-113 (H.R. 1073), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to establish a structure for visitor
services on the Arlington Ridge tract, in the area of the U.S.
Marine Corps War Memorial, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-114 (H.R. 1500), To redesignate the small
triangular property located in Washington, DC, and designated
by the National Park Service as reservation 302 as ``Robert
Emmet Park'', and for other purposes.
House Report 115-123 (H.R. 1715), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study
of the Medgar Evers House, located in Jackson, Mississippi, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-154 (H.R. 220), To authorize the expansion
of an existing hydroelectric project, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-155 (H.R. 497), To direct the Secretary of
the Interior to convey certain public lands in San Bernardino
County, California, to the San Bernardino Valley Water
Conservation District, and to accept in return certain
exchanged non-public lands, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-156 (H.R. 660), To require the Secretary
of the Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts
of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage its infrastructure
assets.
House Report 115-157 (H.R. 1135), To reauthorize the
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic
Preservation program.
House Report 115-158 (H.R. 1967), To amend the Reclamation
Project Act of 1939 to authorize pumped storage hydropower
development utilizing multiple Bureau of Reclamation
reservoirs.
House Report 115-165, Part 1, (H.R. 1873), To amend the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to enhance the
reliability of the electricity grid and reduce the threat of
wildfires to and from electric transmission and distribution
facilities on Federal lands by facilitating vegetation
management on such lands.
House Report 115-166 (H.R. 1654), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to coordinate Federal and State
permitting processes related to the construction of new surface
water storage projects on lands under the jurisdiction of the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture and
to designate the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead agency for
permit processing, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-202 (H.R. 597), To take lands in Sonoma
County, California, into trust as part of the reservation of
the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-203 (H.R. 954), To remove the use
restrictions on certain land transferred to Rockingham County,
Virginia, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-204 (H.R. 1306), To provide for the
conveyance of certain Federal land in the State of Oregon, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-205 (H.R. 1404), To provide for the
conveyance of certain land inholdings owned by the United
States to the Tucson Unified School District and to the Pascua
Yaqui Tribe of Arizona.
House Report 115-206, Part 1, (H.R. 1397), To authorize,
direct, facilitate, and expedite the transfer of administrative
jurisdiction of certain Federal land, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-207 (H.R. 1541), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to acquire certain property related
to the Fort Scott National Historic Site in Fort Scott, Kansas,
and for other purposes.
House Report 115-208 (H.R. 1719), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to acquire approximately 44 acres of
land in Martinez, California, for inclusion in the John Muir
National Historic Site, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-209 (H.R. 1913), To establish the Clear
Creek National Recreation Area in San Benito and Fresno
Counties, California, to designate the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness
in such counties, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-210 (H.R. 2156), To provide for the
establishment of a national memorial and national monument to
commemorate those killed by the collapse of the Saint Francis
Dam on March 12, 1928, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-218 (H.R. 218), To provide for the
exchange of Federal land and non-Federal land in the State of
Alaska for the construction of a road between King Cove and
Cold Bay.
House Report 115-236 (H.R. 2370), To authorize Escambia
County, Florida, to convey certain property that was formerly
part of Santa Rosa Island National Monument and that was
conveyed to Escambia County subject to restrictions on use and
reconveyance.
House Report 115-241 (H.R. 1927), To amend title 54, United
States Code, to establish within the National Park Service the
African American Civil Rights Network, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-242 (S. 249), A bill to provide that the
pueblo of Santa Clara may lease for 99 years certain restricted
land, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-256 (H.R. 2053), To amend the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to enhance and
support mining and mineral engineering programs in the United
States by funding activities at mining schools, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-257, Part I, (H.R. 2939), To prohibit the
conditioning of any permit, lease, or other use agreement on
the transfer of any water right to the United States by the
Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-260 (H.R. 2937), To amend the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to authorize
partnerships between States and nongovernmental entities for
the purpose of reclaiming and restoring land and water
resources adversely affected by coal mining activities before
August 3, 1977, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-264 (H.R. 873), To authorize the Global
War on Terror Memorial Foundation to establish the National
Global War on Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative work in the
District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-277 (H.R. 965), To redesignate the Saint-
Gaudens National Historic Site as the ``Saint-Gaudens National
Historical Park'', and for other purposes.
House Report 115-278, Part 1, (H.R. 1807), To exempt from
the Lacey Act and the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 certain
water transfers between any of the States of Texas, Arkansas,
and Louisiana.
House Report 115-279 (H.R. 1074), To repeal the Act
entitled ``An Act to confer jurisdiction on the State of Iowa
over offenses committed by or against Indians on the Sac and
Fox Indian Reservation''.
House Report 115-280 (H.R. 1547), To provide for the
unencumbering of title to non-Federal land owned by the city of
Tucson, Arizona, for purposes of economic development by
conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest to the City.
House Report 115-281 (H.R. 2075), To adjust the eastern
boundary of the Deschutes Canyon-Steelhead Falls Wilderness
Study Area in the State of Oregon to facilitate fire prevention
and response activities in order to protect adjacent private
property, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-282 (H.R. 2371), To require the
Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration to
establish a pilot project to provide increased transparency for
customers, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-287 (H.R. 3115), To provide for a land
exchange involving Federal land in the Superior National Forest
in Minnesota acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture through
the Weeks Law, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-288 (H.R. 2316), To amend the Mineral
Leasing Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to repeal
provisions relating only to the Allegheny National Forest.
House Report 115-289 (H.R. 2083), To amend the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to reduce predation on endangered
Columbia River salmon and other nonlisted species, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-290 (H.R. 2611), To modify the boundary of
the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-291 (H.R. 2768), To designate certain
mountain peaks in the State of Colorado as ``Fowler Peak'' and
``Boskoff Peak''.
House Report 115-302 (H.R. 2615), To authorize the exchange
of certain land located in Gulf Islands National Seashore,
Jackson County, Mississippi, between the National Park Service
and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-305 (H.R. 2582), To authorize the State of
Utah to select certain lands that are available for disposal
under the Pony Express Resource Management Plan to be used for
the support and benefit of State institutions, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-311 (H.R. 2374), To facilitate certain
pinyon-juniper related projects in Lincoln County, Nevada, to
modify the boundaries of certain wilderness areas in the State
of Nevada, and to fully implement the White Pine County
Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act.
House Report 115-312 (H.R. 2423), To implement certain
measures relating to management of Washington County, Utah,
required by Public Law 111-11.
House Report 115-314, Part 1, (H.R. 3668), To provide for
the preservation of sportsmen's heritage and enhance recreation
opportunities on Federal land, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-319 (H.R. 1491), To reaffirm the action of
the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for the
benefit of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-320, Part 1, (H.R. 289), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to
issue permits for recreation services on lands managed by
Federal agencies, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-321, Part 1, (H.R. 825), To promote the
development of renewable energy on public land, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-322 (H.R. 2199), To improve Federal land
management, resource conservation, environmental protection,
and use of Federal real property, by requiring the Secretary of
the Interior to develop a multipurpose cadastre of Federal real
property and identifying inaccurate, duplicate, and out-of-date
Federal land inventories, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-334 (H.R. 3281), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to facilitate the transfer to non-
Federal ownership of appropriate reclamation projects or
facilities, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-336 (H.R. 1107), To promote conservation,
improve public land management, and provide for sensible
development in Pershing County, Nevada, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-349 (H.R. 1769), To affirm an agreement
between the United States and Westlands Water District dated
September 15, 2015, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-350 (H.R. 1488), To retitle Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes National Park, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-351, Part 1, (H.R. 1731), To amend the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to provide
funds to States and Indian tribes for the purpose of promoting
economic revitalization, diversification, and development in
economically distressed communities through the reclamation and
restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by
coal mining carried out before August 3, 1977, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-364 (H. Res. 555), Of inquiry requesting
the President and directing the Secretary of the Interior to
transmit, respectively, certain documents and other information
to the House of Representatives relating to the executive order
on the review of designations under the Antiquities Act.
(Privileged Resolution; Adverse Report with Dissenting Views)
House Report 115-365 (H.R. 3279), To amend the Mineral
Leasing Act to provide that extraction of helium from gas
produced under a Federal mineral lease shall maintain the lease
as if the helium were oil and gas.
House Report 115-368 (H.R. 2600), To provide for the
conveyance to the State of Iowa of the reversionary interest
held by the United States in certain land in Pottawattamie
County, Iowa, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-370, Part 1, (H.R. 2936), To expedite
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and improve
forest management activities on National Forest System lands,
on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land
Management, and on Tribal lands to return resilience to
overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-413 (H.R. 2907), To amend the Mineral
Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to develop
and publish an all-of-the-above quadrennial Federal onshore
energy production strategy to meet domestic energy needs, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-421 (H.R. 3469), To designate the bridge
located in Blount County, Tennessee, on the Foothills Parkway
(commonly known as ``Bridge 2'') as the ``Dean Stone Bridge''.
House Report 115-422 (H.R. 3905), To require congressional
approval of any mineral withdrawal or monument designation
involving the National Forest System lands in the State of
Minnesota, to provide for the renewal of certain mineral leases
in such lands, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-427, Part 1, (H.R. 995), To direct the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to
modernize terms in certain regulations.
House Report 115-436, Part 2, (H.R. 2897), To authorize the
Mayor of the District of Columbia and the Director of the
National Park Service to enter into cooperative management
agreements for the operation, maintenance, and management of
units of the National Park System in the District of Columbia,
and for other purposes.
House Report 115-438, (H.R. 3979), To amend the Fish and
Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize the volunteer services,
community partnership, and refuge education programs of the
National Wildlife Refuge System, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-441, (S. 140), A bill to amend the White
Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010
to clarify the use of amounts in the WMAT Settlement Fund.
House Report 115-442, (H.R. 1800), To direct the Secretary
of Agriculture to transfer certain Federal land to facilitate
scientific research supporting Federal space and defense
programs.
House Report 115-450, (H.R. 4300), To authorize Pacific
Historic Parks to establish a commemorative display to honor
members of the United States Armed Forces who served in the
Pacific Theater of World War II, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-455, (H.R. 1399), To reduce temporarily
the royalty required to be paid for sodium produced on Federal
lands, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-470 (H.R. 1350), To modify the boundary of
Voyageurs National Park in the State of Minnesota, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-487 (H.R. 424), To direct the Secretary of
the Interior to reissue final rules relating to listing of the
gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes and Wyoming under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-501 (H.R. 4475), To provide for the
establishment of the National Volcano Early Warning and
Monitoring System.
House Report 115-502 (H.R. 4568), To amend the Geothermal
Steam Act of 1970 to promote timely exploration for geothermal
resources under geothermal leases, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-506, Part 1, (H.R. 2504), To ensure fair
treatment in licensing requirements for the export of certain
echinoderms.
House Report 115-507 (S. 1285), A bill to allow the
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians,
the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon,
the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Cow Creek Band of
Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Klamath Tribes, and the Burns
Paiute Tribes to lease or transfer certain lands.
House Report 115-513 (H.R. 1532), To reaffirm that certain
land has been taken into trust for the benefit of the Poarch
Band of Creek Indians, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-515 (H.R. 4033), To reauthorize the
National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.
House Report 115-516 (S. 117), A bill to designate a
mountain peak in the State of Montana as ``Alex Diekmann
Peak''.
House Report 115-526 (H.R. 4266), To clarify the boundary
of Acadia National Park, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-527 (H.R. 4264), To direct the Secretary
of the Interior to convey certain Bureau of Land Management
land in Cache County, Utah, to the City of Hyde Park for public
purposes.
House Report 115-532 (H.R. 219), To correct the Swan Lake
hydroelectric project survey boundary and to provide for the
conveyance of the remaining tract of land within the corrected
survey boundary to the State of Alaska.
House Report 115-533 (H.R. 2711), To designate a National
Memorial to Fallen Educators at the National Teachers Hall of
Fame in Emporia, Kansas.
House Report 115-534 (H.R. 3058), To redesignate the
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in the State of Missouri
as the ``Gateway Arch National Park''.
House Report 115-535 (H.R. 443), To direct the Secretary of
the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating the James K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as a
unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-536 (H.R. 2630), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to La Paz
County, Arizona, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-540 (H.R. 2888), To establish the Ste.
Genevieve National Historic Site in the State of Missouri, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-541 (H.R. 1157), To clarify the United
States interest in certain submerged lands in the area of the
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-542, Part 1, (H.R. 4299), To provide for
the indefinite duration of certain military land withdrawals,
to improve the management of lands currently subject to such
withdrawals and to make the management of such lands more
transparent, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-545 (H.R. 1778), To provide that an order
by the Secretary of the Interior imposing a moratorium on
Federal coal leasing shall not take effect unless a joint
resolution of approval is enacted, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-548 (H.R. 1417), To amend the National Law
Enforcement Museum Act to allow the Museum to acquire, receive,
possess, collect, ship, transport, import, and display
firearms, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-560 (H.R. 717), To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to require review of the economic cost of
adding a species to the list of endangered species or
threatened species, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-561 (H.R. 1274), To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to require making available to States
affected by determinations that species are endangered species
or threatened species all data that is the basis of such
determinations, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-562 (H.R. 2603), To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to provide that nonnative species in the
United States shall not be treated as endangered species or
threatened species for purposes of that Act.
House Report 115-563, Part 1, (H.R. 3131), To amend the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 to conform citizen suits under
that Act with other existing law, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-564 (H.R. 3225), To allow the Confederated
Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, the
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the Cow Creek Band of
Umpqua Tribe of Indians to lease or transfer certain lands.
House Report 115-565 (H.R. 3607), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to establish fees for medical
services provided in units of the National Park System, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-566 (H.R. 1220), To establish the Adams
Memorial Commission to carry out the provisions of Public Law
107-62, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-567 (H.R. 4465), To maintain annual base
funding for the Upper Colorado and San Juan fish recovery
programs through fiscal year 2023, to require a report on the
implementation of those programs, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-579 (H.R. 805), To authorize the
conveyance of and remove the reversionary interest of the
United States in certain lands in the City of Tulare,
California.
House Report 115-580 (H.R. 835), To update the map of, and
modify the maximum acreage available for inclusion in, the
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.
House Report 115-581 (H.R. 4134), To redesignate the White
Clouds Wilderness in the Sawtooth and Challis National Forests
in the State of Idaho as the Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds
Wilderness in honor of former Idaho Governor and Secretary of
the Interior Cecil D. Andrus.
House Report 115-584 (H.R. 146), To take certain Federal
lands in Tennessee into trust for the benefit of the Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-612 (H.R. 4851), To establish the Kennedy-
King National Commemorative Site in the State of Indiana, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-615 (S. 466), A bill to clarify the
description of certain Federal land under the Northern Arizona
Land Exchange and Verde River Basin Partnership Act of 2005 to
include additional land in the Kaibab National Forest.
House Report 115-616 (H.R. 3008), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study
of the George W. Bush Childhood Home, located at 1412 West Ohio
Avenue, Midland, Texas, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-619, Part 1, (S. 825), A bill to provide
for the conveyance of certain property to the Southeast Alaska
Regional Health Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-624 (H.R. 4609), To provide for the
conveyance of a Forest Service site in Dolores County,
Colorado, to be used for a fire station.
House Report 115-625 (H.R. 5133), To reauthorize the
Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-626, Part 1, (S. 35), A bill to transfer
administrative jurisdiction over certain Bureau of Land
Management land from the Secretary of the Interior to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for inclusion in the Black Hills
National Cemetery, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-630 (H.R. 401), To designate the mountain
at the Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, as Devils
Tower, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-631 (H.R. 520), To require the Secretary
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to more
efficiently develop domestic sources of the minerals and
mineral materials of strategic and critical importance to the
economic and national security and manufacturing
competitiveness of the United States, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-632 (H.R. 4895), To establish the Medgar
Evers National Monument in the State of Mississippi, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-633 (H.R. 801), To amend the National
Trails System Act to designate the Route 66 National Historic
Trail, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-634 (H.R. 3961), To amend the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Kissimmee River
and its tributaries in the State of Florida for study for
potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-643, Part 1, (H.R. 3144), To provide for
operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant
to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-644 (H.R. 5005), To direct the Secretary
of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to
determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing the
birthplace of James Weldon Johnson in Jacksonville, Florida, as
a unit of the National Park System.
House Report 115-658 (H.R. 3997), To waive the application
fee for any special use permit for veterans demonstrations and
special events at war memorials on Federal land, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-666 (H.R. 4645), To amend the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of East Rosebud
Creek in Carbon County, Montana, as components of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers System.
House Report 115-667 (H.R. 1026), To revise the authorized
route of the North Country National Scenic Trail in
northeastern Minnesota and to extend the trail into Vermont to
connect with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-669 (H.R. 1037), To authorize the National
Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a
commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its
environs, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-670 (H.R. 2991), To establish the
Susquehanna National Heritage Area in the State of
Pennsylvania, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-675 (H.R. 4069), To amend the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act to clarify the treatment of authentic Alaska
Native articles of handicraft containing nonedible migratory
bird parts, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-695 (H.R. 5655), To establish the Camp
Nelson Heritage National Monument in the State of Kentucky as a
unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-700 (H.R. 4689), To authorize early
repayment of obligations to the Bureau of Reclamation within
the Northport Irrigation District in the State of Nebraska.
House Report 115-703 (H.R. 5317), To repeal section 2141 of
the Revised Statutes to remove the prohibition on certain
alcohol manufacturing on Indian lands.
House Report 115-707, Part 1, (H.R. 788), To amend the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to facilitate the
establishment of additional or expanded public target ranges in
certain States.
House Report 115-709 (H.R. 1791), To establish the
Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area in the State
of Washington, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-735 (H.R. 224), To amend the Marine Mammal
Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation of polar bear
trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date the
polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-736 (H.R. 221), To reauthorize the
Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-758 (H.R. 200), To amend the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to provide
flexibility for fishery managers and stability for fishermen,
and for other purposes.
House Report 115-768 (H.R. 3392), To provide for stability
of title to certain land in the State of Louisiana, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-775 (H.R. 4528), To make technical
amendments to certain marine fish conservation statutes, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-782 (H.R. 5751), To redesignate Golden
Spike National Historic Site and to establish the
Transcontinental Railroad Network.
House Report 115-802 (H.R. 5875), To amend the Pittman-
Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson
Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, to provide parity
for United States territories and the District of Columbia, to
make technical corrections to such Acts and related laws, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-803 (H.R. 3777), To direct the Secretary
of Agriculture to convey certain National Forest System land
containing the Nephi Work Center in Juab County, Utah, to Juab
County.
House Report 115-817 (H.R. 4032), To confirm undocumented
Federal rights-of-way or easements on the Gila River Indian
Reservation, clarify the northern boundary of the Gila River
Indian Community's Reservation, to take certain land located in
Maricopa County and Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the
benefit of the Gila River Indian Community, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-833 (H.R. 1482), To authorize the
Secretary of Agriculture to maintain or replace certain
facilities and structures for commercial recreation services at
Smith Gulch in Idaho, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-838 (H.R. 3916), To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to vest in the Secretary of the Interior
functions under that Act with respect to species of fish that
spawn in fresh or estuarine waters and migrate to ocean waters,
and species of fish that spawn in ocean waters and migrate to
fresh waters.
House Report 115-839 (H.R. 577), To designate a peak in the
State of Nevada as Maude Frazier Mountain.
House Report 115-840 (H.R. 3045), To amend the National
Trails System Act to extend the Lewis and Clark National
Historic Trail, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-854 (H.R. 6077), Recognizing the National
Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.
House Report 115-855 (H.R. 5979), To establish the Mill
Springs Battlefield National Monument in the State of Kentucky
as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-856 (H.R. 5613), To designate the Quindaro
Townsite in Kansas City, Kansas, as a National Commemorative
Site.
House Report 115-880, Part 1, (H.R. 3186), To establish an
Every Kid Outdoors program, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-881, Part 1, (H.R. 4824), To allow certain
State permitting authority to encourage expansion of broadband
service to rural communities, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-895 (H.R. 6146), To authorize, direct,
expedite, and facilitate a land exchange in Yavapai County,
Arizona, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-896 (H.R. 5597), To provide for the
expansion of the Desert Tortoise Habitat Conservation Plan,
Washington County, Utah.
House Report 115-899 (H.R. 2591), To amend the Pittman-
Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize the funding of
wildlife conservation, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-900 (H.R. 6038), To establish a procedure
for the conveyance of certain Federal property around the
Dickinson Reservoir in the State of North Dakota.
House Report 115-901 (H.R. 6039), To establish a procedure
for the conveyance of certain Federal property around the
Jamestown Reservoir in the State of North Dakota, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-902 (H.R. 2606), To amend the Act of
August 4, 1947 (commonly known as the Stigler Act), with
respect to restrictions applicable to Indians of the Five
Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-911 (H.R. 6040), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land and facilities
of the Central Valley Project.
House Report 115-921 (H.R. 6088), To amend the Mineral
Leasing Act to authorize notifications of permit to drill, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-922 (H.R. 5923), To direct the Secretary
of Agriculture to exchange certain public lands in Ouachita
National Forest, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-927 (H.R. 5532), To redesignate the
Reconstruction Era National Monument as the Reconstruction Era
National Historical Park, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-928 (H.R. 3764), To extend the Federal
recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of
Montana, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-930 (H.R. 6287), To provide competitive
grants for the operation, security, and maintenance of certain
memorials to victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001.
House Report 115-931 (S. 2857), A bill to designate the
Nordic Museum in Seattle, Washington, as the ``National Nordic
Museum'', and for other purposes.
House Report 115-953 (H.R. 3744), To provide that an Indian
group may receive Federal acknowledgment as an Indian tribe
only by an Act of Congress.
House Report 115-954 (H.R. 5556), To provide for
transparency and reporting related to direct and indirect costs
incurred by the Bonneville Power Administration, the Western
Area Power Administration, the Southwestern Power
Administration, and the Southeastern Power Administration
related to compliance with any Federal environmental laws
impacting the conservation of fish and wildlife, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-955 (H.R. 6106), To amend the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 to clarify the authorized categorical
exclusions and authorize additional categorical exclusions to
streamline the oil and gas permitting process, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-967 (H.R. 6599), To modify the application
of temporary limited appointment regulations to the National
Park Service, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-968 (H.R. 6687), To direct the Secretary
of the Interior to manage the Point Reyes National Seashore in
the State of California consistently with Congress' long-
standing intent to continue to authorize working dairies and
ranches on agricultural property as part of the seashore's
unique historic, cultural, scenic and natural values, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-969 (H.R. 6013), To amend the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act to establish January 31 of each year as the
Federal framework closing date for the duck hunting season and
to establish special duck hunting days for youths, veterans,
and active military personnel, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-970 (H.R. 5420), To authorize the
acquisition of land for addition to the Home of Franklin D.
Roosevelt National Historic Site in the State of New York, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-971, Part 1, (H.R. 6299), To modify the
process of the Secretary of the Interior for examining certain
mining claims on Federal lands in Storey County, Nevada, to
facilitate certain pinyon-juniper-related projects in Lincoln
County, Nevada, to modify the boundaries of certain wilderness
areas in the State of Nevada, to fully implement the White Pine
County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-986 (H.R. 6064), To rename the Oyster Bay
National Wildlife Refuge as the Congressman Lester Wolff
National Wildlife Refuge.
House Report 115-988 (H.Res. 792), Urging the Secretary of
the Interior to recognize the historical significance of
Roberto Clemente's place of death near Pinones in Loiza, Puerto
Rico, by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places.
House Report 115-989 (H.R. 5636), To designate additions to
the Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita National Forest, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-990, Part 1, (H.R. 5171), To amend the
Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to
provide for the establishment of a Ski Area Fee Retention
Account.
House Report 115-991 (H.R. 5706), To establish the Pearl
Harbor National Memorial in the State of Hawai'i and the
Honouliuli National Historic Site in the State of Hawai'i, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-992 (H.R. 4644), To withdraw certain
National Forest System land in the Emigrant Crevice area
located in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, Park County,
Montana, from the mining and mineral leasing laws of the United
States, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-993 (H.R.210), To facilitate the
development of energy on Indian lands by reducing Federal
regulations that impede tribal development of Indian lands, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-994 (H.R. 6302), To enact as law certain
regulations relating to the taking of double-crested
cormorants.
House Report 115-995 (H.R. 6666), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to grant to States and local
governments easements and rights-of-way over Federal land
within Gateway National Recreation Area for construction,
operation, and maintenance of projects for control and
prevention of flooding and shoreline erosion.
House Report 115-996 (H.R. 5513), To provide for an
exchange of lands with San Bernardino County, California, to
enhance management of lands within the San Bernardino National
Forest, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-997 (H.R. 5787), To amend the Coastal
Barrier Resources Act to give effect to more accurate maps of
units of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System
that were produced by digital mapping of such units, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-998 (H.R. 6118), To direct the Secretary
of the Interior to annually designate at least one city in the
United States as an ``American World War II Heritage City'',
and for other purposes.
House Report 115-999, Part 1, (H.R. 3117), To prohibit the
Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Chair
of the Council on Environmental Quality from considering the
social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, or the
social cost of nitrous oxide, in taking any action, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-1000 (H.R. 4239), To distribute revenues
from oil and gas leasing on the outer Continental Shelf to
certain coastal States, to require sale of approved offshore
oil and gas leases, to promote offshore wind lease sales, and
to empower States to manage the development and production of
oil and gas on available Federal land, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1001 (H.R. 4419), To facilitate and
streamline the Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian
Affairs processes for creating or expanding certain water
projects, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1002 (H.R. 5347), To facilitate resolution
of environmental remediation and reclamation, resolve potential
liability of the United States, and promote economic
development in Lyon County, Nevada, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1004 (H.R. 6107), To clarify that Bureau
of Land Management shall not require permits for oil and gas
activities conducted on non-Federal surface estate to access
subsurface mineral estate that is less than 50 percent
Federally owned, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1005 (H.R. 6087), To authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to recover the cost of processing
administrative protests for oil and gas lease sales,
applications for permits to drill, and right of way
applications, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1006 (H.R. 6434), To amend section 7 of
Public Law 100-515 (16 U.S.C. 1244 note) to promote continued
use of the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory at
Gateway National Recreation Area by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
House Report 115-1012 (H.R. 6784), To provide for removal
of the gray wolf in the contiguous 48 States from the List of
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife published under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973.
House Report 115-1013 (H.R. 2365), To convey certain
Federal land in California to Apple Valley, California,
Twentynine Palms, California, Barstow, California, and
Victorville, California.
House Report 115-1029 (H.R. 6665), To amend the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act to apply to territories of the
United States, to establish offshore wind lease sale
requirements, to provide dedicated funding for coral reef
conservation, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1030 (H.R. 3133), To amend the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to reduce unnecessary permitting
delays by clarifying associated procedures to increase economic
development and support coastal restoration programs, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-1031 (H.R. 553), To redesignate Gravelly
Point Park, located along the George Washington Memorial
Parkway in Arlington County, Virginia, as the Nancy Reagan
Memorial Park, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1032 (H.R. 1349), To amend the Wilderness
Act to ensure that the use of bicycles, wheelchairs, strollers,
and game carts is not prohibited in Wilderness Areas, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-1035, Part 1, (H.R. 1675), To establish a
national program to identify and reduce losses from landslide
hazards, to establish a national 3D Elevation Program, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-1037 (S. 607), A bill to establish a
business incubators program within the Department of the
Interior to promote economic development in Indian reservation
communities.
House Report 115-1038, Part 1, (H.R. 237), To reauthorize
the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of
2009, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1039, Part 1, (H.R. 2085), To approve an
agreement between the United States and the Republic of Palau,
and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1040 (H.R. 6108), To provide for
partnerships among State and local governments, regional
entities, and the private sector to preserve, conserve, and
enhance the visitor experience at nationally significant
battlefields of the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil
War, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1047 (H.R. 3588), To amend the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to provide for
management of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-1048 (H.R. 3608), To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to require publication on the Internet of
the basis for determinations that species are endangered
species or threatened species, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1049 (H.R. 4731), To extend the retained
use estate for the Caneel Bay resort in St. John, United States
Virgin Islands, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1050 (H.R. 6346), To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to provide for consideration of the
totality of conservation measures in determining the impact of
proposed Federal agency action.
House Report 115-1051 (H.R. 6345), To provide for greater
county and State consultation with regard to petitions under
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1052 (H.R. 6365), To establish the Treaty
of Guadalupe Hidalgo Land Grant-Merced Claims Commission and
other Federal policies for the restoration of land for
hardships resulting from the incomplete and inequitable
implementation of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, to affirm
Land Grant-Merced property rights protected by the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1053 (H.R. 6678), To direct the Secretary
of the Interior to convey certain National Park Service land in
Fairfax County, Virginia, to the Friends of the Claude Moore
Farm.
House Report 115-1057, Part 1, (S. 245), A bill to amend
the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self Determination Act
of 2005, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1058 (H.R. 1418), To amend the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Alexander Creek,
Alaska, is and shall be recognized as an eligible Native
village under that Act, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1059 (S. 669), A bill to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to assess sanitation and safety
conditions at Bureau of Indian Affairs facilities that were
constructed to provide affected Columbia River Treaty tribes
access to traditional fishing grounds and expend funds on
construction of facilities and structures to improve those
conditions, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1060, Part 1, (H.R. 6682), To amend the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to improve the
transparency and oversight of land conveyances involving
disposal or acquisition of National Forest System lands or
Bureau of Land Management public lands, to provide protections
and certainty for private landowners related to resurveying
such public lands, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1061 (H.R. 6602), To reauthorize the New
Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1062 (H.R. 6507), To amend the Oil Region
National Heritage Area Act to reauthorize the Oil Region
National Heritage Area, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1063, Part 1, (H.R. 3400), To promote
innovative approaches to outdoor recreation on Federal land and
to open up opportunities for collaboration with non-Federal
partners, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1064, Part 1, (H.R. 4506), To provide
incentives to encourage tribal job creation and economic
activity, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1065, Part 1, (H.R. 5874), To amend the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act to improve the recruitment
and retention of employees in the Indian Health Service,
restore accountability in the Indian Health Service, improve
health services, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1066, Part 1, (H.R. 2987), To amend the
Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to establish the 21st Century
Conservation Service Corps to place youth and veterans in
national service positions to conserve, restore, and enhance
the great outdoors of the United States, and for other
purposes.
House Report 115-1067, Part 1, (H.R. 5859), To amend the
Mineral Leasing Act to require that a portion of revenues from
new Federal mineral and geothermal leases be paid to States for
use to supplement the education of students in kindergarten
through grade 12 and public support of institutions of higher
education, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1070, Part 1, (H.R. 3593), To amend the
Wilderness Act to authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection
to conduct certain activities to secure the international land
borders of the United States, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1071 (H.R. 5727), To establish the San
Rafael Swell Western Heritage and Historic Mining National
Conservation Area in the State of Utah, to designate wilderness
areas in the State, to provide for certain land conveyances,
and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1081 (H.R. 3990), To amend title 54,
United States Code, to reform the Antiquities Act of 1906, and
for other purposes.
House Report 115-1082 (H.R. 6652), To direct the Secretary
of the Interior to convey certain facilities, easements, and
rights-of-way to the Kennewick Irrigation District, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-1083 (H.R. 6771), To amend the Gulf of
Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1086, Part 1, (H.R. 2425), To support the
establishment and improvement of communications sites on or
adjacent to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the
Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture
through the retention and use of rental fees associated with
such sites, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1087 (H.R. 3535), To restore Federal
recognition to the Ruffey Rancheria of California, and for
other purposes.
House Report 115-1088, Part 1, (H.R. 6510), To establish,
fund, and provide for the use of amounts in a National Park
Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund to address the
maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, United States
Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and
Bureau of Indian Education, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1089, Part 1, (H.R. 6255), To amend title
18, United States Code, to establish measures to combat
invasive lionfish, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1091 (H.R. 502), To permanently
reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
House Report 115-1092 (H.R. 6939), To protect and ensure
multiple use and public access to public lands in Wyoming per
the request of the respective counties, and for other purposes.
House Report 115-1104 (H.R. 5025), To amend the Western and
Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act to
limit the imposition of penalties against a person fishing on a
United States flag fishing vessel in certain areas of the
Pacific Ocean based on a report by an observer on such a
vessel.
House Report 115-1105 (H.R. 6355), To amend the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 to define petition backlogs and provide
expedited means for discharging petitions during such a
backlog.
APPENDIX VI
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Dissenting Views
The Activity Report of the 115th Congress documents
Committee Republicans' failure to address the nation's most
pressing environmental challenges, including climate change and
its dramatic impacts on American quality of life. Over the past
two years, Committee Republicans pursued a narrow, highly
partisan agenda that prioritized fossil fuel industry demands
over the public interest and conservative ideology over science
and common sense.
Committee Republicans failed to devote sufficient attention
to what should have been clear priorities, including the
rebuilding of Puerto Rico, the protection of endangered
species, the overdue transition from fossil fuels to
sustainable energy resources, the economic future of Indian
Country, and oversight of the leadership and policies of the
Department of the Interior. The Land and Water Conservation
Fund, an uncontroversial program with nearly unanimous public
support, expired on their watch for the first time in the
program's history. The Committee Majority's record in the 115th
Congress is one of misplaced priorities, missed opportunities,
and failures of leadership.
Below, in detail, our Dissenting Views to the Activities
Report highlight these failures issue by issue. We look forward
to charting a new, more productive and more inclusive path
forward in the 116th Congress.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL LANDS
During the 115th Congress, the Subcommittee on Federal
Lands routinely failed to protect irreplaceable American
landscapes, while providing virtually no oversight of the
current Administration. These failures have undermined public
lands protection and imperiled some of our most treasured
resources.
Rather than addressing the multi-faceted values of public
lands, landscapes whose protection is routinely supported by a
majority of Americans, the subcommittee chose to elevate the
voices of anti-public-land minorities and extractive industry
interests. Even in the rare instances when the subcommittee
addressed the most pressing concerns for public lands, the
Majority's agenda focused on undermining foundational
conservation laws rather than upholding protections for
landscapes.
As a demonstration of the Majority's unwillingness to
tackle complex issues that impact everyday Americans, the
subcommittee failed to explore the impacts of climate change on
our public lands. Climate change poses a recognized threat to
national parks, forests, and public lands, yet when evidence
was presented that the Trump administration altered findings on
how climate change will impact national parks, the Majority
took no action. There is ever-increasing evidence that climate
change will have severe negative impacts on the American
economy and our ecosystems. Therefore, the subcommittee ought
to have considered the impacts of this threat as well as
opportunities to enhance carbon sequestration on public lands.
Similarly, amid a destructive and costly wildfire season,
the subcommittee failed to support science-based forest
management or acknowledge the impacts of climate change on
wildfire activity. The subcommittee instead chose to highlight
and push forward legislation that would undermine bedrock
environmental protections and turn the management of publicly-
owned forests over to private industry demands. Forest
management is a complex and pressing issue, but the solution is
not an increase in industry giveaways.
The subcommittee ignored the Trump administration's illegal
attack on National Monuments, which included a sham review
process that flagrantly discounted public input and exhibited
clear conflicts of interest. Instead of addressing these
concerns, the subcommittee chose to cast aspersions on the
value of the Antiquities Act, a law designed to protect
historical landmarks and unique landscapes. Such an abdication
of responsibility demonstrates the Majority's lack of concern
for publicly-owned resources.
One of the few significant bi-partisan accomplishments of
the 115th Congress was a deal between Chairman Bishop and
Ranking Member Grijalva to permanently authorize the Land and
Water Conservation Fund. While this was a bi-partisan
accomplishment in an often-contentious Congress, even this
compromise only came after the Republican Majority allowed
authorization for the Fund to lapse for the second time in two
years.
Throughout the 115th Congress, the Majority pursued an
anti-public lands agenda. They supported legislation to
undermine land management and elevated the voices of groups who
oppose Federal land ownership. This is irresponsible behavior
for a legislative body with jurisdiction over America's
national parks, forests and public lands.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES
During the 115th Congress, the Subcommittee on Energy and
Mineral Resources failed in its responsibility to hold
oversight hearings on the issues most concerning to the
American people and failed to craft legislation in response to
the pressing energy and mining challenges that face our nation.
Instead, and without hesitation, the Republican-led
subcommittee emphatically supported the Administration's pro-
industry ``energy dominance'' agenda and consistently
downplayed the impacts that unrestrained oil, gas, coal and
mineral development has on public health, the environment,
wildlife, and our climate. While the subcommittee found plenty
of time to hold oversight hearings on ways to reduce public
input in decision-making and rush fossil fuel development on
public lands, it did not have a single hearing exploring the
adverse impacts that can result from fossil fuel development.
Over the last two years, the Majority, determined to favor
fossil fuel and mining interests above all else, has ignored
critical issues like the human health effects of mountaintop
removal coal mining, the toll of methane emissions on public
health and the climate system, the disastrous consequences
offshore oil spills can have on coastal economies, and how
America's antiquated hardrock mining law benefits mining
companies at the expense of the American people and the
environment.
In addition to disregarding these significant policy
issues, the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee abstained
from one of the most central duties of Congress--rigorous
oversight of the executive branch. Since Secretary Zinke took
over in early 2017, the Department of the Interior (DOI) has
demonstrated utter contempt for DOI's mission and
responsibilities, and the subcommittee has turned a blind eye
towards Interior's rampant corruption, cronyism and frequent
rejection of scientific facts. During the Obama Administration,
the Majority issued a number of subpoenas and consistently
brought Interior Department officials before the subcommittee,
often on extremely flimsy pretexts. Under this Administration,
the Majority's appetite for aggressive oversight vanished,
despite an extensive number of issues that deserve detailed
investigation, including: the Secretary's elimination of
Florida from the new offshore oil and gas leasing program via
tweet; the rush to permit seismic testing and issue oil and gas
leases in the Arctic Refuge after curtailed environmental
reviews; the cancellation of a National Academy of Sciences
study on the health impacts of mountaintop removal mining; the
severely imbalanced membership of the Royalty Policy Committee;
the demand by the Secretary and Deputy Secretary to review a
U.S. Geological Survey resource assessment ahead of its
release, which led to the resignation of two senior scientists
in protest; and numerous other issues.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER, POWER AND OCEANS
In the 115th Congress, Committee Republicans failed to hold
oversight and legislative hearings on key issues such as
climate change, ocean acidification, trophy imports, wildlife
trafficking, management of coastal resources, environmental
impacts of the border wall, seafood fraud, drought, and access
to clean water by communities and tribes.
Instead, they passed multiple bills to undermine important
protections for fisheries, wildlife, and ocean resources. For
example, House Republicans turned the reauthorization of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA)
into an effort to advance their anti-conservation priorities by
proposing language that takes the science out of fisheries
management and guts conservation measures. Democrats have
proposed legislation that would reauthorize MSA while keeping
core conservation provisions intact, providing more
opportunities to partner with fishermen on research, and taking
advantage of new technologies for data collection and
monitoring. However, the Democratic alternative was not given a
hearing, and the only piece of legislation that passed the
Committee was a Republican bill that would take us back to the
dark ages of overfishing and economic depression.
In addition, Republicans led more than 100 legislative
efforts this Congress--bills, amendments, and riders--to delist
individual species or otherwise undermine the Endangered
Species Act (ESA). These efforts would drive American fish and
wildlife to extinction and rob Americans of their natural
heritage and rich biodiversity. While most Republicans say they
want to ``reform'' or ``modernize'' the ESA so that more
species can be removed from the list, the reality is that they
want to eviscerate the Act, delist species one at a time, or
get rid of ESA altogether. The ESA has not been reauthorized in
more than 25 years and budget cuts have delayed species
recovery efforts. We should be working together to find ways to
recover species more quickly and keep others off the list in
the first place. Unfortunately, GOP congressional majorities
are continuing to push for the weakening of ESA.
Committee Republicans also failed to hold oversight and
legislative hearings on the recent epidemic of drought that has
cost the nation's economy billions. Climate change is expected
to make future droughts more frequent and severe, but instead
of supporting legislation that will build climate resilience
and increase the water supply for all Western water users,
Republicans have focused on redirecting scarce water supplies
toward a select group of preferred water users. For example,
House Republicans jammed through the House a divisive drought
``response'' bill (H.R. 23) that would take scarce water away
from some regions, tribes, and the environment and redirect it
to big agricultural water users. Republicans must be willing to
work with Democrats to develop a plan that will grow the water
supply for all stakeholders and abandon plans that solely
benefit big agricultural industries at the expense of the
environment and other water users.
Several Democratic bills were introduced in the 115th
Congress that would provide immediate and long-term drought
relief by promoting innovative desalination technologies, water
recycling and reuse, groundwater recharge, stormwater capture,
reduced evaporation loss, and increased water conservation
through improved reservoir operations. Despite repeated
requests, Republicans did not permit a single hearing on any of
these bills.
Committee Republicans also continued to ignore the many
American communities lacking clean drinking water because of
deficient or nonexistent water infrastructure. For example,
many Native communities across the United States still do not
have access to reliable water sources, clean drinking water, or
basic sanitation. Instead of addressing these issues, Committee
Republicans have instead imposed unnecessary red tape and
restrictions on the Committee's ability to consider bills that
advance tribal water projects. The so-called ``Bishop process''
continues to require affirmative approval by the Office of
Management and Budget before the Committee can even schedule a
hearing on a tribal water bill. The House Natural Resources
Committee should no longer be a roadblock for Indian water
projects and must start supporting the federal government's
trust obligations to provide reliable water supplies to Indian
country.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INDIAN, INSULAR AND ALASKA NATIVE AFFAIRS
Carcieri Fix
It has been almost a decade since the Supreme Court's
Carcieri decision, which unwound 75 years of agency practice,
created a two-tiered system for federal-tribal relationships,
and jeopardized the ability of tribes to rebuild their
communities through economic development, yet the Republican
majority has taken no action to address the issue. Republicans
would rather use this issue as a political football in their
quest to redefine tribal sovereignty, as well as to stall
economic development on Indian lands. Democrats have
consistently supported a simple ``clean'' fix to the Carcieri
decision that would amend the language of the Indian
Reorganization Act (IRA) to reestablish the Department of the
Interior's authority to take land into trust for all tribes,
simply reaffirming what the drafters of the IRA intended all
along.
Tribal Consultation
Tribal consultation is the process by which federal
agencies consult with tribal governments when federal
activities have tribal impacts. The requirement for federal
agencies to engage in tribal consultation is not a matter of
law but rather is mandated by an Executive Order that has been
reaffirmed by successive presidents. House Republicans have
repeatedly ignored Democratic requests to update federal
policies and ensure tribes are consulted before activities on
affected land begin. H.R. 2689, the RESPECT Act, introduced by
Ranking Member Grijalva, codifies standard consultation
procedures for all agencies to follow and provides recourse for
tribes when agencies violate their consultation obligation.
Republicans have refused to move the bill, first introduced in
2011, out of Committee. The GOP continues to question the need
for meaningful tribal consultation, and instead sides with
private developers often at odds with tribes.
Tribal Recognition
Federally recognized tribes have a government-to-government
relationship with the U.S. and are eligible to receive certain
protections, services, and benefits by virtue of their unique
status as Indian tribes. Therefore, formal recognition is
extremely important and valuable to a tribe's economic and
social condition. The Secretary of the Interior's authority to
acknowledge the existence of Indian tribes is deeply rooted in
the laws passed by Congress and the structure of the
Constitution, and it must remain an available path for tribes
seeking federal recognition. The GOP has repeatedly put forth
legislation that would strip away this authority and stipulate
that only Congress has the authority to recognize Indian
tribes. Congress should strive to ensure that all tribes are
finally and fairly given the recognition they are due rather
than putting up more roadblocks to the process. Democrats
believe taking the Department of the Interior's acknowledgment
process away and leaving an Act of Congress as the only option
will result in further delays and difficulties for tribes.
Worst of all, it will leave tribal recognition decisions
vulnerable to political whims and special interest influence.
Insular Areas
The 115th Congress continued the recent trend of scant
focus on Insular Areas' challenges except for the debt crisis
faced by Puerto Rico. All the territories face serious economic
challenges and very high debt loads because Congress has failed
to replace outdated incentives that were necessary for economic
growth. Relatedly, because the islands are not eligible for
full funding under federal health care programs, their
government resources are drained from the high cost of health
care for their residents. If these concerns aren't addressed in
the near-term, we could face the potential for fiscal collapses
similar to Puerto Rico in each of the other territories.
Additionally, the effects of climate change were front and
center in the Insular Areas, notably in the form of two
catastrophic hurricanes devastating the Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rico and the strongest typhoon on record to make land on
U.S. soil wreaking havoc in the Northern Mariana Islands. We
expect that these challenges will be more robustly examined in
the next Congress.
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
The first two years of the Trump administration presented
countless opportunities for the Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee to challenge the lack of accountability and
transparency in agencies under the committee's jurisdiction.
Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke alone is the subject of at
least 17 publicly-known investigations. However, Republicans
failed to hold a single hearing investigating his or any of his
leadership team's ethical transgressions.
They also failed to address the single issue that impacts
nearly everything within the committee's jurisdiction: climate
change. They neglected to investigate the influence of the
fossil fuel industry on decision-making at the Department of
the Interior (DOI). Instead, Republicans held a hearing to
support the industry-backed decision to weaken DOI under the
auspices of an agency reorganization, despite the absence of a
comprehensive plan or analysis indicating the need or prudence
of doing so. No DOI representatives were asked to attend the
hearing, revealing Republicans' disinterest in conducting
proper oversight of this reorganization. Democrats have
continued to demand a plan or analysis demonstrating the need
for this re-organization.
Republicans failed to hold any hearings spotlighting DOI's
ongoing and significant issues with sexual harassment, despite
Democrats' two hearing requests and a related Democratic
committee staff report. They also did not address or even
acknowledge the Trump administration's numerous, well-
publicized attacks on sound, objective science at DOI,
particularly climate science. These attacks include retaliatory
personnel actions, pressures to change scientific reports,
censorship of communications materials, cancellation of
politically unfavorable studies, and political review of
scientific grants and conference attendees. Democrats remain
committed to ensuring that science in federal agencies remains
free from political influence, and have sent DOI multiple
letters and document requests regarding these incidents.
Rather than address these critically important issues,
Republicans wasted the majority of their oversight efforts on
repeatedly pursuing the unfounded claim that bedrock
environmental laws are impeding management of our public lands.
In the only subcommittee hearing held in all of 2018,
Republicans fanned the flames of anti-immigrant rhetoric by
blaming migrants for environmental destruction of the U.S.-
Mexico border. In doing so, they blatantly ignored the severe
and long-lasting consequences of the Secretary of Homeland
Security's sweeping authority to waive all laws and legal
requirements when building roads and barriers along the border,
including environmental, public health, and safety laws.
Democrats will continue to question this waiver authority and
will conduct oversight of its devastating environmental,
social, and economic impacts. As Democrats prepare to assume
the Majority in the 116th Congress, these issues among others
will be top priorities of the Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee.
Raul M. Grijalva,
Ranking Member, Committee on
Natural Resources.
A. Donald McEachin.
Jared Huffman.
Ruben Gallego.
Alan Lowenthal.
Colleen Hanabusa.
Jimmy Gomez.
Darren Soto.
Grace F. Napolitano.
Donald S. Beyer, Jr.
[all]