[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 119, 109th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

119 STAT. 2890

Public Law 109-154
109th Congress

An Act


 
To amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct
of projects that protect forests, and for other purposes.  NOTE: Dec.
30, 2005 -  [S. 1238]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,  NOTE: Public Lands
Corps Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2005.

SECTION 1.  NOTE: 16 USC 1701 note.  SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Public Lands Corps Healthy Forests
Restoration Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC LANDS CORPS ACT OF 1993.

(a) Definitions.--Section 203 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993
(16 U.S.C. 1722) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), (10), and (11) as
paragraphs (9), (10), (11), and (13), respectively;
(2) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
``(8) Priority project.--The term `priority project' means
an appropriate conservation project conducted on eligible
service lands to further 1 or more of the purposes of the
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et
seq.), as follows:
``(A) To reduce wildfire risk to a community,
municipal water supply, or other at-risk Federal land.
``(B) To protect a watershed or address a threat to
forest and rangeland health, including catastrophic
wildfire.
``(C) To address the impact of insect or disease
infestations or other damaging agents on forest and
rangeland health.
``(D) To protect, restore, or enhance forest
ecosystem components to--
``(i) promote the recovery of threatened or
endangered species;
``(ii) improve biological diversity; or
``(iii) enhance productivity and carbon
sequestration.''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (11) (as redesignated by
paragraph (1)) the following:
``(12) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means--
``(A) with respect to National Forest System land,
the Secretary of Agriculture; and
``(B) with respect to Indian lands, Hawaiian home
lands, or land administered by the Department of the
Interior, the Secretary of the Interior.''.

[[Page 2891]]
119 STAT. 2891

(b) Qualified Youth or Conservation Corps.--Section 204(c) of the
Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1723(c)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``The Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture are'' and inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--The Secretary is''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Preference.--
``(A) In general.--For purposes of entering into
contracts and cooperative agreements under paragraph
(1), the Secretary may give preference to qualified
youth or conservation corps located in a specific area
that have a substantial portion of members who are
economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged
to carry out projects within the area.
``(B) Priority projects.--In carrying out priority
projects in a specific area, the Secretary shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, give preference to qualified
youth or conservation corps located in that specific
area that have a substantial portion of members who are
economically, physically, or educationally
disadvantaged.''.

(c) Conservation Projects.--Section 204(d) of the Public Lands Corps
Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1723(d)) is amended--
(1) in the first sentence--
(A) by striking ``The Secretary of the Interior and
the Secretary of Agriculture may each'' and inserting
the following:
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may''; and
(B) by striking ``such Secretary'' and inserting
``the Secretary'';
(2) in the second sentence, by striking ``Appropriate
conservation'' and inserting the following:
``(2) Projects on indian lands.--Appropriate conservation'';
and
(3) by striking the third sentence and inserting the
following:
``(3) Disaster prevention or relief projects.--The Secretary
may authorize appropriate conservation projects and other
appropriate projects to be carried out on Federal, State, local,
or private land as part of a Federal disaster prevention or
relief effort.''.

(d) Conservation Centers and Program Support.--Section 205 of the
Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1724) is amended--
(1) by striking the heading and inserting the following:

``SEC. 205. CONSERVATION CENTERS AND PROGRAM SUPPORT.'';

(2) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

``(a) Establishment and Use.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may establish and use
conservation centers owned and operated by the Secretary for--
``(A) use by the Public Lands Corps; and
``(B) the conduct of appropriate conservation
projects under this title.
``(2) Assistance for conservation centers.--The Secretary
may provide to a conservation center established under paragraph
(1) any services, facilities, equipment, and supplies

[[Page 2892]]
119 STAT. 2892

that the Secretary determines to be necessary for the
conservation center.
``(3) Standards for conservation centers.--The Secretary
shall--
``(A) establish basic standards of health,
nutrition, sanitation, and safety for all conservation
centers established under paragraph (1); and
``(B) ensure that the standards established under
subparagraph (A) are enforced.
``(4) Management.--As the Secretary determines to be
appropriate, the Secretary may enter into a contract or other
appropriate arrangement with a State or local government agency
or private organization to provide for the management of a
conservation center.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:

``(d) Assistance.--The Secretary may provide any services,
facilities, equipment, supplies, technical assistance, oversight,
monitoring, or evaluations that are appropriate to carry out this
title.''.
(e) Living Allowances and Terms of Service.--Section 207 of the
Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1726) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

``(a) Living Allowances.--The Secretary shall provide each
participant in the Public Lands Corps and each resource assistant with a
living allowance in an amount established by the Secretary.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:

``(c) Hiring.--The Secretary may--
``(1) grant to a member of the Public Lands Corps credit for
time served with the Public Lands Corps, which may be used
toward future Federal hiring; and
``(2) provide to a former member of the Public Lands Corps
noncompetitive hiring status for a period of not more than 120
days after the date on which the member's service with the
Public Lands Corps is complete.''.

(f) Funding.--The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is amended--
(1) in section 210 (16 U.S.C. 1729), by adding at the end
the following:

``(c) Other Funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under section 211 are in addition to
amounts allocated to the Public Lands Corps through other Federal
programs or projects.''; and
(2) by inserting after section 210 the following:

``SEC. 211.  NOTE: 16 USC 1730.  AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this title $12,000,000 for each fiscal year, of which $8,000,000 is
authorized to carry out priority projects and $4,000,000 of which is
authorized to carry out other appropriate conservation projects.
``(b) Disaster Relief or Prevention Projects.--Notwithstanding
subsection (a), any amounts made available under that subsection shall
be available for disaster prevention or relief projects.
``(c) Availability of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, amounts appropriated for any fiscal year to carry out this title
shall remain available for obligation and expenditure

[[Page 2893]]
119 STAT. 2893

until the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the
amounts are appropriated.''.
(g) Conforming Amendments.--The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is
amended--
(1) in section 204 (16 U.S.C. 1723)--
(A) in subsection (b)--
(i) in the first sentence, by striking
``Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of
Agriculture'' and inserting ``Secretary'';
(ii) in the third sentence, by striking
``Secretaries'' and inserting ``Secretary''; and
(iii) in the fourth sentence, by striking
``Secretaries'' and inserting ``Secretary''; and
(B) in subsection (e), by striking ``Secretary of
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture'' and
inserting ``Secretary'';
(2) in section 205 (16 U.S.C. 1724)--
(A) in subsection (b), by striking ``Secretary of
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture'' and
inserting ``Secretary''; and
(B) in subsection (c), by striking ``Secretary of
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture'' and
inserting ``Secretary'';
(3) in section 206 (16 U.S.C. 1725)--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in the first sentence--
(I) by striking ``Secretary of the
Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture are each'' and inserting
``Secretary is''; and
(II) by striking ``such Secretary''
and inserting ``the Secretary'';
(ii) in the third sentence, by striking
``Secretaries'' and inserting ``Secretary''; and
(iii) in the fourth sentence, by striking
``Secretaries'' and inserting ``Secretary''; and
(B) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by
striking ``Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of
Agriculture'' and inserting ``the Secretary''; and
(4) in section 210 (16 U.S.C. 1729)--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Secretary
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture
are each'' and inserting ``Secretary is''; and
(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Secretary
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture
are each'' and inserting ``Secretary is''; and

[[Page 2894]]
119 STAT. 2894

(B) in subsection (b), by striking ``Secretary of
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture'' and
inserting ``Secretary''.

Approved December 30, 2005.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1238 (H.R. 2875):
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 109-273, Pt. 1 accompanying H.R. 2875 (Comm. on
Resources).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 109-152 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 151 (2005):
Nov. 16, considered and passed Senate.
Dec. 18, considered and passed House.