[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4973 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4973
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize volunteer
programs and community partnerships for national wildlife refuges, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 2010
Mr. Kratovil introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize volunteer
programs and community partnerships for national wildlife refuges, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer
Improvement Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS TO IMPLEMENT VOLUNTEER,
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS UNDER FISH
AND WILDLIFE ACT OF 1956.
(a) Reauthorization.--Section 7(f) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of
1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(f)) is amended to read as follows:
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out subsections
(b), (c), (d), (e), and (f), $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011
through 2014.''.
(b) Technical Corrections.--Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act
of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) is amended in subsections (b)(2)(B)(ii) and
(d)(2)(C)(i) by striking ``National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act
of 1966'' each place it appears and inserting ``National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act of 1966''.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM VOLUNTEER AND
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1998.
Section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and
Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-1) is
amended--
(1) in the subsection heading by striking ``Projects'' and
inserting ``National Volunteer Coordination Program'';
(2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, and in conformance with the strategy developed
under paragraph (2) and consistent with the authorities
regarding gifts, volunteer services, community partnerships,
and refuge education enhancement under section 7 of the Fish
and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 741f), the Secretary of the
Interior, through the Director of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, shall carry out a National Volunteer
Coordination Program within the National Wildlife Refuge System
to--
``(A) augment and support the capabilities and
efforts of Federal employees to implement resource
management, conservation, and public education programs
and activities across the National Wildlife Refuge
System;
``(B) provide meaningful opportunities for
volunteers to support the resource management,
conservation, and public education programs and
activities of national wildlife refuges or complexes of
geographically related national wildlife refuges in
each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region;
and
``(C) fulfill the purpose and mission of the
National Wildlife Refuge System under the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).'';
(3) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows
``(2) Volunteer coordination strategy.--
``(A) In general.--No later than one year after
date of enactment of this paragraph, the Director shall
publish in the Federal Register a national strategy for
the coordination and utilization of volunteers within
the National Wildlife Refuge System.
``(B) Consultation required.--The strategy shall be
developed in consultation with State fish and wildlife
agencies, Indian tribes, refuge friends groups or
similar volunteer organizations, and other relevant
stakeholders.
``(C) Volunteer coordinators.--The Director shall
provide, subject to the availability of appropriations,
no less than one regional volunteer coordinator for
each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region to
implement the strategy published under this paragraph.
Such coordinators may be responsible for assisting
partner organizations in developing and implementing
volunteer projects and activities under cooperative
agreements under section 7(d) of the Fish and Wildlife
Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(d)).''; and
(4) in paragraph (4), by striking ``for for each of fiscal
years 1999 through 2002'' and inserting ``for each fiscal year
through fiscal year 2014''.
SEC. 4. VOLUNTEER, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
REPORT.
(a) In General.--Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16
U.S.C. 742f(e)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (f) (as amended by this
Act) as subsection (g); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new
subsection:
``(f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this subsection and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary of the
Interior shall submit a report to the Committee on Natural Resources of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and
Public Works of the Senate--
``(1) evaluating the accomplishments of the volunteer
program, the community partnerships program, and the refuge
education programs authorized under this section, and of the
National Volunteer Coordination Program and volunteer
coordination strategy under section 4(a) of the National
Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership
Enhancement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-1); and
``(2) making recommendations to improve the effectiveness
of such programs, including regarding implementing
subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1) of subsection
(e).''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 4(a) of the National Wildlife
Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of
1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f-1) is further amended by striking paragraph (3),
and by redesignating paragraph (4) (as amended by this Act) as
paragraph (3).
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