[Senate Report 110-492]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 1068
110th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 110-492
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THE GREAT CATS AND RARE CANIDS ACT OF 2008
_______
September 24 (legislative day, September 17), 2008.--Ordered to be
printed
_______
Mrs. Boxer, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1464]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Environment and Public Works, having
considered the bill (H.R. 1464) to assist in the conservation
of rare felids and rare canids by supporting and providing
financial resources for the conservation programs of nations
within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and
projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the
conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations, reports
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the
bill, as amended, do pass.
PURPOSES OF THE LEGISLATION
H.R. 1464 would provide financial assistance to conserve
certain species of threatened and endangered great felids
(cats) and rare canids (members of the dog family). The bill
would establish a Great Cats and Rare Canids Fund as an account
within the Multinational Species Conservation Fund.
GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND
Wildlife populations across the globe have been in decline
due to many stresses. To help address this problem, Congress
established conservation funds for individual species or groups
of species--the Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF).
Under the MSCF, Federal resources provide financial
assistance to support international conservation efforts to
help wildlife. By providing resources to keystone wildlife
species, other wildlife--and their habitat and ecosystems--can
also be protected and conserved.
Under the bill, seven species of great cats are eligible
for assistance. These include the lion, cheetah, leopard, snow
leopard, and jaguar. Additionally, six species of dogs would
also be eligible including the African wild dog, European gray
wolf, dhole, maned wolf and bush dog.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title
This section provides that the bill may be cited as the
`Great Cat and Rare Canids Act of 2008.'
Section 2. Purposes
Section 2 states that the purposes of the bill are to
provide financial resources to assist in the restoration and
conservation of populations of rare felids and canids in the
wild.
Section 3. Definitions
This section defines specific terms in the legislation.
Section 4. Financial assistance
This section authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
provide financial assistance for projects that conserve rare
felids and rare canids and specifies eligible project
applicants and required information for project applications.
It also authorizes the establishment of an advisory group to
assist the Secretary in carrying out the purposes of the Act.
Section 5. Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund
This section authorizes the establishment of a Great Cats
and Rare Canids Fund within the Multinational Species
Conservation Fund.
Section 6. Study of conservation status of felid and canid species
This section requires the Secretary to initiate a study
within 3 months of the date of enactment and report to the
Congress on the conservation status of wild felid and canid
species listed under the IUCN Red List that are not eligible
under this legislation and include recommendations for
additional species to be added to the lists of rare felids or
rare canids defined in the bill.
Section 7. Ineligible countries
This section prohibits any grant under this program from
being spent in a country the government of which the Secretary
of State has determined has repeatedly provided support for
acts of international terrorism under certain statutes.
Section 8. Authorization of appropriations
The legislation would authorize $5 million per year of
appropriations for each fiscal year from 2009 to 2013. Such
sums as are necessary are authorized to carry out the study
authorized in Section 6 of the bill.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
H.R. 1464 was introduced on March 9, 2007, by Rep. Tom
Udall (D-NM). Companion legislation was introduced in the
Senate by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman on March 29, 2007. H.R.
1464 passed the House of Representatives on May 20, 2008 and
was received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the
Committee on Environment and Public Works on May 21, 2008. The
Committee met on September 17, 2008. In Committee, Senator
Boxer offered a substitute amendment clarifying that no
financial assistance may be spent under this Act in any country
the government of which the Secretary of State has determined
has repeatedly provided support for acts of international
terrorism. The Committee ordered H.R. 1464 favorably reported
as amended by voice vote.
ROLLCALL VOTES
There were no rollcall votes. The measure was approved by
the Committee on Environment and Public Works at a business
meeting, a quorum being present, by voice vote on September 17,
2008.
REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT
In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that the
legislation does not impose regulatory costs, and agrees with
the Congressional Budget Office that ``H.R. 1464 contains no .
. . private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act (UMRA) . . . .''
MANDATES ASSESSMENT
In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104-4), the Committee noted that the Congressional
Budget Office has found that ``H.R. 1464 contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs
on state, local, or tribal governments.''
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE
September 19, 2008.
Hon. Barbara Boxer,
Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1464, the Great
Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2008.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag.
Enclosure.
H.R. 1464--Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2008
Summary: H.R. 1464 would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service to establish a grant program to protect and conserve
rare species of cats (such as leopards) and canids (such as
wolves) in the wild. The act would authorize the appropriation
of $5 million for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013 for
financial assistance to eligible government agencies,
international or foreign organizations, or private entities
engaged in such activities. Assuming appropriation of the
authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1464
would increase discretionary spending by $19 million over the
2009-2013 period and by $6 million after 2013.
H.R. 1464 also would authorize the agency to accept and
spend (without further appropriation) donations from nonfederal
sources. Enacting this provision could increase revenues (from
donations) and direct spending (of those donations), but CBO
estimates that such increases would offset each other and
therefore have no net effect on the federal budget.
H.R. 1464 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of H.R. 1464 is shown in the following table.
For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be
enacted near the beginning of fiscal year 2009 and that
authorized amounts will be provided as specified in the bill.
Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for
similar programs. The costs of this legislation fall within
budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
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By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
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2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009-2013
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CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Authorization Level..................................... 5 5 5 5 5 25
Estimated Outlays....................................... 2 3 4 5 5 19
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Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 1464
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or
tribal governments.
Previous CBO estimate: On May 5, 2008, CBO transmitted a
cost estimate for H.R. 1464 as ordered reported by the House
Committee on Natural Resources on April 30, 2008. The two
versions of the legislation are very similar but contain
different authorization periods. The CBO estimates reflect that
difference.
Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Deborah Reis; Impact
on state, local, and tribal governments: Melissa Merrill;
Impact on the private sector: Amy Petz.
Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate
requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made
by the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no
changes to existing law.