[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2026 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 408
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2026
[Report No. 117-567]
To assist in the conservation of highly endangered amphibian species in
foreign countries, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 18, 2021
Mr. Jeffries (for himself, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr.
Huffman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
November 16, 2022
Additional sponsors: Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. DeFazio, Mrs.
Napolitano, Ms. Barragan, and Ms. Norton
November 16, 2022
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March
18, 2021]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To assist in the conservation of highly endangered amphibian species in
foreign countries, 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 ``Global Amphibian Protection Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Convention.--The term ``Convention'' means the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249).
(2) Conservation.--The term ``conservation'' means the
protection and restoration of species and the habitat of such
species.
(3) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Highly Endangered
Amphibians Conservation Fund established by section 4.
(4) Highly endangered amphibian species.--
(A) In general.--The term ``highly endangered
amphibian species'' means--
(i) any amphibian species categorized on
the International Union for Conservation of
Nature Red List of Threatened Species as
Endangered, Critically Endangered, or Extinct
in the Wild; and
(ii) any other amphibian species
categorized on the International Union for
Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened
Species as Data Deficient or under a threat
category lower than Endangered if the Secretary
determines that--
(I) the most recent International
Union for Conservation of Nature Red
List assessment indicates that the
population is decreasing; or
(II) such species is facing new or
emerging threats.
(B) Inclusions.--The term ``highly endangered
amphibian species'' includes--
(i) live specimens, at all lifecycle
stages, of species described in subparagraph
(A);
(ii) dead specimens, or parts or products
thereof, of such species.
(5) Multinational species conservation fund.--The term
``Multinational Species Conservation Fund'' means the fund
established under the heading ``multinational species
conservation fund'' in title I of the Department of the
Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (16
U.S.C. 4246).
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. HIGHLY ENDANGERED AMPHIBIAN SPECIES ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--In consultation with other Federal officials, the
Secretary shall use amounts in the Fund to carry out a competitive
grant program to provide financial assistance for the conservation of
highly endangered amphibian species.
(b) Project Proposals.--
(1) Eligible applicants.--A proposal for a grant under
subsection (a) may be submitted to the Secretary by--
(A) any wildlife management authority of a foreign
country that has within its boundaries natural habitat
of a highly endangered amphibian species if the
activities of the authority directly or indirectly
benefit that species' conservation; or
(B) any other person or group with the demonstrated
expertise and capacity required for the conservation of
a highly endangered amphibian species.
(2) Required elements.--A project proposal shall include--
(A) evidence of support for the project by
appropriate governmental entities of the country in
which the project will be conducted, if the Secretary
determines that such support is required for the
success of the project;
(B) evidence of sensitivity to local historic and
cultural resources and compliance with applicable laws;
(C) evidence of free, prior, and informed consent
by indigenous peoples and local communities in the
areas the project will be conducted, if the Secretary,
based on the nature of the project, determines that
such consent is required for the success of the
project;
(D) information regarding the source and amount of
matching funding available for the project; and
(E) any other information that the Secretary
determines to be appropriate.
(c) Evaluation and Approval.--
(1) Goals.--The Secretary may approve a proposal under this
section if the project will--
(A) help recover and sustain viable populations in
the wild of a highly endangered amphibian species with
a range that is, in whole or in part, outside of the
United States;
(B) enhance compliance with provisions of the
Convention and laws of the United States or a foreign
country related to the conservation of a highly
endangered amphibian species; or
(C) develop sound scientific information on that
species' habitat, population numbers and trends,
reproduction, mortality, and other threats to survival.
(2) Methods.--The Secretary may approve a proposal under
this section if the proposal would achieve one of the goals set
forth in paragraph (1) through--
(A) protection, restoration, and management of
habitat;
(B) in situ research and monitoring of populations,
habitats, annual reproduction, and species population
trends;
(C) development, implementation, and improvement of
national and regional management plans for a highly
endangered amphibian species and the habitat of such
species;
(D) enforcement and implementation of the
Convention or the law of a foreign country to--
(i) protect and manage a highly endangered
amphibian species or the habitat of such
species;
(ii) prevent illegal or unsustainable
removal of a highly endangered amphibian
species from the wild; or
(iii) prevent illegal trade of a highly
endangered amphibian species;
(E) training and capacity building for local law
enforcement officials in the interdiction and
prevention of the illegal killing, removal from the
wild, or trade of a highly endangered amphibian
species;
(F) an initiative to resolve a conflict between
humans and a highly endangered amphibian species;
(G) research and implementation of projects to
address disease and threats to the health of a highly
endangered amphibian species;
(H) community outreach and education on
conservation of a highly endangered amphibian species
and the habitat of such species; or
(I) strengthening the ability of local communities
to implement a conservation program.
(3) Consultation.--The Secretary shall, prior to approving
any proposal under this section, consult with each of the
following with respect to such proposal:
(A) The Government of each country in which such
proposal will be carried out.
(B) Any other Federal agency the Secretary
determines is appropriate.
(4) Preferential consideration.--In determining whether to
approve a proposal, the Secretary shall give preference to a
proposal that--
(A) is designed to ensure effective, long-term
conservation of highly endangered amphibian species and
their habitats; and
(B) has matching funds available.
(5) Approval.--The Secretary shall, within 180 days of
receiving a proposal under this section, approve or disapprove
of the proposal and provide written notification of such
approval or disapproval to--
(A) the person who submitted such proposal;
(B) any Federal agency the Secretary determines
appropriate; and
(C) the foreign country in which such proposal
would be carried out.
(d) Project Reporting.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall require each person
that receives assistance under this section to submit periodic
reports including such information as the Secretary may require
in order to evaluate the progress and success of each grant
issued under this section.
(2) Availability to the public.--Reports under paragraph
(1), and any other documents relating to projects for which
financial assistance is provided under this Act except for
documents that the Secretary determines to be confidential in
nature, shall be made available to the public.
(e) Limitations on Use for Captive Breeding.--Amounts provided as a
grant under this Act--
(1) may not be used for captive breeding of highly
endangered amphibian species other than for captive breeding
designed for release into the wild; and
(2) may be used for captive breeding of a species for
release into the wild only if no other conservation method for
the species is biologically or technically feasible.
SEC. 4. HIGHLY ENDANGERED AMPHIBIAN SPECIES CONSERVATION FUND.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Multinational
Species Conservation Fund a separate account to be known as the
``Highly Endangered Amphibian Species Conservation Fund'', consisting
of--
(1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury
for deposit into the Fund under subsections (d) and (e);
(2) amounts appropriated to the Fund under section 5; and
(3) any interest earned on investment of amounts in the
Fund under subsection (c).
(b) Expenditures From Fund.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), at the request
of the Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer
from the Fund to the Secretary, without further appropriation,
such amounts as the Secretary determines are necessary to carry
out section 3.
(2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts in the account
available for each fiscal year, the Secretary may expend not
more than 3 percent, or up to $150,000, whichever is greater,
to pay the administrative expenses necessary to carry out this
Act.
(c) Investment of Amounts.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall invest
such portion of the Fund as is not, in the judgment of the
Secretary of the Treasury, required to meet current
withdrawals. Investments may be made only in interest-bearing
obligations of the United States.
(2) Acquisition of obligations.--For the purpose of
investments under paragraph (1), obligations may be acquired--
(A) on original issue at the issue price; or
(B) by purchase of outstanding obligations at
market price.
(3) Sale of obligations.--Any obligation acquired by the
Fund may be sold by the Secretary of the Treasury at market
price.
(4) Credits to fund.--The interest on, and the proceeds
from the sale or redemption of, any obligations held in the
Fund shall be credited to and form a part of the Fund.
(d) Transfers of Amounts.--
(1) In general.--The amounts required to be transferred to
the Fund under this section shall be transferred at least
monthly from the general fund of the Treasury to the Fund on
the basis of estimates made by the Secretary of the Treasury.
(2) Adjustments.--Proper adjustment shall be made in
amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates
were in excess of or less than the amounts required to be
transferred.
(e) Acceptance and Use of Donations.--The Secretary may accept and
use donations to provide assistance under section 3. Amounts received
by the Secretary in the form of donations shall be transferred to the
Secretary of the Treasury for deposit in the Fund. The Secretary may
reject a gift under this section when the rejection is in the interest
of the Government.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $5,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027.
SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and
every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report on the results and effectiveness of the program carried out
under this Act.
Union Calendar No. 408
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2026
[Report No. 117-567]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To assist in the conservation of highly endangered amphibian species in
foreign countries, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
November 16, 2022
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed