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116th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 116-284
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NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION EXTENSION ACT
_______
November 13, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 925]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 925) to extend the authorization of
appropriations for allocation to carry out approved wetlands
conservation projects under the North American Wetlands
Conservation Act through fiscal year 2024, having considered
the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and
recommend that the bill do pass.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of H.R. 925 is to extend the authorization of
appropriations for allocation to carry out approved wetlands
conservation projects under the North American Wetlands
Conservation Act through fiscal year 2024.
Background and Need for Legislation
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) is a
partnership-based program that leverages non-federal funds to
protect and restore wetlands and associated habitats.\1\ NAWCA
is one of the most cost-effective conservation programs: each
federal dollar invested in NAWCA over the program's lifetime
has been matched by more than three dollars from non-federal
partners at the local and state level, including corporations,
private landowners, and non-profits.\2\
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\1\Pub. L. No. 101-233, 103 Stat. 1968 (1989).
\2\See North American Wetlands Conservation Act, U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Serv., https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-
wetland-conservation-act.php (last updated Sept. 17, 2019).
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This bill would reauthorize NAWCA for five years at $60
million per year. The authorization for NAWCA expired at the
end of FY 2012, but appropriators have continued to fund the
program annually, most recently at $42 million for fiscal year
2019.
Committee Action
H.R. 925 was introduced on January 30, 2019, by
Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA). The bill was referred
solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
On September 24, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the
bill. On September 25, 2019, the Natural Resources Committee
met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by
unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was
adopted and ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by a roll call vote of 26 yeas and 9 nays, as
follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Hearings
For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the
116th Congress--the following hearings were used to develop or
consider H.R. 925: (1) legislative hearing by the Subcommittee
on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife on H.R. 1326, the ``Authorizing
Critical Conservation and Enabling Sportsmen and Sportswomen''
Act or ``ACCESS'' Act, which includes a provision to
reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, held
on March 26, 2019; and (2) legislative hearing by the
Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife on H.R. 925 held on
September 24, 2019.
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
Compliance With House Rule XIII and Congressional Budget Act
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, September 30, 2019.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 925, the North
American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani
Shankaran.
Sincerely,
Mark P. Hadley
(For Phillip L. Swagel, Director).
Enclosure.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
H.R. 925 would authorize the appropriation of $60 million
annually over the 2020-2024 period for the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) to carry out the North American
Wetlands Conservation Act. Under that act, USFWS awards
competitive grants for projects to conserve wetlands in the
United States, Canada, and Mexico. In 2019, the agency received
an appropriation of $42 million to carry out those activities.
Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, and based
on historical spending patterns for the program, CBO estimates
that implementing H.R. 925 would cost $195 million over the
2020-2024 period and $105 million after 2024.
The costs of the legislation (detailed in Table 1) fall
within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
TABLE 1.--ESTIMATED INCREASES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION UNDER H.R. 925
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By fiscal year, millions of dollars--
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2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2020-2024 2020-2029
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INCREASES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Authorization..................................... 60 60 60 60 60 0 0 0 0 0 300 300
Estimated Outlays................................. 15 30 42 51 57 45 30 18 9 3 195 300
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The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani
Shankaran. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to extend the authorization of
appropriations for allocation to carry out approved wetlands
conservation projects under the North American Wetlands
Conservation Act through fiscal year 2024.
Earmark Statement
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
Existing Programs
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program. Such program was not included in any report from the
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to
section 21 of Public Law 111-139. The North American Wetlands
Conservation Fund (CFDA No. 15.623) authorized by this bill is
related and complementary to, but not duplicative of, the
following programs identified in the most recent Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to 31 U.S.C.
6104: Sport Fish Restoration (CFDA No. 15.605); Wildlife
Restoration and Basic Hunter Education (CFDA No. 15.611);
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration (CFDA No.
15.614); and Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation (CFDA No.
15.635).
Applicability to Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT
* * * * * * *
SEC. 7. AMOUNTS AVAILABLE TO CARRY OUT THIS ACT.
(a) Aid in Wildlife Restoration.--[Paragraphs (1) and (2)
amends another Act--omitted]
(3) The amendments made by this subsection of this Act take
effect October 1, 1989.
(b) Migratory Bird Fines, Penalties, Forfeitures.--The sums
received under section 6 of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16
U.S.C. 707) as penalties or fines, or from forfeitures of
property are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of
the Interior for purposes of allocation under section 8 of this
Act. This subsection shall not be construed to require the sale
of instrumentalities.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to the
amounts made available under subsections (a) and (b) of this
section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the
Department of the Interior for purposes of allocation under
section 8 of this Act [not to exceed--
[(1) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
[(2) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
[(3) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
[(4) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
[(5) $75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008
through 2012.] not to exceed $60,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2020 through 2024.
(d) Availability of Funds.--Sums made available under this
section shall be available until expended.
* * * * * * *
Supplemental, Minority, Additional, or Dissenting Views
None.
[all]
