[Senate Report 109-125]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 196
109th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 109-125
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AMEND THE PITTMAN-ROBERTSON WILDLIFE RESTORATION ACT TO EXTEND THE DATE
AFTER WHICH SURPLUS FUNDS IN THE WILDLIFE RESTORATION FUND BECOME
AVAILABLE FOR APPORTIONMENT.
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August 31, 2005.--Ordered to be printed
Filed, under authority of the order of the Senate of July 29, 2005
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Mr. Inhofe, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1340]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was
referred a bill (S. 1340) to amend the Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration Act to extend the date after which surplus
funds in the wildlife restoration fund become available for
apportionment, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
General Statement and Background
Section 7 of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act
of 1989 (NAWCA) amended the Pittman-Robertson Act to provide
the authority to invest in interest-bearing obligations of the
United States, and to use the realized interest to fund
projects carried out under NAWCA. The authority to use these
funds to support NAWCA is set to expire on September 30, 2005,
unless extended.
Although NAWCA itself was most recently reauthorized in
2002, this funding provision was not addressed at that time, or
during any other NAWCA reauthorization since 1989, because it
did not affect whether the NAWCA program itself could be
reauthorized, but rather specifies a particular source of
funding to support the program and had not yet reached its
expiration date. Since the original 1989 Act specified that the
use of interest provision continued through the end of fiscal
year 2005, Congress has needed to address an extension of this
specific provision before this time. Through 2005, this funding
source has provided $235 million, or approximately one-third of
the Federal funds that have been devoted to NAWCA. This $235
million has attracted another $634 million in matching funds
from other sources.
Objectives of the Legislation
S. 1340 will extend the existing authority to spend
interest from the Pittman-Robertson fund to support NAWCA
projects through fiscal year 2016.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Availability of Surplus Funds in Wildlife Restoration Fund.
This section changes the date in the Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669b(b)(2)(C)) from
``2006'' to ``2016''.
Legislative History
On June 30, 2005, Senator James M. Inhofe introduced S.
1340, which was cosponsored by Senator James Jeffords and
Senator Mike Crapo. The bill was referred to the Senate
Committee on Environment and Public Works. On July 20, 2005,
the full committee held a business meeting and unanimously
ordered S. 1340 to be favorably reported without amendment to
the full Senate.
Hearings
No committee hearings were held on S. 1340.
Rollcall Votes
The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to
consider S. 1340 on July 20, 2005. The committee approved S.
1340 by unanimous consent.
Regulatory Impact Statement
In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that S. 1340
does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it
cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of
individuals.
Mandates Assessment
In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104-4), the committee finds that S. 1340 would not
impose Federal intergovernmental unfunded mandates on State,
local, or tribal governments.
Cost of Legislation
Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be
included in the report. That statement follows:
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S. 1340, A bill to amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration
Act, to extend the date after which surplus funds in the
wildlife restoration fund become available for apportionment,
As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and
Public Works on July 20, 2005
S. 1340 would extend through fiscal year 2016 the authority
to use certain amounts in the Federal aid to wildlife
restoration fund (known as the P-R fund) for waterfowl
conservation grants carried out under the North American
Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Enacting S. 1340 would have
no effect on the Federal budget because the amounts that the
bill would make available for NAWCA grants (estimated to be
between $10 million and $30 million annually over the next 10
years) will be spent for other grant programs in the absence of
this legislation.
Under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act
(Pittman-Robertson Act), excise taxes collected on certain
hunting equipment are deposited into the P-R fund and are
available without further appropriation for grants to States.
The Pittman-Robertson Act requires that interest earned through
fiscal year 2005 on balances in that fund be used to finance
waterfowl conservation projects authorized under NAWCA. After
2005, such earnings will become available for wildlife
conservation grants under the Pittman-Robertson Act; S. 1340
would make them available, instead, for waterfowl conservation
grants. Because the interest earnings will be spent without
further appropriation action for one grant program or the
other, CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would have
no net effect on Federal spending. Enacting S. 1340 would not
affect other direct spending programs or revenues.
The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
This estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, 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, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown
in roman:
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[16 U.S.C. 669B(B)(2)(C)]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 5B--WILDLIFE RESTORATION
SEC. 669B. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
(a) In General.-- * * *
* * * * * * *
(b) Investment of Unexpended Amounts.--
(1) The Secretary of the Treasury shall invest in
interest-bearing obligations of the United States such
portion of the fund as is not, in his judgment,
required for meeting a current year's withdrawals. For
purposes of such investment, the Secretary of the
Treasury may--
(A) acquire obligations at the issue price
and purchase outstanding obligations at the
market price; and
(B) sell obligations held in the fund at
the market price.
(2) The interest on obligations held in the fund--
(A) shall be credited to the fund;
(B) constitute the sums available for
allocation by the Secretary under section 4407
of this title;
(C) shall become available for
apportionment under this chapter at the
beginning of fiscal year [2006] 2016.
* * * * * * *