National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998

Summary: National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to provide that any gift or bequest made for the benefit of a particular national wildlife refuge or complex of refuges shall be disbursed only for such refuge's or refuges' benefit.  Authorizes Federal matching funds. 
(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to conduct a volunteer coordinator pilot project in at least two refuges (but not more than 20 nationwide) in each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region.  Authorizes appropriations.   Authorizes the Secretary and the Secretary of Commerce to provide volunteers in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with awards and recognition, including nominal cash awards. 
Authorizes the Secretary to establish a Senior Volunteer Corps. 
(Sec. 5) Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with community partnership organizations (private, corporate, academic, or State or local) to implement refuge related programs.  Authorizes Federal matching funds. 
(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to develop guidance for, and programs of, refuge education. 
(Sec. 7) Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Wildlife Refuge System 
Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
        (1) the National Wildlife Refuge System (referred to in this 
    Act as the ``System''), consisting of more than 500 refuges and 
    93,000,000 acres, plays an integral role in the protection of the 
    natural resources of the United States;
        (2) the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 
    (Public Law 105-57; 111 Stat. 1252) significantly improved the law 
    governing the System, although the financial resources for 
    implementing this law and managing the System remain limited;
        (3) by encouraging volunteer programs and donations, and 
    facilitating non-Federal partnerships with refuges, Federal funding 
    for the refuges can be supplemented and the System can fully 
    benefit from the amendments made by the National Wildlife Refuge 
    System Improvement Act of 1997; and
        (4) by encouraging refuge educational programs, public 
    awareness of the resources of the System and public participation 
    in the conservation of those resources can be promoted.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
        (1) to encourage the use of volunteers to assist the United 
    States Fish and Wildlife Service in the management of refuges 
    within the System;
        (2) to facilitate partnerships between the System and non-
    Federal entities to promote public awareness of the resources of 
    the System and public participation in the conservation of those 
    resources; and
        (3) to encourage donations and other contributions by persons 
    and organizations to the System.

SEC. 3. GIFTS TO PARTICULAR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES.

    Section 7(b)(2) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 
742f(b)(2)) is amended--
        (1) by striking ``(2) Any'' and inserting the following:
        ``(2) Use of gifts, devises, and bequests.--
            ``(A) In general.--Any''; and
        (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(B) Gifts, devises, and bequests to particular refuges.--
                ``(i) Disbursal.--Any gift, devise, or bequest made for 
            the benefit of a particular national wildlife refuge or 
            complex of geographically related refuges shall be 
            disbursed only for the benefit of that refuge or complex of 
            refuges and without further appropriations.
                ``(ii) Matching.--Subject to the availability of 
            appropriations and the requirements of the National 
            Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd 
            et seq.) and other applicable law, the Secretary may 
            provide funds to match gifts, devises, and bequests made 
            for the benefit of a particular national wildlife refuge or 
            complex of geographically related refuges. With respect to 
            each gift, devise, or bequest, the amount of Federal funds 
            may not exceed the amount (or, in the case of property or 
            in-kind services, the fair market value) of the gift, 
            devise, or bequest.''.

SEC. 4. VOLUNTEER ENHANCEMENT.

    (a) Pilot Projects.--
        (1) In general.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, 
    the Secretary of the Interior shall carry out a pilot project at 2 
    or more national wildlife refuges or complexes of geographically 
    related refuges in each United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
    region, but not more than 20 pilot projects nationwide.
        (2) Volunteer coordinator.--Each pilot project shall provide 
    for the employment of a full-time volunteer coordinator for the 
    refuge or complex of geographically related refuges. The volunteer 
    coordinator shall be responsible for recruiting, training, and 
    supervising volunteers. The volunteer coordinator may be 
    responsible for assisting partner organizations in developing 
    projects and programs under cooperative agreements under section 
    7(d) of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as added by section 5) 
    and coordinating volunteer activities with partner organizations to 
    carry out the projects and programs.
        (3) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
    of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit a report to 
    the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
    Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate evaluating 
    and making recommendations regarding the pilot projects.
        (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
    appropriated to carry out this subsection $2,000,000 for each of 
    fiscal years 1999 through 2002.
    (b) Awards and Recognition for Volunteers.--Section 7(c)(2) of the 
Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)(2)) is amended--
        (1) by inserting ``awards (including nominal cash awards) and 
    recognition,'' after ``lodging,''; and
        (2) by inserting ``without regard to their places of 
    residence'' after ``volunteers''.
    (c) Senior Volunteer Corps.--Section 7(c) of the Fish and Wildlife 
Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (6) 
and inserting the following:
        ``(6) Senior volunteer corps.--The Secretary of the Interior 
    may establish a Senior Volunteer Corps, consisting of volunteers 
    over the age of 50. To assist in the recruitment and retention of 
    the volunteers, the Secretary may provide for additional incidental 
    expenses to members of the Corps beyond the incidental expenses 
    otherwise provided to volunteers under this subsection. The members 
    of the Corps shall be subject to the other provisions of this 
    subsection.''.

SEC. 5. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT.

    Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Community Partnership Enhancement.--
        ``(1) Definition of partner organization.--In this subsection, 
    the term `partner organization' means an organization that--
            ``(A) draws its membership from private individuals, 
        organizations, corporations, academic institutions, or State or 
        local governments;
            ``(B) is established to promote the understanding of, 
        education relating to, and the conservation of the fish, 
        wildlife, plants, and cultural and historical resources of a 
        particular refuge or complex of geographically related refuges; 
        and
            ``(C) is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under section 
        501(a) of that Code.
        ``(2) Cooperative agreements.--
            ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior may enter 
        into a cooperative agreement (within the meaning of chapter 63 
        of title 31, United States Code) with any partner organization, 
        academic institution, or State or local government agency to 
        carry out 1 or more projects or programs for a refuge or 
        complex of geographically related refuges in accordance with 
        this subsection.
            ``(B) Projects and programs.--Subject to the requirements 
        of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 
        1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) and other applicable law, and 
        such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be 
        appropriate, the Secretary may approve projects and programs 
        for a refuge or complex of geographically related refuges 
        that--
                ``(i) promote the stewardship of resources of the 
            refuge through habitat maintenance, restoration, and 
            improvement, biological monitoring, or research;
                ``(ii) support the operation and maintenance of the 
            refuge through constructing, operating, maintaining, or 
            improving the facilities and services of the refuge;
                ``(iii) increase awareness and understanding of the 
            refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System through the 
            development, publication, or distribution of educational 
            materials and products;
                ``(iv) advance education concerning the purposes of the 
            refuge and the mission of the System through the use of the 
            refuge as an outdoor classroom and development of other 
            educational programs; or
                ``(v) contribute financial resources to the refuge, 
            under terms that require that the net revenues be used 
            exclusively for the benefit of the refuge, through donation 
            of net revenues from the sale of educational materials and 
            products and through encouragement of gifts, devises, and 
            bequests.
            ``(C) Federal funding and ownership.--
                ``(i) Matching.--Subject to the availability of 
            appropriations and the requirements of the National 
            Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd 
            et seq.) and other applicable law, the Secretary may 
            provide funds to match non-Federal funds donated under a 
            cooperative agreement under this paragraph. With respect to 
            each project or program, the amount of funds provided by 
            the Secretary may not exceed the amount of the non-Federal 
            funds donated through the project or program.
                ``(ii) Use of federal funds.--Any Federal funds used to 
            fund a project or program under a cooperative agreement may 
            be used only for expenses directly related to the project 
            or program and may not be used for operation or 
            administration of any non-Federal entity.
                ``(iii) Ownership of facilities.--Any new facility, 
            improvement to an existing facility, or other permanent 
            improvement to a refuge constructed under this subsection 
            shall be the property of the United States Government.
            ``(D) Treasury account.--Amounts received by the Secretary 
        of the Interior as a result of projects and programs under 
        subparagraph (B) shall be deposited in a separate account in 
        the Treasury. Amounts in the account that are attributable to 
        activities at a particular refuge or complex of geographically 
        related refuges shall be available to the Secretary of the 
        Interior, without further appropriation, to pay the costs of 
        incidental expenses related to volunteer activities, and to 
        carry out cooperative agreements for the refuge or complex of 
        refuges.''.

SEC. 6. REFUGE EDUCATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) (as 
amended by section 5) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Refuge Education Program Enhancement.--
        ``(1) Guidance.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
    enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
    develop guidance for refuge education programs to further the 
    mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the purposes of 
    individual refuges through--
            ``(A) providing outdoor classroom opportunities for 
        students on national wildlife refuges that combine educational 
        curricula with the personal experiences of students relating to 
        fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitat and to the 
        cultural and historical resources of the refuges;
            ``(B) promoting understanding and conservation of fish, 
        wildlife, and plants and cultural and historical resources of 
        the refuges; and
            ``(C) improving scientific literacy in conjunction with 
        both formal and nonformal education programs.
        ``(2) Refuge programs.--Based on the guidance developed under 
    paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Interior may develop or enhance 
    refuge education programs as appropriate, based on the resources of 
    individual refuges and the opportunities available for such 
    programs in State, local, and private schools. In developing and 
    implementing each program, the Secretary should cooperate with 
    State and local education authorities, and may cooperate with 
    partner organizations in accordance with subsection (d).''.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 7 of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) (as 
amended by section 6) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out subsections 
(b), (c), (d), and (e) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 
2004.''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.