To require the Secretary of the Interior to refine the Department of the Interior program for providing assistance for the conservation of neotropical migratory birds.

Summary: Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Improvement Act of 2006 - Amends the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) to allow financial assistance for projects that will enhance conservation of birds in specified countries, including Canada.

Defines "Caribbean" to include Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Increases the federal share of costs for projects funded under that Act. Prescribes the form of payment for such projects undertaken in the United States and Canada versus Latin America and the Caribbean.

Encourages the Secretary of the Interior to convene an advisory group to assist in carrying out NMBCA.

Establishes the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.

Increases the amount of funds that the Secretary may expend to administer the NMBCA.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to the Fund amounts that were in the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Account immediately before the enactment of this Act.

Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2010.

Requires at least 75% of such appropriations to be used for projects outside the United States.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Neotropical Migratory Bird 
Conservation Improvement Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION ACT.

    (a) Findings.--Section 2(1) of the Neotropical Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6101(1)) is amended by inserting ``but 
breed in Canada and the United States'' after ``the Caribbean''.
    (b) Purposes.--Section 3(2) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 6102(2)) is 
amended by inserting ``Canada,'' after ``United States,''.
    (c) Definition of Caribbean.--Section 4 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 
6103) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
        (3) and (5), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) Caribbean.--The term `Caribbean' includes Puerto Rico 
        and the United States Virgin Islands.''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (3), as so redesignated, 
        the following:
            ``(4) Fund.--The term `Fund' means the Neotropical 
        Migratory Bird Conservation Fund established by section 
        9(a).''.
    (d) Authorization of Projects to Enhance Conservation in Canada.--
Section 5(c)(2) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 6104(c)(2)) is amended by 
inserting ``Canada,'' after ``the United States,''.
    (e) Cost Sharing.--Section 5(e) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 6104(e)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``25 percent'' and 
        inserting ``50 percent''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 
        as follows:
                    ``(B) Form of payment.--
                            ``(i) Projects in the united states and 
                        canada.--The non-Federal share required to be 
                        paid for a project carried out in the United 
                        States or Canada shall be paid in cash.
                            ``(ii) Projects in latin america and the 
                        caribbean.--The non-Federal share required to 
                        be paid for a project carried out in Latin 
                        America or the Caribbean may be paid in cash or 
                        in kind.''.
    (f) Advisory Group.--
            (1) Composition.--Section 7(b)(1) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 
        6106(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
        ``The advisory group as a whole shall have expertise in the 
        methods and procedures set forth in section 4(2) in each 
        country and region of the Western Hemisphere''.
            (2) Encouragement to convene.--The Secretary of the 
        Interior is encouraged to convene an advisory group under 
        section 7(b)(1) of such Act by not later than 6 months after 
        the effective date of this Act. This paragraph shall not be 
        considered to authorize delay of the schedule previously 
        established by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for 
        the submission, judging, and awarding of grants.
    (g) Report.--Section 8 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 6107) is amended by 
striking ``October 1, 2002,'' and inserting ``2 years after the date of 
the enactment of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation 
Improvement Act of 2006''.
    (h) Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.--
            (1) In general.--Section 9 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 6108) is 
        amended by striking so much as precedes subsection (c) and 
        inserting the following:

``SEC. 9. NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION FUND.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury a 
separate account, which shall be known as the `Neotropical Migratory 
Bird Conservation Fund'. The Fund shall consist of amounts deposited 
into the Fund by the Secretary of the Treasury under subsection (b).
    ``(b) Deposits Into the Fund.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
deposit into the Fund--
            ``(1) all amounts received by the Secretary in the form of 
        donations under subsection (d); and
            ``(2) other amounts appropriated to the Fund.''.
            (2) Administrative expenses.--Section 9(c)(2) of such Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 6108(c)(2)) is amended by striking ``$80,000'' and 
        inserting ``$150,000''.
            (3) Conforming amendments.--Such Act is amended further as 
        follows:
                    (A) In section 4 (16 U.S.C. 6103), by striking 
                paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) Fund.--The term `Fund' means the Neotropical 
        Migratory Bird Conservation Fund established by section 
        9(a).''.
                    (B) In section 9(d) (16 U.S.C. 6108(d)), by 
                striking ``Account'' and inserting ``Fund''.
            (4) Transfer.--The Secretary of the Treasury may transfer 
        to the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund amounts 
        that were in the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation 
        Account immediately before the enactment of this Act.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 10 of such Act (16 
U.S.C. 6109) is amended to read as follows:
            (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before the first 
        sentence;
            (2) by striking ``$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 
        through 2005'' and inserting ``for each of fiscal years 2006 
        through 2010 the amount specified for that fiscal year in 
        subsection (b)''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Authorized Amount.--The amount referred to in subsection (a) 
is--
            ``(1) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 and 2007;
            ``(2) $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2008;
            ``(3) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
            ``(4) $6,500,000 for fiscal year 2010.
    ``(c) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under this section may 
remain available until expended.
    ``(d) Allocation.--Of amounts appropriated under this section for 
each fiscal year, not less than 75 percent shall be expended for 
projects carried out outside the United States.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 16, 2006.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.