To establish a National Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force, and for other purposes.

Summary: Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force Establishment Act of 2003 - Establishes the National Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force to: (1) coordinate activities to implement the National Plan (published jointly by the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, and entitled "Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting Disease in Wild and Captive Cervids," dated June 26, 2002) in cooperation with State, regional, local, tribal, college, and university and non-governmental partners; (2) plan and host an annual national public conference to review progress made in implementing the Plan; and (3) develop an annual cross-cutting budget to specify sufficient levels of appropriations necessary to implement it.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force 
Establishment Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Chronic Wasting Disease, the fatal neurological disease 
        found in cervids, is a fundamental threat to the health and 
        vibrancy of deer and elk populations, and the increased 
        occurrence of chronic wasting disease in regionally diverse 
        locations in recent years necessitates an escalation in 
        research, surveillance, monitoring, and public education 
        efforts to contain and manage this lethal disease.
            (2) The heads of relevant Federal agencies should provide 
        consistent, coherent, and integrated support structures and 
        programs for the benefit of State wildlife and agricultural 
        administrators, as Chronic Wasting Disease can move freely 
        between wild cervids across the broad array of Federal, State, 
        tribal, and local land management jurisdictions.
            (3) The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, and the heads of other affected Federal agencies 
        need to better coordinate the activities of their agencies 
        related to control of Chronic Wasting Disease in wild cervid 
        populations.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are the following:
            (1) To establish a National Chronic Wasting Disease Task 
        Force to coordinate Federal, State, and tribal activities to 
        address the environmental and economic impacts caused by 
        Chronic Wasting Disease on captive and wild populations of deer 
        and elk.
            (2) To implement the plan published jointly by the 
        Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture 
        entitled ``Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and 
        Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting Disease in Wild and Captive 
        Cervids'', dated June 26, 2002.
            (3) To enhance Federal, State, and tribal research 
        concerning Chronic Wasting Disease, and to promote the 
        development of new diagnostic, surveillance, monitoring, and 
        screening methods and technologies.
            (4) To increase public awareness concerning Chronic Wasting 
        Disease among the sport hunting community and the public at 
        large through the implementation of a national communications 
        strategy.
    (c) Establishment of Task Force.--The Fish and Wildlife 
Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``SEC. 10. NATIONAL CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TASK FORCE.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established the National Chronic 
Wasting Disease Task Force (in this section referred to as the `Task 
Force').
    ``(b) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
            ``(1) coordinate activities to implement the National Plan 
        in cooperation with State, regional, local, tribal, college, 
        and university and non-governmental partners;
            ``(2) plan and host an annual national public conference to 
        review progress made in implementing the National Plan; and
            ``(3) develop an annual cross-cutting budget to specify 
        sufficient levels of appropriations necessary to implement the 
        National Plan.
    ``(c) Membership.--
            ``(1) In general.--The membership of the Task Force shall 
        be as follows:
                    ``(A) The Secretary of the Interior or a designee 
                of the Secretary.
                    ``(B) The Secretary of Agriculture or a designee of 
                the Secretary.
                    ``(C) Up to 15 individuals appointed jointly by the 
                Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
                Agriculture from representatives of State agencies, 
commissions, and boards, regional agencies, tribes, colleges and 
universities, and non-governmental organizations.
                    ``(D) The chairman and ranking minority members of 
                each of the Committee on Resources and the Committee on 
                Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 
                Committee on Environment and Public Works and the 
                Committee on Agriculture of the United States Senate.
            ``(2) Requirements and restrictions.--The members of the 
        Task Force appointed by the co-chairs under paragraph (1)(C)--
                    ``(A) shall not be officers or employees of the 
                Federal Government;
                    ``(B) shall be representative of the geographic 
                distribution of the disease; and
                    ``(C) shall have outstanding knowledge or expertise 
                of wildlife biology and ecology, veterinary sciences 
                and animal husbandry, wildlife management, diagnostic 
                and testing technology development, communications and 
                media development, or wildlife dependent recreation.
            ``(3) Deadline.--The Secretaries shall complete appointment 
        of members under paragraph (1)(C) by note later than 90 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this section.
            ``(4) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the members appointed 
        under paragraph (1)(C)--
                    ``(A) shall not affect the power or duty of the 
                Task Force; and
                    ``(B) shall be expeditiously filled in the same 
                manner as the original appointment was made.
    ``(d) Co-Chairs.--The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
of Agriculture (or their designees under paragraph (1) (A) and (B)), 
shall be co-chairs of the Task Force.
    ``(e) Compensation.--The members of the Task Force shall receive no 
compensation for their service on the Task Force.
    ``(f) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Task Force shall be 
allowed necessary travel expenses in accordance with section 5702 of 
title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of services for the Task Force.
    ``(g) Administrative Support.--Upon the request of the Task Force--
            ``(1) the co-chairs of the Task Force, acting through their 
        designees, may provide to the Task Force such administrative 
        and technical support as is necessary for the Task Force to 
        carry out its duties under this section, including services 
        relating to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, 
        personnel, and procurement: and
            ``(2) the head of any other appropriate Federal agency may 
        provide to the Task Force such advice and assistance, with or 
        without reimbursement, as is appropriate to assist the Task 
        Force in carrying out its duties.
    ``(h) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the completion 
of appointment of the members of the Task Force, and annually 
thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to the Congress a report--
            ``(1) describing the activities and achievements of the 
        Task Force;
            ``(2) setting forth an annual plan and forecast for 
        activities of the Task Force scheduled for the following year;
            ``(3) a summary of new developments; and
            ``(4) a cross-cutting budget to support the activities of 
        the Task Force.
    ``(i) National Plan Defined.--In this section the term `National 
Plan' means the plan published jointly by the Department of the 
Interior and the Department of Agriculture entitled `Plan for Assisting 
States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting 
Disease in Wild and Captive Cervids', dated June 26, 2002.''.