Brownsville Wetlands Policy Act of 1993

Summary: Brownsville Wetlands Policy Act of 1993 - Authorizes the establishment, for using grants by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, of the Brownsville Wetlands Policy Center at the Port of Brownsville, Texas.  Requires that the Center be operated and maintained by the Port of Brownsville, with programs to be administered by the University of Texas at Brownsville, to protect, restore, and maintain the lagoon ecosystems of the western Gulf of Mexico region.  Requires the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, subject to appropriations, to make grants to the Center and authorizes the Director to enter into a long-term lease with the Port for Center use of Port wetlands property.  Requires the University to make in-kind contributions for the Center and the Port to make Port property available for Center use.  Authorizes appropriations.  Prohibits use of funds under this Act to relocate any administrative operations of the Service to the Center from Corpus Christi State University.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Brownsville Wetlands Policy Act of 
1993''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF WETLANDS POLICY CENTER AT THE PORT OF 
              BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS.

    (a) Establishment of Center.--For purposes of utilizing grants made 
by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service there may be established 
in accordance with this Act, on property owned or held in trust by the 
Brownsville Navigation District at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, a 
wetlands policy center which shall be known as the ``Brownsville 
Wetlands Policy Center at the Port of Brownsville, Texas'' (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Center''). The Center shall be operated and 
maintained by the Port of Brownsville with programs to be administered 
by the University of Texas at Brownsville.
    (b) Mission of the Center.--The primary mission of the Center shall 
be to utilize the unique wetlands property at the Port of Brownsville 
and adjacent waters of South Texas to focus on wetland matters for the 
purposes of protecting, restoring, and maintaining the Lagoon 
Ecosystems of the Western Gulf of Mexico Region.
    (c) Board of Directors.--The Center shall be governed by a Board of 
Directors to oversee the management and financial affairs of the 
Center. The Board of Directors shall be cochaired by the Port of 
Brownsville, the University of Texas at Brownsville, and the designee 
of the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, and shall include as 
members other representatives considered appropriate by those cochairs.
    (d) Oversight of the Center.--
            (1) Annual report.--The Board of Directors of the Center 
        shall prepare an annual report and submit it through the 
        Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to the 
        Congress.
            (2) Contents.--Annual reports under this subsection shall 
        cover the programs, projects, activities, and accomplishments 
        of the Center. The reports shall include a review of the budget 
        of the Center, including all sources of funding received to 
        carry out Center operations.
            (3) Availability of information.--The Board of Directors of 
        the Center shall make available all pertinent information and 
        records to allow preparation of annual reports under this 
        subsection.
            (4) General accounting office.--The Comptroller General of 
        the United States shall periodically submit to the Congress 
        reports on the operations of the Center.

SEC. 3. GRANTS.

    The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall, 
subject to the availability of appropriations, make grants to the 
Center for use for carrying out activities of the Center.

SEC. 4. LEASE.

    The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
subject to the availability of appropriations, may enter into a long-
term lease with the Port of Brownsville for use by the Center of 
wetlands property owned by the Port of Brownsville. Terms of the lease 
shall be negotiated, and the lease shall be signed by both parties, 
prior to the disposal of any Federal funds pursuant to this Act. The 
lease shall include a provision authorizing the Director to terminate 
the lease at any time.

SEC. 5. OTHER REQUIREMENT.

    As conditions of receiving assistance under this Act--
            (1) the University of Texas at Brownsville shall make 
        available to the Center for fiscal years 1994, 1995, 1996, and 
        1997--
                    (A) administrative office space;
                    (B) classroom space; and
                    (C) other in-kind contributions for the Center, 
                including overhead and personnel; and
            (2) the Port of Brownsville shall make available up to 
        7,000 acres of Port Property for the programs, projects, and 
        activities of the Center.
The Board of Directors of the Center shall include in their annual 
report under section 2(d) a statement of whether these conditions have 
been met.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service $5,000,000 for fiscal year 
1994, $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1996; 
and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1997, for making 
grants to the Center under section 3, including for use for the 
establishment, operation, maintenance, and management of the Center.

SEC. 7. RELATIONSHIP OF CENTER WITH THE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL 
              STUDIES AND SERVICES, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS.

    None of the funds appropriated pursuant to this Act may be used to 
relocate any of the administrative operations of the United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service from the Center for Environmental Studies and 
Services Building on the campus of Corpus Christi State University, to 
the Brownsville Wetlands Policy Center at the Port of Brownsville, 
Texas, established pursuant to this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 21, 1993.

            Attest:

                                           DONNALD K. ANDERSON,

                                                                 Clerk.