A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make grants to State and tribal governments to assist State and tribal efforts to manage and control the spread of chronic wasting disease in deer and elk herds, and for other purposes.

Summary: Chronic Wasting Disease Financial Assistance Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to chronic wasting disease in wild cervids (deer and elk), to make grants to State and tribal wildlife management agencies to develop and implement long term management strategies to address and respond to outbreaks of such disease.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Chronic Wasting Disease Financial 
Assistance Act of 2003''.

 SEC. 2. DEFINITION AND FINDINGS.

    (a) Chronic Wasting Disease Defined.--In this Act, the term 
``chronic wasting disease'' means the animal disease afflicting deer 
and elk that--
            (1) is a transmissible disease of the nervous system 
        resulting in distinctive lesions in the brain; and
            (2) belongs to the group of diseases known as transmissible 
        spongiform encephalopathies, which group includes scrapie, 
        bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob 
        disease.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The States retain undisputed primacy and policy-making 
        authority with regard to wildlife management, and nothing in 
        this Act interferes with or otherwise affects the primacy of 
        the States in managing wildlife generally, or managing, 
        surveying, and monitoring the incidence of chronic wasting 
        disease in animal populations.
            (2) Chronic wasting disease is a fundamental threat to the 
        health and vibrancy of deer and elk populations, and the 
        increased occurrence of chronic wasting disease in the United 
        States necessitates government action to manage and eradicate 
        this lethal disease.
            (3) As the States and tribal government move to manage 
        existing incidence of chronic wasting disease and insulate non-
        infected wild cervid populations from the disease, it is 
        appropriate for the Federal Government to support their efforts 
        with financial assistance.

SEC. 3. STATE CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE MANAGEMENT CAPACITY BUILDING 
              GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary of the Interior shall make 
grants to State wildlife management agencies to assist States in 
developing and implementing long term management strategies to address 
chronic wasting disease in wild cervids.
    (b) Eligibility.--A wildlife management agency of a State whose 
comprehensive wildlife conservation plan include chronic wasting 
disease management activities is eligible for a grant under this 
section.
    (c) Funding Priorities.--In determining the amount of grant funds 
to be provided to eligible applicants under this section, the Secretary 
shall prioritize applicants based on the following criteria:
            (1) States in which chronic wasting disease has been 
        detected and States located adjacent or in proximity to States 
        in which chronic wasting disease has been detected.
            (2) States that have expended State funds for chronic 
        wasting disease management, monitoring, surveillance, and 
        research, with additional priority given to those States that 
        have shown the greatest financial commitment to managing, 
        monitoring, surveying, and researching chronic wasting disease.
            (3) States with comprehensive and integrated policies and 
        programs focused on chronic wasting disease management between 
        involved State wildlife and agricultural agencies and tribal 
        governments, with additional priority given to States that have 
        integrated the programs and policies of all involved agencies 
        related to chronic wasting disease management.
            (4) States that are seeking to develop a rapid response 
        capacity to address outbreaks of chronic wasting disease, 
        whether occurring in States in which chronic wasting disease is 
        already found or States with first infections, for the purpose 
        of containing the disease in any new area of infection.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $7,500,000 to carry out this section.

 SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR STATES WITH CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE OUTBREAKS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary of the Interior shall make 
grants to State wildlife management agencies to assist States in 
responding to chronic wasting disease outbreaks in wild cervids.
    (b) Eligibility.--A wildlife management agency of a State whose 
comprehensive wildlife conservation plan include chronic wasting 
disease management activities is eligible for a grant under this 
section.
    (c) Funding Priorities.--In determining the amount of grant funds 
to be provided to eligible applicants under this section, the Secretary 
shall prioritize applicants based on the following criteria:
            (1) State expenditures on chronic wasting disease 
        management, monitoring, surveillance, and research in response 
        to management of an on-going outbreak.
            (2) The number of chronic wasting disease cases detected in 
        the State.
            (3) The wild cervid population of the State.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out this section.

SEC. 5. TRIBAL CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE MANAGEMENT GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary of the Interior shall make 
grants to tribal wildlife management agencies to assist Indian tribes 
in developing and implementing long term management strategies to 
address chronic wasting disease in wild cervids.
    (b) Eligibility.--A wildlife management agency of an Indian tribe 
whose comprehensive wildlife conservation plan include chronic wasting 
disease management activities is eligible for a grant under this 
section.
    (c) Funding Priorities.--In determining the amount of grant funds 
to be provided to eligible applicants under this section, the Secretary 
shall prioritize applicants based on the following criteria:
            (1) Tribal governments managing lands on which cervids with 
        chronic wasting disease have been detected, or managing lands 
        located adjacent or in proximity to lands on which cervids with 
        chronic wasting disease have been detected.
            (2) Tribal governments that have expended tribal funds for 
        chronic wasting disease management, monitoring, surveillance, 
        and research, with additional priority given to tribal 
        governments that have shown the greatest financial commitment 
        to managing, monitoring, and surveying chronic wasting disease.
            (3) Tribal governments with cooperative arrangements with 
        Federal and State wildlife and agricultural agencies and State 
        governments, with additional priority given to tribal 
        governments that are working with other involved agencies on 
        issues of chronic wasting disease management.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $3,000,000 to carry out this section.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION.

    The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out this Act acting 
through the Director, United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Funds 
appropriated to carry out this Act shall be administered through the 
Federal Assistance Program in the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service. Not more than three percent of such funds may be expended for 
administrative expenses of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
to carry out this Act.