U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

19–010 

" ! SENATE 

112TH CONGRESS

2d Session 

REPORT

2012

112–140 

Calendar No. 306 

PACIFIC SALMON STRONGHOLD 

CONSERVATION ACT OF 2011 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND 

TRANSPORTATION 

ON

S. 1401 

JANUARY 30, 2012.—Ordered to be printed 


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(II) 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia, Chairman 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii 

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts 

BARBARA BOXER, California 

BILL NELSON, Florida 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey 

MARK PRYOR, Arkansas 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

MARK WARNER, Virginia 

MARK BEGICH, Alaska 

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas 

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine 

JIM DEMINT, South Carolina 

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 

ROY BLUNT, Missouri 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania 

MARCO RUBIO, Florida 

KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire 

DEAN HELLER, Nevada 

ELLEN DONESKI, Staff Director 

JAMES REID, Deputy Staff Director 

TODD BERTOSON, Republican Staff Director 

JARROD THOMPSON, Republican Deputy Staff Director 

REBECCA SEIDEL, Republican General Counsel 


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Calendar No. 306 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 112–140 

PACIFIC SALMON STRONGHOLD CONSERVATION ACT OF 

2011 

JANUARY 30, 2012.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. ROCKEFELLER, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 1401] 

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 

which was referred the bill (S. 1401) to conserve wild Pacific salmon, and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) 

and recommends that the bill (as amended) do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of S. 1401, the Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act of 2011, is to establish a comprehensive, strategic, sciencebased approach to wild salmon conservation. It would create a 

structural framework to support efforts to protect and restore the 

healthiest remaining wild Pacific salmon stocks in North America. 

BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

Wild Pacific salmon are central to the economy, environment, 

and culture of western North America. However, human activities, 

such as damming rivers, fishing, agriculture, and urban growth are 

increasingly threatening wild Pacific salmon habitats and populations. Additionally, salmon populations are extremely sensitive to 

local environmental conditions, which will likely be impacted by climate change. In 2007, a research article in the Proceedings of the 

National Academy of Sciences of the United States, a highly respected scientific periodical published by the National Academy of 

Sciences, concluded that climate change will likely have a large 

negative impact on fresh water salmon habitat, as well as cause a 


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1 Battin, James; Wiley, Matthew W.; Ruckelshaus, Mary H.; Palmer, Richard N.; Korb, Elizabeth; Bartz, Krista K.; and Imaki, Hiroo (2007). Projected impacts of climate change on salmon 

habitat restoration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences vol. 104 no. 16 6720–6725. 

‘‘spatial shift in salmon abundance,’’ with higher-elevation watersheds becoming less suitable habitat due to the transitions from 

snowy to rainy environments.1

To combat these myriad threats, a number of Federal, State, and 

local salmon recovery programs have been established, most of 

which are focused on the important task of recovering threatened 

or endangered stocks. At the Federal level, the Endangered Species 

Act (ESA) and the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) 

play an important role in Pacific salmon conservation and recovery 

efforts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 

(NOAA’s) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is charged 

with implementing the ESA requirements for marine species, including anadromous Pacific salmonids (i.e., chum salmon, pink 

salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, coho salmon, and 

steelhead trout). Based on a petition from an individual, organization, or State agency (or alternatively on its own initiative) NMFS 

conducts a review to determine whether a marine species is threatened or endangered, and thus merits listing under the ESA. NMFS 

has identified over 50 evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) of 

salmon and steelhead trout in the region of California and the Pacific Northwest, of which 28 are listed as threatened or endangered. 

Once a species or ESU is listed under the ESA, NMFS must designate critical habitat and formulate a recovery plan for the species. When a listed species is determined to no longer be threatened or endangered (as the case may be), based on the best scientific and commercial data available, it is eligible to be delisted. 

NMFS is also responsible for administering the PCSRF, which 

was established by Congress in 2000 after the Governors of Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska collectively requested a 

mechanism to address the additions of West Coast salmon and 

steelhead trout to the ESA list of threatened species. Aiming to 

protect, restore, and conserve these populations and their habitats, 

the PCSRF provides funding for thousands of recovery projects conducted by Pacific Northwest States and tribes. Since its inception, 

the PCSRF has enabled the removal of thousands of barriers to 

passage and the reopening of thousands of miles of habitat for Pacific salmon. 

While the ESA and PCSRF are critically important in protecting 

Pacific salmon species, they are largely focused on recovery of already depleted populations rather than supporting healthy salmon 

populations. Additionally, the Federal, State and local agencies, 

non-profits, and private entities that focus on Pacific salmon and 

steelhead conservation make for a complex web of interrelated, and 

in some cases overlapping or conflicting, jurisdictions. For example, 

NMFS has responsibility for anadromous Pacific salmonids, while 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has jurisdiction over 

non-anadromous (or resident) forms of sockeye salmon and 

steelhead. This type of divisional authority can result in a lack of 

a centralized strategy which can greatly hinder conservation efforts. 

Fisheries scientists and natural resource managers are generally 

in agreement that comprehensive, strategic conservation of the 


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2 See S. 817, The Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act: Hearing before the Subcomm. 

on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard of the S. Comm. on Commerce, Science, & 

Transportation, 111th Cong. at 11 (2010) (statement of Mr. Guido Rahr, President and Chief 

Executive, Wild Salmon Ctr.) (stating ‘‘There is broad agreement among scientific colleagues in 

and outside of government that the identification and protection of a portfolio of salmon strongholds represents a critical plank in any broader salmon conservation and management strategy.’’); and see id. at 20 (statement of Sara LaBorde, Special Assistant to the Dir., Wash. Dep’t 

of Fish & Wildlife) (stating that ‘‘many . . . are enthusiastic about increasing our attention on 

the Nation’s healthiest wild salmon populations. We all know that prevention will save money, 

avoiding costly restoration.’’). 

healthiest aquatic habitats, or ‘‘strongholds,’’ for a given fish species is an efficient and highly cost-effective method for the conservation of fish populations and the preservation of the important 

role they play in ecosystems and our economy.2 This is based on 

the fundamental concept that targeted conservation of a distributed 

network of a depleted species, capturing key centers of productivity, abundance, and diversity, provides the foundation for a 

range-wide strategy to ensure the viability of that species into the 

future. 

Some efforts at this form of preventive management have already 

begun at the State and local levels. A prime example is the North 

American Salmon Stronghold Partnership (Stronghold Partnership). Chartered in December 2007, the Stronghold Partnership 

was formed for the purpose of identifying and protecting a network 

of the healthiest remaining wild Pacific salmon ecosystems in 

North America, in order to ensure the long-term survival of salmon, steelhead trout, and the many species that depend on them and 

the watersheds they inhabit. It is a voluntary partnership that 

serves to coordinate public and private resources and the activities 

of local communities, State and Federal agencies, tribes, nonprofit 

organizations, and private interests which seek to work collaboratively on salmon conservation and restoration activities across 

Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. 

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS

S. 1401 would establish the Salmon Stronghold Partnership as a 

cooperative, incentive-based, public-private partnership to identify 

and conserve salmon strongholds. The Partnership’s board would 

include representatives of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and 

Washington States, as well as representatives from specified entities. The Act would authorize a salmon stronghold watershed 

grants and technical assistance program to support protection and 

restoration activities. It would also require the Assistant Administrator of NMFS to carry out specific information and assessment 

functions associated with salmon strongholds, and would authorize 

the sharing of status and trends data, innovative conservation 

strategies, conservation planning methodologies, and other information with other North Pacific countries, including Canada, 

Japan, Russia, and South Korea as well as appropriate international entities, to promote Pacific salmon conservation. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 1401 was introduced by Senator Cantwell on July 21, 2011, 

and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Senators Begich, Boxer, Feinstein, Merkley, Murkowski, 

Murray, and Wyden are original cosponsors of the legislation. On 


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November 2, 2011, the Committee met in open Executive Session 

and, by voice vote, ordered S. 1401 reported with an amendment 

in the nature of a substitute. 

ESTIMATED COSTS

In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the Congressional Budget 

Act of 1974, the Committee provides the following cost estimate, 

prepared by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 1401—Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act of 2011 

Summary: S. 1401 would authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to carry out certain activities related to the conservation of certain salmon habitats. Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $118 million over the 2012–2016 

period. 

Enacting the legislation could increase offsetting receipts (from 

private donations) and associated direct spending; therefore, payas-you-go procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that the net 

effects would be negligible for each year. Enacting the bill would 

not affect revenues. 

S. 1401 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of S. 1401 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources 

and environment). 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2012– 

2016 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Estimated Authorization Level ...................................................... 30 31 32 32 33 158 

Estimated Outlays ........................................................................ 6 22 27 31 32 118 

Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted early in 2012 and that the necessary 

amounts will be appropriated for each fiscal year. Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for similar NOAA 

activities. 

S. 1401 would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a 

partnership between public and private entities to identify and protect certain salmon habitats. The bill would authorize NOAA to 

provide grants to support the activities of the partnership. The bill 

also would authorize NOAA to collect and disseminate information 

related to salmon habitats. Based on information provided by 

NOAA about the cost of performing similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $118 million 

over the 2012–2016 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. 

Pay-As-You-Go Considerations: The statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act 

of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures 

for legislation affecting direct spending and revenues. Enacting S. 

1401 could increase offsetting receipts and associated direct spendVerDate Mar 15 2010 20:08 Jan 31, 2012 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR140.XXX SR140

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ing; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that the net effects would be negligible for each year. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 1401 contains no 

intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA 

and would impose no cost on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Jeff LaFave; Impact on 

state, local, and tribal governments: Ryan Miller; Impact on the 

private sector: Amy Petz. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the legislation, as reported: 

NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED

S. 1401 would establish a comprehensive, strategic, science-based 

approach to wild salmon stronghold conservation. It would create 

a structural framework to support efforts to protect and restore the 

healthiest remaining wild Pacific salmon stocks in North America. 

It does not authorize any new regulations, and therefore would not 

subject any individuals or businesses to new regulations. 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The provisions of this bill are not expected to have any negative 

impact on individuals, consumers, or businesses. 

PRIVACY

The reported bill would not have any adverse impact on the personal privacy of individuals. 

PAPERWORK

S. 1401 is not expected to create any additional paperwork requirements. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no provisions 

contained in the bill, as reported, meet the definition of congressionally directed spending items under the rule. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

This section would provide that this Act may be cited as the Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act of 2011. 

Section 2. Purposes 

This section would state that the purposes of this Act are to: (1) 

expand Federal support and resources for the protection and restoration of the healthiest remaining salmon strongholds in North 

America to sustain core centers of salmon abundance, productivity, 


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and diversity in order to ensure the long-term viability of salmon 

populations in the States of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and 

Washington by focusing resources on cooperative, incentive-based 

efforts and increasing available resources for public and private organizations working cooperatively to conserve regional core centers 

of salmon abundance and diversity; (2) maintain billions of dollars 

in economic activity and tens of thousands of jobs from salmon related activities that rely on healthy salmon populations and salmon 

stronghold habitats; (3) maintain and enhance economic benefits 

related to fishing or associated with healthy salmon stronghold 

habitats, including flood protection, recreation, water quantity and 

quality, carbon sequestration, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and other ecosystem services; and (4) complement and add 

to existing Federal, State, and local salmon recovery efforts by 

using sound science to identify and sustain core centers of salmon 

abundance, productivity, and diversity in the healthiest remaining 

salmon ecosystems throughout their range. 

Section 3. Definitions 

This section would define: (1) ‘‘Administrator’’ as the Assistant 

Administrator for NMFS of NOAA; (2) ‘‘Board’’ as the Salmon 

Stronghold Partnership Board; (3) ‘‘charter’’ as the charter of the 

Salmon Stronghold Partnership Board; (4) ‘‘Director’’ as the Director of USFWS; (5) ‘‘ecosystem services’’ as the ecological benefits 

generated from a healthy, functioning ecosystem, including clean 

water, pollutant filtration, regulation of river flow, prevention of 

soil erosion, regulation of climate, and fish production; (6) ‘‘program’’ as the salmon stronghold watershed grants and technical assistance program; (7) ‘‘salmon’’ as any of the wild anadromous 

Oncorhynchus species that occur in the Western United States, including chum salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead trout; (8) ‘‘salmon stronghold’’ as 

status conferred to a defined geographical unit which meets biological criteria for abundance, productivity, diversity (genetic and life 

history), habitat quality, or other biological attributes important to 

sustaining viable populations of salmon throughout their range, as 

defined by the Board; (9) ‘‘Salmon Stronghold Partnership’’ as the 

Salmon Stronghold Partnership established under section 4; and 

(10) ‘‘Secretary’’ as the Secretary of Commerce. 

Section 4. Salmon Stronghold Partnership 

This section would direct the Secretary to establish a cooperative, 

incentive-based, public-private Salmon Stronghold Partnership 

(Partnership) between stakeholders for the purpose of identifying 

and conserving salmon strongholds. This section instructs the Secretary to establish a Board of the Salmon Stronghold Partnership, 

which would consist of one representative from each of the following: (1) NMFS; (2) USFWS; (3) the U.S. Forest Service; (4) the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); (5) the Bonneville Power 

Administration; (6) the Bureau of Land Management; (7) the 

Northwest Power and Conservation Council; (8) the office of the 

Governor or an appropriate natural resource agency from each of 

the States of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington; 

(9) three non-governmental organizations with salmon conservation 

expertise selected by the Board; and (10) an association of counties 


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selected by the Board. Additionally, the Board would include 3-5 

representatives from Indian tribes or tribal commissions located 

within the range of a salmon species. 

This section would require that the Board meet at least three 

times a year with timely notice to guarantee adequate input from 

a broader set of stakeholders and fisheries experts. It would require the Board to nominate and select a Chairperson from among 

the members of the Board and establish a standing science committee. In addition, this section would require for the Board to develop a written charter to reflect the purposes, intent, and governance framework of the Partnership. 

Section 5. Information and assessment 

This section would require the Assistant Administrator of NMFS 

to carry out specific information and assessment functions associated with salmon strongholds, including: (1) triennial stronghold 

assessments; (2) geographic information system and mapping support; (3) projections of climate change impacts on habitats and life 

history stages of salmon; (4) development and application of models 

and other tools to identify salmon conservation actions projected to 

have the greatest positive impacts on salmon abundance, productivity, or diversity within salmon strongholds; and (5) measurement 

of the effectiveness of Partnership activities. 

Section 6. Salmon Stronghold Watershed Grants and Technical Assistant Program 

This section would require the Assistant Administrator of NMFS 

to establish a salmon stronghold watershed grants and technical 

assistance program to support protection and restoration activities. 

Activities that would be supported by the program include: (1) 

funding the administration of the Partnership in carrying out its 

charter; (2) encouraging cooperation among the entities represented 

on the Board, local authorities, and private entities to establish a 

network of salmon strongholds, and assist locally in specific actions 

that support the Partnership; (3) supporting entities represented 

on the Board in their efforts to develop and fund salmon stronghold 

initiatives; (4) maintaining a forum to share best practices and approaches, employ consistent and comparable metrics, forecast and 

address climate impacts, and monitor, evaluate, and report regional status and trends of salmon ecosystems in coordination with 

related regional and State efforts; (5) carrying out activities and existing conservation programs in, and across, salmon strongholds on 

a regional scale to achieve the goals of the Partnership; (6) accelerating the implementation of recovery plans in salmon strongholds 

that have salmon populations listed as threatened or endangered 

under the ESA; and (7) developing and disseminating information 

pertaining to the Partnership. 

This section details the selection process for projects that would 

be eligible to receive assistance under the program. A State with 

an efficient, cost-effective, and competitive grant program for salmon conservation and a viable plan to provide accountability under 

the program would be provided program funds by the National 

Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for the selection and administration of intrastate projects. If, however, NFWF and the Board 

determine the State lacks such a competitive grant program, then 


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NFWF, in consultation with the Board, would select and administer projects to be carried out within the State. An interstate 

project or programmatic initiative would receive funding from and 

be administered by NFWF, in consultation with the Board. All 

projects would be selected in accordance with criteria developed by 

the Board, which would require that a project which receives assistance under the program: (1) contribute to the conservation of 

salmon; (2) meet the criteria for eligibility in the charter; (3) address a factor limiting or threatening to limit abundance, productivity, diversity, habitat quality, or other biological attributes important to sustaining viable salmon populations within a salmon 

stronghold, or be a programmatic action that supports the Partnership; (4) address limiting factors to healthy ecosystem processes or 

sustainable fisheries management; (5) have the potential for conservation benefits and broadly applicable results; and (6) meet costsharing and expense limitation requirements. The Federal share of 

the cost for a project on non-Federal land would not be allowed to 

exceed 50 percent of the total cost, while the Federal share of up 

to 100 percent would be allowed for projects on Federal land. NonFederal shares of cost would not be allowed to be derived from Federal grant programs, but would be allowed to include in-kind contributions. Any amounts provided by the Bonneville Power Administration directly or through a grant to another entity used to carry 

out a project that receives assistance under the program would be 

required to be credited toward the non-Federal share of the cost of 

the project. Of the amount made available to a State, NFWF, and 

NOAA under the program for each fiscal year, that State, NFWF, 

and NOAA would not be allowed to expend more than five percent 

of the amount for administrative and reporting expenses necessary 

to carry out this section. Each person that receives assistance from 

a State or NFWF would be required to provide periodic reports to 

the State or NFWF, as appropriate, to evaluate the progress and 

success of the project. At least every three years, NFWF and each 

State provided funding for programs and would be required to submit a report of activities to the Assistant Administrator of NMFS 

to evaluate the implementation of the program. 

Section 7. Interagency cooperation 

This section would require that the heads of each Federal agency 

or department with stewardship over land within a salmon stronghold work with the Assistant Administrator of NMFS and the Director of USFWS to coordinate and streamline Partnership and 

other interagency salmon conservation efforts. 

Section 8. International cooperation 

This section would authorize the Assistant Administrator of 

NMFS and the Board to share conservation data, strategies, methodologies, and other relevant information to North Pacific countries, including Canada, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, in addition to appropriate international entities for the promotion of salmon and salmon habitat conservation. This section recommends that 

the Assistant Administrator of NMFS and the Board encourage 

North Pacific countries to establish their own respective salmon 

strongholds. 


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Section 9. Acquisition and transfer of real property interests 

This section would restrict the acquisition of land and the funding of projects to those whose aims and goals are aligned with the 

program. Property acquisition under the program would require 

the written consent of the owners or interests of the property. This 

section would also prohibit property transfers from the program to 

another entity unless: (1) the entity is committed to manage the 

property in accordance with the spirit of the Act; or, (2) the transfer provides for the reversion of the property to the U.S. Government in the event the entity fails to manage the property in accordance with the Act. 

Section 10. Administrative provisions 

This section would allow the Secretary, in concert with the 

Board, to: (1) enter into and to use cooperative agreements, contracts and grants and to make funds available for salmon stronghold protection, restoration, or enhancement activities; (2) apply 

for, accept, and use grants from any person to carry out the purposes of this Act, unless prohibited by any other provision of law; 

and (3) make funds available to any Federal agency or department 

to award financial assistance for any salmon stronghold project 

consistent with the Act. 

This section would allow the Secretary to enter into an agreement with a 501(c)(3) organization and to accept donations of funds 

or services to carry out activities under this Act. Donations would 

be considered gifts or bequests to the United States and would be 

allowed to be used by the Secretary, or in the case of donated property, by the Secretary of the Interior, or be provided to other Federal agencies or departments through interagency agreements. 

Section 11. Limitations 

This section states that the Act does not aim to: (1) create a reserved water right, expressly or implicitly, in the United States for 

any purpose, or affect the management or priority of water rights 

under State law; (2) affect existing water rights under Federal or 

State law; (3) affect any Federal or State law in existence on the 

date of enactment of this Act regarding water quality or water 

quantity; (4) affect the authority, jurisdiction, or responsibility of 

any agency or department of the United States or of a State to 

manage, control, or regulate fish and resident wildlife under a Federal or State law or regulation; (5) authorize the Secretary or the 

Secretary of the Interior to control or regulate hunting or fishing 

under State law; (6) abrogate, abridge, affect, modify, supersede, or 

otherwise alter any right of a federally recognized Indian tribe 

under any applicable Federal or tribal law or regulation; or (7) diminish or affect the ability of the Secretary or the Secretary of the 

Interior to join the adjudication of rights to the use of water. 

Section 12. Reports to Congress 

This section would direct the Assistant Administrator of NFMS, 

in consultation with the Director of USFWS, to submit a report to 

Congress describing the activities conducted under the Act at least 

every three years. The report would include recommendations, if 

any, for legislation relating to the Partnership. 


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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the bill as reported 

would make no change to existing law. 

Æ 


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