69–010 

Calendar No. 323 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 110–212 

ASIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION ACT OF 2007 

OCTOBER 29, 2007.—Ordered to be printed 

Mrs. BOXER, from the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 465] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 

referred a bill (H.R. 465) to reauthorize the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997, having considered the same reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do 

pass. 

GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND

H.R. 465, Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 2007, would reauthorize through 2012 the Asian Elephant Conservation Act. Asian 

elephants are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 

(CITES) which prohibits any international trade of this endangered 

species. Some sub-populations of Asian elephant may be stable or 

recovering, but most remain extremely vulnerable in the wild. 

Fewer than 40,000 Asian elephants remain throughout the forests 

and savannahs of Asia. Unlike African elephants, Asian elephants 

are captured, tamed and utilized for timber harvest, forest clearing 

and agriculture. Approximately 16,000 animals are in captive status. Populations remain under stress from habitat loss, human encroachment and poaching for illegal ivory and bushmeat. A significant gender imbalance complicates recovery efforts. 

H.R. 465 would enable this international wildlife conservation 

program to continue to receive federal appropriations through 

2012. The program provides matching grants to non-federal partners for conservation activities, including scientific research, habiVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:51 Oct 30, 2007 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR212.XXX SR212

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tat enhancement, law enforcement, monitoring and local community outreach and education benefiting Asian elephants and their 

habitat. Future survival in the wild of this keystone species remains tenuous. Despite achievements made under this program, 

the potential exists for current conservation efforts to collapse with 

the cessation of U.S. financial involvement. Since enactment in 

1997, the Act has generated 298 grant proposals; 171 grants totaling $7,853,831 were subsequently approved. Federal funding has 

leveraged an additional $10,362,752 in non-federal matching and 

in-kind conservation contributions. The Fish and Wildlife Service 

has spent a cumulative $458,335 to administer the Act. 

OBJECTIVES OF THE LEGISLATION

H.R. 465 reauthorizes the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 

1997 by amending several provisions under current law and increasing and extending through fiscal year 2011 the authorization 

of appropriations to the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

This section states that the bill may be cited as the ‘‘Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007.’’

Section 2. Reauthorization and amendment of Asian Elephant Conservation Act 

This section amends the African Elephant Conservation Act to 

revise notice requirements for grants approved by the Secretary to 

eliminate unnecessary notices to the countries in where the grant 

activity will be conducted. The section also would increase funding 

available to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to administer the 

program from $80,000 to $100,000 per year. The section also reauthorizes the act through fiscal year 2012 at existing funding levels 

of $5 million per year. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

On July 24, 2007, after favorable action by the House Committee 

on Natural Resources and the House of Representatives, the bill 

was received, read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on 

Environment and Public Works. The committee met on July 31, 

2007, to consider the bill. H.R. 465 was ordered to be reported 

without amendment favorably. 

HEARINGS

No committee hearings were held on H.R. 465. 

ROLLCALL VOTES

The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to consider H.R. 465 on July 31, 2007. The bill was ordered favorably reported by voice vote. No roll call votes were taken. 


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REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that H.R. 465 does not 

create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of individuals. 

MANDATES ASSESSMENT

In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 

(Public Law 104–4), the committee finds that H.R. 465 imposes no 

Federal intergovernmental mandates on State, local or tribal governments. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

Summary: H.R. 465 would authorize funding for projects carried 

out under the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997. Specifically, the act would authorize appropriations through 2012 for such 

projects at the existing authorization level of $5 million per year. 

The current authorization expires after fiscal year 2007. The U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) uses this fund primarily to help 

finance research and conservation programs overseas. For 2007, 

about $1 million was appropriated to the fund for those purposes. 

Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that the USFWS would spend $23 million over the 2008–

2012 period to carry out the program. (An additional $2 million 

would be spent after 2012.) Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

H.R. 465 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would not affect the budgets of State, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 465 is shown in the following table. The cost 

of this legislation falls within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment). For this estimate, CBO assumes that 

the entire amounts authorized by the act would be appropriated for 

each fiscal year. Outlay estimates are based on recent spending 

patterns for this program. 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Authorization Level .............................................................................. 5 5 5 5 5 

Estimated Outlays ............................................................................... 3 5 5 5 5 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 465 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA and would not affect the budgets of State, local, or tribal 

governments. 

Previous CBO estimate: On July 18, 2007, CBO transmitted a 

cost estimate for H.R. 465, the Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on June 28, 2007. The two versions 

of the legislation are identical, as are the CBO cost estimates. 


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Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Deborah Reis and David 

Reynolds; Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Leo 

Lex; Impact on the Private Sector: Justin Hall. 

Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules 

of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill as reported 

are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing 

law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman: 

* * * * * * * 

ASIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION ACT OF 1997 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 5. ASIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE. 

(a) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Within 30 days after receiving a final 

project proposal, the Secretary shall provide a copy of the proposal to the Administrator. The Secretary shall review each 

final project proposal to determine if it meets the criteria set 

forth in subsection (d). 

(2) CONSULTATION; APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL.—Not later 

than 6 months after receiving a final project proposal, and subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary, after consulting 

with the Administrator, shall—

(A) request written comments on the proposal from 

each country within which the project is to be conducted; 

(B) after requesting those comments, approve or disapprove the proposal; and 

(C) provide written notification of that approval or disapproval to the person who submitted the proposalø, the 

Administrator, and each of those countries¿and the Administrator. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the 

Fund $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years ø2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 

2005, 2006, and 2007¿2007 through 2012 to carry out this Act, 

which may remain available until expended. 

(b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of amounts available each fiscal year to carry out this Act, the Secretary may expend not more 

than 3 percent or ø$80,000¿$100,000, whichever is greater, to pay 

the administrative expenses necessary to carry out this Act. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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