69–010 

Calendar No. 1068 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 110–492 

THE GREAT CATS AND RARE CANIDS ACT OF 2008 

SEPTEMBER 24 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008.—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. 1464] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Environment and Public Works, having considered the bill (H.R. 1464) to assist in the conservation of rare 

felids and rare canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation programs of nations within the range 

of rare felid and rare canid populations and projects of persons 

with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of rare felid and 

rare canid populations, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. 

PURPOSES OF THE LEGISLATION

H.R. 1464 would provide financial assistance to conserve certain 

species of threatened and endangered great felids (cats) and rare 

canids (members of the dog family). The bill would establish a 

Great Cats and Rare Canids Fund as an account within the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. 

GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND

Wildlife populations across the globe have been in decline due to 

many stresses. To help address this problem, Congress established 

conservation funds for individual species or groups of species—the 

Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF). 

Under the MSCF, Federal resources provide financial assistance 

to support international conservation efforts to help wildlife. By 

providing resources to keystone wildlife species, other wildlife—and 

their habitat and ecosystems—can also be protected and conserved. 


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Under the bill, seven species of great cats are eligible for assistance. These include the lion, cheetah, leopard, snow leopard, and 

jaguar. Additionally, six species of dogs would also be eligible including the African wild dog, European gray wolf, dhole, maned 

wolf and bush dog. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

This section provides that the bill may be cited as the ‘Great Cat 

and Rare Canids Act of 2008.’ 

Section 2. Purposes 

Section 2 states that the purposes of the bill are to provide financial resources to assist in the restoration and conservation of populations of rare felids and canids in the wild. 

Section 3. Definitions 

This section defines specific terms in the legislation. 

Section 4. Financial assistance 

This section authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide 

financial assistance for projects that conserve rare felids and rare 

canids and specifies eligible project applicants and required information for project applications. It also authorizes the establishment 

of an advisory group to assist the Secretary in carrying out the 

purposes of the Act. 

Section 5. Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund 

This section authorizes the establishment of a Great Cats and 

Rare Canids Fund within the Multinational Species Conservation 

Fund. 

Section 6. Study of conservation status of felid and canid species 

This section requires the Secretary to initiate a study within 3 

months of the date of enactment and report to the Congress on the 

conservation status of wild felid and canid species listed under the 

IUCN Red List that are not eligible under this legislation and include recommendations for additional species to be added to the 

lists of rare felids or rare canids defined in the bill. 

Section 7. Ineligible countries 

This section prohibits any grant under this program from being 

spent in a country the government of which the Secretary of State 

has determined has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism under certain statutes. 

Section 8. Authorization of appropriations 

The legislation would authorize $5 million per year of appropriations for each fiscal year from 2009 to 2013. Such sums as are necessary are authorized to carry out the study authorized in Section 

6 of the bill. 


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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 1464 was introduced on March 9, 2007, by Rep. Tom Udall 

(D–NM). Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by 

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman on March 29, 2007. H.R. 1464 passed 

the House of Representatives on May 20, 2008 and was received in 

the Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works on May 21, 2008. The Committee met 

on September 17, 2008. In Committee, Senator Boxer offered a substitute amendment clarifying that no financial assistance may be 

spent under this Act in any country the government of which the 

Secretary of State has determined has repeatedly provided support 

for acts of international terrorism. The Committee ordered H.R. 

1464 favorably reported as amended by voice vote. 

ROLLCALL VOTES

There were no rollcall votes. The measure was approved by the 

Committee on Environment and Public Works at a business meeting, a quorum being present, by voice vote on September 17, 2008. 

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

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

Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that the legislation does 

not impose regulatory costs, and agrees with the Congressional 

Budget Office that ‘‘H.R. 1464 contains no . . . private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

. . . .’’ 

MANDATES ASSESSMENT

In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 

(Public Law 104–4), the Committee noted that the Congressional 

Budget Office has found that ‘‘H.R. 1464 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded 

Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, 

local, or tribal governments.’’ 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008. 

Hon. BARBARA BOXER, 

Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has 

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1464, the Great Cats 

and Rare Canids Act of 2008. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 1464—Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2008 

Summary: H.R. 1464 would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service to establish a grant program to protect and conserve rare 

species of cats (such as leopards) and canids (such as wolves) in the 


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wild. The act would authorize the appropriation of $5 million for 

each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013 for financial assistance to 

eligible government agencies, international or foreign organizations, or private entities engaged in such activities. Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1464 would increase discretionary spending by $19 

million over the 2009–2013 period and by $6 million after 2013. 

H.R. 1464 also would authorize the agency to accept and spend 

(without further appropriation) donations from nonfederal sources. 

Enacting this provision could increase revenues (from donations) 

and direct spending (of those donations), but CBO estimates that 

such increases would offset each other and therefore have no net 

effect on the federal budget. 

H.R. 1464 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

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

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 1464 is shown in the following table. For this 

estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted near 

the beginning of fiscal year 2009 and that authorized amounts will 

be provided as specified in the bill. Estimated outlays are based on 

historical spending patterns for similar programs. The costs of this 

legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and 

environment). 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009– 

2013 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Authorization Level ....................................................................... 5 5 5 5 5 25 

Estimated Outlays ........................................................................ 2 3 4 5 5 19 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 1464 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

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

Previous CBO estimate: On May 5, 2008, CBO transmitted a cost 

estimate for H.R. 1464 as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on April 30, 2008. The two versions 

of the legislation are very similar but contain different authorization periods. The CBO estimates reflect that difference. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Deborah Reis; Impact on 

state, local, and tribal governments: Melissa Merrill; Impact on the 

private sector: Amy Petz. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made by 

the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no changes to 

existing law. 

Æ 


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