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[House Report 111-297]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

111th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    111-297

======================================================================

 
 JUNIOR DUCK STAMP CONSERVATION AND DESIGN PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT 
                                OF 2009

                                _______
                                

October 9, 2009.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Rahall, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 3537]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 3537) to amend and reauthorize the Junior Duck 
Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act of 1994, having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 
and recommend that the bill do pass.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of H.R. 3537 is to amend and reauthorize the 
Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act of 1994.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    Initiated in 1989 by the National Fish and Wildlife 
Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through its 
authority under the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, Congress 
passed the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program 
Act on October 6, 1994 (Public Law 103-340) to formalize the 
program. The Junior Duck Stamp Program (JDS) Program provides 
students with a broad exposure to migratory waterfowl, 
including lesson plans to help increase students' knowledge and 
appreciation of migratory birds and their ecology. The program 
also provides activities geared to motivate students to take an 
active role in conserving these species. In the JDS curriculum 
guide, which is distributed free of charge to requesting 
schools, students can research any species of North American 
waterfowl and then artistically portray the selected bird and 
its habitat.
    Students may then choose to enter their artwork in state 
JDS contests. All students from kindergarten through high 
school are eligible to participate at the state level. Entries 
are judged by local artists, stamp collectors, hunters, 
wildlife biologists and conservationists. The first place 
National winner receives a $5,000 cash award and their design 
is reproduced as the Federal Junior Duck Stamp for that year. 
The winner is also provided a free trip to our nation's capital 
for themselves, their art teacher, one parent or guardian and 
the State JDS Coordinator to attend the First Day of Sales 
Ceremony for the Federal Duck Stamp, held towards the end of 
June each year.
    Today, more than 27,000 students participate in the 
nationwide JDS wildlife art contest. The proceeds from the sale 
of the Junior Duck Stamp, which costs $5, are returned to the 
program to be used for awards and conservation education. In 
2008, the sale of Junior Duck Stamps generated $106,949. The 
Administration, for the first time, requested funds to 
administer JDS Program in its FY 2010 budget submission.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 3537 was introduced on September 9, 2009 by 
Congressman Solomon Ortiz (D-TX). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife. On 
September 22, 2009, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the 
bill.
    On September 30, 2009, the Subcommittee was discharged from 
further consideration of H.R. 3537 and the full Natural 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The bill was 
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 
unanimous consent.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 provides that this Act may be cited as the 
``Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program 
Reauthorization Act of 2009''.

Section 2. Findings

    Section 2 provides Congressional findings that sales of the 
Junior Duck Stamp have successfully provided educational 
materials and scholarships for students, promoting the 
program's goal of connecting children with nature. The program 
has also built strong partnerships with schools, federal and 
state government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and 
the private sector in promoting youth conservation initiatives 
and stewardship.

Section 3. Reporting requirement

    Section 3 amends the reporting requirements to direct the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to report to Congress on the 
status of the program in each state once every five years 
instead of biennially.

Section 4. Authorization of appropriations

    Section 4 amends the Act to increase the annual authorized 
appropriations for program administration from $350,000 to 
$500,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2015.

            Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                   Constitutional Authority Statement

    Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.

                    Compliance With House Rule XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) 
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when 
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted 
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
    2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) 
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this 
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to amend and reauthorize the Junior 
Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act of 1994.
    4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate 
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office:

H.R. 3537--Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program 
        Reauthorization Act of 2009

    H.R. 3537 would authorize appropriations for the junior 
duck stamp program for fiscal years 2010 through 2015. The 
proposed authorization level of $500,000 a year is $150,000 
more than the amount currently authorized for 2010 (after which 
funding for the program expires). Assuming appropriation of the 
authorized amounts each year (including the additional $150,000 
authorized for 2010), CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 3537 
would cost about $2 million over the 2010-2014 period and 
$500,000 in 2015. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, which administers this program, spends less than 
$100,000 a year for this purpose, mostly to conduct the annual 
competition for the design of junior duck stamps.
    The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                    Compliance With Public Law 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           Earmark Statement

    H.R. 3537 does not contain any congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
clause 9 of rule XXI.

                Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, 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):

JUNIOR DUCK STAMP CONSERVATION AND DESIGN PROGRAM ACT OF 1994

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

  (a) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (c) Effort To Conduct Program in All States.--
          (1) * * *
          [(2) Annual report.--The Secretary shall annually 
        submit a report to the Congress on the status of the 
        Program in each of the States.]
          (2) Reporting requirement.--Beginning in 2010 and 
        every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 
        Congress a report on the status of the Program in each 
        State.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

[SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  [(a) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
to the Secretary for administrative expenses of the Program 
$350,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010.
  [(b) Limitations on Use for Distribution to State and 
Regional Coordinators to Implement Competitions.--Of the amount 
appropriated under this section for a fiscal year--
          [(1) not more than $100,000 may be used by the 
        Secretary to administer the Program; and
          [(2) not more than $250,000 may be distributed to 
        State and regional coordinators to implement 
        competitions under the Program.]

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 
administrative expenses of the Program $500,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2010 through 2015.

                                  
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