89–006 

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 AmerVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:43 Oct 10, 2009 Jkt 089006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR297.XXX HR297

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ican 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. 


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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. 


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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) * * * 

ø(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. 

* * * * * * * 

øSEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

ø(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. 

ø(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— 

ø(1) not more than $100,000 may be used by the Secretary 

to administer the Program; and 


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ø(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. 

Æ 


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