IB 

Union Calendar No. 778 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8811 

[Report No. 118–753, Part I] 

To reauthorize the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 21, 2024 

Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia, Mrs. DINGELL, and 

Mr. THOMPSON of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the 

Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

NOVEMBER 18, 2024 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

NOVEMBER 18, 2024 

Referral to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, 

and Energy and Commerce extended for a period ending not later than 

December 19, 2024 

DECEMBER 19, 2024 

Additional sponsors: Mr. PANETTA and Ms. TLAIB


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 8811 RH

DECEMBER 19, 2024 

Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, and Energy 

and Commerce discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 21, 2024] 

A BILL 

To reauthorize the America’s Conservation Enhancement 

Act, and for other purposes. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 8811 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization 

6 Act of 2024’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT, DISEASE, AND PREDATION 

Sec. 101. Losses of livestock due to depredation by federally protected species. 

Sec. 102. Black vulture livestock protection program. 

Sec. 103. Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force. 

Sec. 104. Protection of water, oceans, coasts, and wildlife from invasive species. 

Sec. 105. North American Wetlands Conservation Act. 

Sec. 106. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act. 

Sec. 107. Modification of definition of sport fishing equipment under TSCA. 

Sec. 108. Chesapeake Bay Program. 

Sec. 109. Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998. 

Sec. 110. Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense. 

TITLE II—NATIONAL FISH HABITAT CONSERVATION THROUGH 

PARTNERSHIPS 

Sec. 201. National Fish Habitat Board. 

Sec. 202. Fish Habitat Partnerships. 

Sec. 203. Fish habitat conservation projects. 

Sec. 204. Technical and scientific assistance. 

Sec. 205. Accountability and reporting. 

Sec. 206. Funding. 

Sec. 207. Technical correction. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 8811 RH

1 TITLE I—WILDLIFE ENHANCE2 MENT, DISEASE, AND PREDA3 TION 

4 SEC. 101. LOSSES OF LIVESTOCK DUE TO DEPREDATION BY 

5 FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES. 

6 Section 102(d) of the America’s Conservation En7 hancement Act (7 U.S.C. 8355(d)) is amended, in the mat8 ter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and insert9 ing ‘‘2030’’. 

10 SEC. 102. BLACK VULTURE LIVESTOCK PROTECTION PRO11 GRAM. 

12 Section 103 of the America’s Conservation Enhance13 ment Act (7 U.S.C. 8356) is amended— 

14 (1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘; 

15 BLACK VULTURE LIVESTOCK PROTECTION PRO16 GRAM’’ after ‘‘COMMON RAVENS’’ and conforming 

17 the table of contents accordingly; 

18 (2) by redesignating subsections (a) through (c) 

19 as paragraphs (1) through (3), respectively, and in20 denting appropriately; 

21 (3) in each of paragraphs (2) and (3) (as so re22 designated), by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and insert23 ing ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; 

24 (4) by inserting before paragraph (1) (as so re25 designated) the following: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 8811 RH

1 ‘‘(a) DEPREDATION PERMITS FOR BLACK VULTURES

2 AND COMMON RAVENS.—’’; and 

3 (5) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(b) BLACK VULTURE LIVESTOCK PROTECTION PRO5 GRAM.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordina7 tion with States, shall carry out, through fiscal year 

8 2030, a black vulture livestock protection program 

9 (referred to in this subsection as the ‘program’) that 

10 allows 1 public entity or Farm Bureau organization 

11 per State to hold a statewide depredation permit to 

12 protect commercial agriculture livestock from black 

13 vulture predation. 

14 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Each public entity or 

15 Farm Bureau organization that holds a depredation 

16 permit under the program— 

17 ‘‘(A) shall— 

18 ‘‘(i) demonstrate sufficient experience 

19 and capacity to provide government regu20 lated services to the public, as determined 

21 by the Secretary; 

22 ‘‘(ii) submit a complete depredation 

23 permit application, as determined by the 

24 Secretary, for review and approval accordVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:37 Dec 27, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H8811.RH H8811

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 8811 RH

1 ing to procedures of the United States Fish 

2 and Wildlife Service; 

3 ‘‘(iii) be responsible for complying 

4 with, and ensuring subpermittee compliance 

5 with, as applicable, all permit conditions; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(iv) be responsible for collecting, man8 aging, and reporting required information 

9 under the permit; and 

10 ‘‘(B) may subpermit to livestock producers 

11 to take black vultures for the purposes of livestock 

12 protection. 

13 ‘‘(3) STUDY.—The Secretary, in consultation 

14 with the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 

15 Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health In16 spection Service, shall carry out a study on whether 

17 prescribed take levels of black vultures may be in18 creased for subpermittees within a biologically sus19 tainable take level for the population. 

20 ‘‘(4) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

21 date of enactment of the America’s Conservation En22 hancement Reauthorization Act of 2024, the Sec23 retary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agri24 culture, acting through the Administrator of the Ani25 mal and Plant Health Inspection Service, shall subVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:37 Dec 27, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H8811.RH H8811

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 8811 RH

1 mit to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Com2 mittee on Environment and Public Works of the Sen3 ate and the Chair and Ranking Member of the Com4 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep5 resentatives a report on the status of the program, in6 cluding the results of the study required under para7 graph (3).’’. 

8 SEC. 103. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TASK FORCE. 

9 Section 104 of the America’s Conservation Enhance10 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 667h) is amended— 

11 (1) in subsection (b)— 

12 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘after the 

13 completion of the study required by subsection 

14 (c)’’; and 

15 (B) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ‘‘180 

16 days after the date on which the study is com17 pleted under subsection (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘90 

18 days after the date of the enactment of the Amer19 ica’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization 

20 Act of 2024. The efforts of the Task Force shall 

21 not be contingent on the completion of the study 

22 required by subsection (c)’’; and 

23 (2) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and 

24 inserting ‘‘2030’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 8811 RH

1 SEC. 104. PROTECTION OF WATER, OCEANS, COASTS, AND 

2 WILDLIFE FROM INVASIVE SPECIES. 

3 Section 10(p) of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination 

4 Act (16 U.S.C. 666c–1(p)) is amended, in the matter pre5 ceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘2030’’. 

7 SEC. 105. NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION 

8 ACT. 

9 Section 7(c) of the North American Wetlands Con10 servation Act (16 U.S.C. 4406(c)) is amended by striking 

11 ‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2030’’. 

12 SEC. 106. NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION ES13 TABLISHMENT ACT. 

14 Section 10 of the National Fish and Wildlife Founda15 tion Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3709) is amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (a)(1), in the matter preceding 

17 subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting 

18 ‘‘2030’’; and 

19 (2) in subsection (b)(1)— 

20 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and 

21 cooperative agreements,’’ and inserting ‘‘, cooper22 ative agreements, participating agreements, and 

23 similar instruments used for providing partner24 ship funds,’’; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 8811 RH

1 (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) 

2 and (C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respec3 tively; 

4 (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the 

5 following: 

6 ‘‘(B) FUNDING AGREEMENTS.—Federal de7 partments, agencies, and instrumentalities may 

8 enter into a Federal funding agreement with the 

9 Foundation for a period of not more than 10 

10 years.’’; and 

11 (D) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesig12 nated), by inserting ‘‘, and should when pos13 sible,’’ after ‘‘may’’. 

14 SEC. 107. MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF SPORT FISH15 ING EQUIPMENT UNDER TSCA. 

16 Section 108(a) of the America’s Conservation En17 hancement Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 note) is amended by strik18 ing ‘‘During the 5-year period beginning on the date of en19 actment of this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘During the period be20 ginning on the date of enactment of the America’s Conserva21 tion Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024 and ending 

22 on September 30, 2030’’. 

23 SEC. 108. CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM. 

24 Section 117(j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control 

25 Act (33 U.S.C. 1267(j)) is amended— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 8811 RH

1 (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

2 end; 

3 (2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at 

4 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

5 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(6) for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, 

7 $92,000,000.’’. 

8 SEC. 109. CHESAPEAKE BAY INITIATIVE ACT OF 1998. 

9 Section 502(c) of the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act 

10 of 1998 (Public Law 105–312; 112 Stat. 2963; 134 Stat. 

11 920) is amended by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2030’’. 

12 SEC. 110. CHESAPEAKE WATERSHED INVESTMENTS FOR 

13 LANDSCAPE DEFENSE. 

14 Section 111(e)(1) of the America’s Conservation En15 hancement Act (33 U.S.C. 1267 note) is amended by strik16 ing ‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2030’’. 

17 TITLE II—NATIONAL FISH HABI18 TAT CONSERVATION 

19 THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS 

20 SEC. 201. NATIONAL FISH HABITAT BOARD. 

21 Section 203 of the America’s Conservation Enhance22 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 8203) is amended— 

23 (1) in subsection (a)(2)— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 8811 RH

1 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

2 (A), by striking ‘‘26 members’’ and inserting ‘‘28 

3 members’’; 

4 (B) by amending subparagraph (A) to read 

5 as follows: 

6 ‘‘(A) 2 shall be representatives of the De7 partment of the Interior, including the United 

8 States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau 

9 of Land Management;’’; and 

10 (C) by striking subparagraphs (G) and (H) 

11 and inserting the following: 

12 ‘‘(G) 2 shall be representatives of Indian 

13 Tribes, of whom— 

14 ‘‘(i) 1 shall be a representative of In15 dian Tribes in the State of Alaska; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) 1 shall be a representative of In17 dian Tribes in States other than the State 

18 of Alaska; 

19 ‘‘(H) 2 shall be representatives of— 

20 ‘‘(i) the Regional Fishery Management 

21 Councils established by section 302(a)(1) of 

22 the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 

23 and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 

24 1852(a)(1)); or 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
12 

•HR 8811 RH

1 ‘‘(ii) the Marine Fisheries Commis2 sions;’’; and 

3 (2) in subsection (e)(1)(B), by striking ‘‘all 

4 members’’ and inserting ‘‘the members present’’. 

5 SEC. 202. FISH HABITAT PARTNERSHIPS. 

6 Section 204 of the America’s Conservation Enhance7 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 8204) is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (e)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter pre10 ceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘, subject 

11 to paragraph (3),’’ after ‘‘Act and’’; and 

12 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—The Board shall only submit 

14 a report required under paragraph (1) in the fiscal 

15 years in which the Board is proposing modifications 

16 to, or new designations of, 1 or more Partnerships.’’; 

17 and 

18 (2) by amending subsection (f) to read as follows: 

19 ‘‘(f) DESIGNATION OR MODIFICATION OF PARTNER20 SHIP.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Congress shall have the ex22 clusive authority to designate or modify a Partner23 ship. 

24 ‘‘(2) DESIGNATION OR MODIFICATION PROC25 ESS.—A Partnership designation or modification the 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
13 

•HR 8811 RH

1 Board recommends to Congress shall be deemed to be 

2 approved by Congress if Congress does not pass a 

3 joint resolution of disapproval with respect to the des4 ignation or modification by the date that is 90 days 

5 after the date on which the relevant congressional 

6 committees receive such recommendation.’’. 

7 SEC. 203. FISH HABITAT CONSERVATION PROJECTS. 

8 Section 205 of the America’s Conservation Enhance9 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 8205) is amended— 

10 (1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘for the fol11 lowing fiscal year’’; and 

12 (2) in subsection (e)— 

13 (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting 

14 the following: 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The non-Federal share of the 

16 total cost of all fish habitat conservation projects car17 ried out by a Partnership each year shall be at least 

18 50 percent.’’; and 

19 (B) in paragraph (2), in the matter pre20 ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘Such non21 Federal share of the cost of a fish habitat con22 servation project’’ and inserting ‘‘The non-Fed23 eral share described in paragraph (1)’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
14 

•HR 8811 RH

1 SEC. 204. TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC ASSISTANCE. 

2 Section 206(a) of the America’s Conservation En3 hancement Act (16 U.S.C. 8206(a)) is amended by inserting 

4 ‘‘, the Bureau of Land Management,’’ after ‘‘the Forest 

5 Service’’. 

6 SEC. 205. ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING. 

7 Section 209 of the America’s Conservation Enhance8 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 8209) is amended— 

9 (1) by striking subsection (b); 

10 (2) in subsection (a)— 

11 (A) by striking the subsection designation 

12 and heading and all that follows through ‘‘Not 

13 later than’’ in paragraph (1) and inserting the 

14 following: 

15 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than’’; and 

16 (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as sub17 section (b) and indenting appropriately; and 

18 (3) in subsection (b) (as so redesignated)— 

19 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

20 (A), by striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting 

21 ‘‘subsection (a)’’; 

22 (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), 

23 (B), (C), and (D) as paragraphs (1), (2), (3), 

24 and (5), respectively, and indenting appro25 priately; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
15 

•HR 8811 RH

1 (C) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), 

2 by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

3 (D) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as so 

4 redesignated) the following: 

5 ‘‘(4) a description of the status of fish habitats 

6 in the United States as identified by Partnerships; 

7 and’’; and 

8 (E) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated)— 

9 (i) by redesignating clauses (i) through 

10 (v) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), re11 spectively, and indenting appropriately; 

12 and 

13 (ii) in subparagraph (C) (as so redes14 ignated), by redesignating subclauses (I) 

15 and (II) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, 

16 and indenting appropriately. 

17 SEC. 206. FUNDING. 

18 Section 212(a) of the America’s Conservation En19 hancement Act (16 U.S.C. 8212(a)) is amended— 

20 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

21 (A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting 

22 ‘‘PARTNERSHIPS AND’’ after ‘‘HABITAT’’; 

23 (B) by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘2030’’; and 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
16 

•HR 8811 RH

1 (C) by inserting ‘‘Partnership operations 

2 under section 204 and’’ after ‘‘to provide funds 

3 for’’; 

4 (2) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding 

5 subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘2030’’; and 

7 (3) in paragraph (3), in the matter preceding 

8 subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting 

9 ‘‘2030’’. 

10 SEC. 207. TECHNICAL CORRECTION. 

11 Section 211 of the America’s Conservation Enhance12 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 8211) is amended, in the matter pre13 ceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The Federal Advisory 

14 Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.)’’ and inserting ‘‘Chapter 

15 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the 

16 ‘Federal Advisory Committee Act’),’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 778 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8811 

[Report No. 118–753, Part I] 

A BILL 

Enhancement Act, and for other purposes. 

To reauthorize the America’s Conservation 

DECEMBER 19, 2024 

Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, AgriState of the Union and ordered to be printed mitted to the Committee of the Whole House on the culture, and Energy and Commerce discharged; comVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:37 Dec 27, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H8811.RH H8811

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS