69–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 110–657 

GREAT CATS AND RARE CANIDS ACT OF 2008 

MAY 19, 2008.—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. 1464] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 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, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with 

an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. 

The amendments is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2008.’’ 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) Many wild populations of felids and canids, once considered common, are 

in decline, and many have declined to the point that their long-term survival 

in the wild is in serious jeopardy. 

(2) Of the 37 wild felid species worldwide, all are currently recognized as species in need of protection under the IUCN Red List, the lists of species in 

CITES appendices I, II, and III, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Of the 

35 wild canid species worldwide, nearly 50 percent are recognized as in need 

of such protection. 

(3) In addition to their intrinsic value, felids and canids are important aesthetic, economic, and ecological global resources that need to be conserved. 

(4) Large felids and canids are considered both umbrella and indicator species. Healthy populations of these species act as an important indicator of the 


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integrity of entire ecosystems and, because they require large wild spaces to 

persist, benefit entire ecosystems and a large number of other species. Measures 

taken to benefit these keystone species will ultimately benefit a great number 

of other species. 

(5) Rare felids and rare canids face an array of threats, including loss of habitat and natural prey, intentional and unintentional takings by humans, disease 

transmission, and a vast number of other threats. These threats need to be addressed in a coordinated fashion. 

(6) Conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations requires global commitment. Adequate funding for conservation is sorely lacking, and many range 

countries for those species do not have adequate infrastructure to protect species of concern. Those countries that do provide assistance to threatened populations need further assistance in implementing effective conservation strategies. 

(7) In particular, in developing nations with limited resources, poverty, population growth, and habitat loss all present significant challenges to conservation 

of rare felids and rare canids. 

(8) Although some protections and initiatives exist to conserve rare felid and 

rare canid populations and their habitat, those efforts can be significantly 

strengthened and enhanced by increased coordination and the infusion of targeted funding to benefit species of concern. 

SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 

The purposes of this Act are to provide financial resources and to foster international cooperation— (1) to restore and perpetuate healthy populations of rare felids and rare 

canids in the wild; and 

(2) to assist in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations worldwide. 

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) CITES.—The term ‘‘CITES’’ means the Convention on International Trade 

in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, done at Washington March 3, 

1973 (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249), including its appendices. 

(2) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conservation’’— (A) means the methods and procedures necessary to bring a species of 

rare felid or rare canid to the point at which there are sufficient populations in the wild to ensure the long-term viability of the species; 

(B) includes all activities associated with protection and management of 

a rare felid or rare canid population, including— (i) maintenance, management, protection, and restoration of rare 

felid or rare canid habitat; 

(ii) research and monitoring; 

(iii) law enforcement; 

(iv) community outreach and education; 

(v) conflict resolution initiatives; and 

(vi) strengthening the capacity of local communities, governmental 

agencies, nongovernmental organizations and other institutions to implement conservation programs. 

(3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund established by section 6. 

(4) IUCN RED LIST.—The term ‘‘IUCN Red List’’ means the Red List of 

Threatened Species Maintained by the World Conservation Union. 

(5) RARE CANID.—The term ‘‘rare canid’’—

(A) means any canid species, subspecies, or population that—

(i) is not native to the area comprised of the United States and Canada; and 

(ii) is included in the IUCN Red List, Appendix I, II, or III of CITES, 

or any list published under section 4(c) of the Endangered Species Act 

of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1532(c)); and 

(B) includes such a subspecies or population of dhole (Cuon alpinus), gray 

wolf (Canis lupus), Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), bush dog (Speothos 

venaticus), African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), or maned wolf (Chrysocyon 

brachyurus). 

(6) RARE FELID.—The term ‘‘rare felid’’—

(A) subject to subparagraph (C), means any felid species, subspecies, or 

population that—

(i) is not native to the area comprised of the United States and Canada; and 


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(ii) is included in the IUCN Red List, Appendix I, II, or III of CITES, 

or any list published under section 4(c) of the Endangered Species Act 

of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1532(c)); 

(B) includes such a subspecies or population of lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), jaguar (Panthera onca), snow leopard (Uncia uncia), 

clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), or Iberian 

lynx (Lynx pardina); and 

(C) does not include any tiger (Panthera tigris). 

(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ refers to the Secretary of the Interior. 

SEC. 5. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of funds and in consultation with 

other appropriate Federal officials, the Secretary shall use amounts in the Fund to 

provide financial assistance for projects for the conservation of rare felid and rare 

canids for which project proposals are approved by the Secretary in accordance with 

this section. 

(b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.—

(1) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—A proposal for a project for the conservation of rare 

felid and canids may be submitted to the Secretary by—

(A) any wildlife management authority of a country that has within its 

boundaries any part of the range of a rare felid or rare canid species, respectively; and 

(B) any person or group with the demonstrated expertise required for the 

conservation in the wild of rare felids or rare canids, respectively. 

(2) PROJECT PROPOSALS.—To be considered for financial assistance for a 

project under this Act, an applicant shall submit a project proposal that includes—

(A) a concise statement of the purposes of the project; 

(B) the name of the individual responsible for conducting the project; 

(C) a description of the qualifications of the individuals who will conduct 

the project; 

(D) a concise description of—

(i) methods for project implementation and outcome assessment; 

(ii) staffing for the project; 

(iii) the logistics of the project; and 

(iv) community involvement in the project; 

(E) an estimate of funds and time required to complete the project; 

(F) evidence of support for the project by appropriate governmental entities of the countries in which the project will be conducted, if the Secretary 

determines that such support is required for the success of the project; 

(G) information regarding the source and amount of matching funding 

available for the project; and 

(H) any other information that the Secretary considers to be necessary for 

evaluating the eligibility of the project for funding under this Act. 

(c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall—

(A) not later than 30 days after receiving a project proposal, provide a 

copy of the proposal to the appropriate Federal officials; and 

(B) review each project proposal in a timely manner to determine if the 

proposal meets the criteria specified in subsection (d). 

(2) CONSULTATION; APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL.—Not later than 180 days after 

receiving a project proposal, and subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary, after consulting with other appropriate Federal officials, shall—

(A) ensure the proposal contains assurances that the project will be implemented in consultation with relevant wildlife management authorities 

and other appropriate government officials with jurisdiction over the resources addressed by the project; 

(B) approve or disapprove the proposal; and 

(C) provide written notification of the approval or disapproval to the person who submitted the proposal, other appropriate Federal officials, and 

each country within whose borders the project will take place. 

(d) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—The Secretary may approve a project proposal under 

this section if the project will contribute to conservation of rare felids or rare canids 

in the wild by assisting efforts to—

(1) implement conservation programs; 

(2) address the conflicts between humans and rare felids or rare canids, respectively, that arise from competition for the same habitat or resources; 

(3) enhance compliance with CITES, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and 

other applicable laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of rare felids 


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and rare canids or regulate the use and management of rare felid and rare 

canid habitat; 

(4) develop sound scientific information on, or methods for monitoring—

(A) the condition and health of rare felid or rare canid habitat; 

(B) rare felid or rare canid population numbers and trends; and 

(C) the ecological characteristics and requirements of populations of rare 

felids or rare canids for which there are little or no data; 

(5) promote cooperative projects among government entities, affected local 

communities, nongovernmental organizations, and other persons in the private 

sector; or 

(6) funds will not be appropriated for the purchase or lease of lands to be used 

as suitable habitat for felids or canids. 

(e) PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY.—In approving project proposals under this section, 

the Secretary shall give preference to conservation projects that are designed to ensure effective, long-term conservation of rare felids and rare canids and their habitats. 

(f) MATCHING FUNDS.—In determining whether to approve project proposals under 

this section, the Secretary shall give preference to projects for which there exists 

some measure of matching funds. 

(g) PROJECT REPORTING.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Each person that receives assistance under this section for 

a project shall submit to the Secretary periodic reports (at such intervals as the 

Secretary considers necessary) that include all information that the Secretary, 

after consultation with other appropriate government officials, determines is 

necessary to evaluate the progress and success of the project for the purposes 

of ensuring positive results, assessing problems, and fostering improvements. 

(2) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—Reports under paragraph (1), and any other 

documents relating to projects for which financial assistance is provided under 

this Act, shall be made available to the public. 

(h) LIMITATIONS ON USE FOR CAPTIVE BREEDING OR DISPLAY.—Amounts provided 

as a grant under this Act—

(1) may not be used for captive breeding or display of rare felids and rare 

canids other than captive breeding for release into the wild; and 

(2) may be used for captive breeding of a species for release into the wild only 

if no other conservation method for the species is biologically feasible. 

(i) LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN SPECIES.—Of amounts available for 

a fiscal year for providing financial assistance under this section, the Secretary may 

not use more than 25 percent to provide assistance for projects that target rare 

canid and rare felid species that are not listed in paragraph (5)(B) or (6)(B), respectively, of section 4. 

(j) ADVISORY GROUP.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—To assist in carrying out this Act, the Secretary may convene an advisory group consisting of individuals representing public and private 

organizations actively involved in the conservation of felids and canids. 

(2) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—

(A) MEETINGS.—The advisory group shall—

(i) ensure that each meeting of the advisory group is open to the public; and 

(ii) provide, at each meeting, an opportunity for interested persons to 

present oral or written statements concerning items on the agenda. 

(B) NOTICE.—The Secretary shall provide to the public timely notice of 

each meeting of the advisory group, including the meeting agenda. 

(C) MINUTES.—Minutes of each meeting of the advisory group shall be 

kept by the Secretary and shall be made available to the public. 

(3) EXEMPTION FROM FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the advisory group. 

SEC. 6. GREAT CATS AND RARE CANIDS CONSERVATION FUND. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established, in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund established in title I of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 under the heading ‘‘MULTINATIONAL SPECIES 

CONSERVATION FUND’’, a separate account to be known as the ‘‘Great Cats and 

Rare Canids Conservation Fund’’, consisting of—

(1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury for deposit into such 

account under subsection (e); 

(2) amounts appropriated to such account under section 7; and 

(3) any interest earned on investment of amounts in the account under subsection (c). 

(b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.—


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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), upon request by the Secretary, the 

Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the Secretary, without further appropriation, such amounts as the Secretary determines are necessary to provide assistance under section 4. 

(2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the amounts in the Fund available for 

each fiscal year, the Secretary may expend not more than three percent, or up 

to $100,000, whichever is greater, to pay the administrative expenses necessary 

to carry out this Act. 

(c) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treasury shall invest such portion of 

the Fund as is not, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, required 

to meet current withdrawals. Investments may be made only in interest-bearing 

obligations of the United States. 

(2) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the purpose of investments under 

paragraph (1), obligations may be acquired—

(A) on original issue at the issue price; or 

(B) by purchase of outstanding obligations at the market price. 

(3) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation acquired by the Fund may be sold 

by the Secretary of the Treasury at the market price. 

(4) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or redemption of any obligations held in the Fund shall be credited to and form a 

part of the Fund. 

(d) TRANSFERS OF AMOUNTS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The amounts required to be transferred to the Fund under 

this section shall be transferred at least monthly from the general fund of the 

Treasury to the Fund on the basis of estimates made by the Secretary of the 

Treasury. 

(2) ADJUSTMENTS.—Proper adjustment shall be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates were in excess of or less than 

the amounts required to be transferred. 

(e) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATIONS.—The Secretary may accept and use donations to provide assistance under section 4, and may make public on the Internet 

website and in publications of the Department of the Interior that the Secretary is 

authorized to accept and use such donations. Amounts received by the Secretary in 

the form of such donations shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury for 

deposit into the Fund. 

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OR APPROPRIATIONS. 

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 

years 2008 through 2012 to carry out this Act. 

SEC. 8. INELIGIBLE COUNTRIES. 

Amounts provided as a grant under this Act may not be spent on projects in Iran, 

Syria, Cuba, Sudan and North Korea. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 1464 is 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. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Throughout the world, wildlife populations are under increasing 

stress from the encroachment of expanding human populations. As 

a result, many wildlife populations have declined, some precipitously, due to habitat loss or degradation, poaching and illegal 

trade, disease, political instability and hostile interactions with expanding human settlements and agriculture. The decline of populations of charismatic ‘‘keystone’’ wildlife species such as tigers, rhinoceros, elephant, great apes and sea turtles has focused greater 

attention on the need to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat 

abroad. 


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1 An additional fund authorized under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act was 

removed from the MSCF in 2006. 2 National Wildlife Federation, 2007. Species At Risk (http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/pdfs/ 

speciesatrisk.pdf) 3Wildlife Conservation Society. Fact sheet. 2007 

The Congress has responded by creating distinct conservation 

funds within the Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF) 

to provide financial assistance to support conservation activities to 

protect, recover and restore wildlife species and their habitats. The 

MSCF was created by Congress in 1999 as part of Title I of the 

Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations 

Act (16 U.S.C. 4246). Within the fund are specific wildlife conservation accounts authorized under separate statutes that receive annual appropriations from Congress to support conservation activities to protect, recover or restore threatened and endangered species, specifically tigers, rhinoceroses, African elephants, Asian elephants, great apes and sea turtles.1 These wildlife species are all 

considered ‘‘keystone’’ or ‘‘umbrella’’ species which means that they 

enrich ecosystem function in a unique or significant manner 

through their activities, and their effect is disproportionate to their 

numerical number.2

More than $115 million in matching or in-kind support has been 

obtained since the first grant was awarded under the African Elephant Conservation Act in 1990, nearly tripling the effect of the 

$43 million in federal appropriated funds. More than 500 partners 

have worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 44 countries to protect and conserve these species. In addition, coordination with other federal agencies overseas, such as the U.S. Agency 

for International Development (USAID), has linked up species conservation and habitat management with economic development 

within countries with these species. In general, these funds are 

viewed as effective tools to leverage additional resources to implement projects that address the greatest conservation need. 

All of the felid and canid species included in this legislation suffer from multiple stressors that have negatively affected their population size, distribution and potential for recovery which cumulatively has resulted in their being listed as threatened or endangered and in need of protection. Factors commonly acknowledged as 

responsible for these declines include habitat loss and fragmentation, diminished prey-base, poaching and illegal wildlife trade, environmental pollution and pesticides, disease, political instability, 

and growing human-wildlife conflicts. Species of predatory carnivores have been purposefully targeted for eradication in order to 

promote pastoral industries and expanded human settlement. H.R. 

1464 would expand the number of funds within the MSCF to provide similar financial assistance to conserve additional threatened 

and endangered species, notably great felids (cats) and rare canids. 

Summaries of the conservation status of the target wildlife species 

follows.3

Great Cats: Seven species within the family Felidae would be eligible for assistance under both H.R. 1464 and include the lion, 

cheetah, leopard, clouded leopard, snow leopard, Iberian lynx and 

jaguar. These species are distributed in fragmented habitats found 

across sub-Sahara Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, Central 

and South America and the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. All of 


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4 IUCN—the World Conservation Union, through its Species Survival Commission has for the 

past four decades scientifically assessed on a global scale the conservation status of species, subspecies, varieties and selected subpopulations to highlight taxa of wildlife that are threatened 

with extinction in order to promote their conservation and maintain global biodiversity. 

these species are recognized as threatened or endangered under the 

U.S. Endangered Species Act, the Convention on International 

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), 

and/or the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species.4

Rare Canids: Six species within the family Canidae would be eligible for assistance under H.R. 1464. These species include the African wild dog, Ethiopian wolf, European gray wolf, dhole, maned 

wolf and bush dog. While their ecological role is poorly understood 

and often unappreciated, wild dogs function as genuine ‘‘keystone’’ species and are equally deserving of protection. In fact, the African 

wild dog and Ethiopian wolf are two of the most endangered animals on the African continent. All of these species are recognized 

as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species 

Act, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 

of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and/or the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. 

This legislation assists in the conservation of rare cats and rare 

dogs by providing financial resources for conservation programs 

within range States and to support projects that conserve rare cat 

and rare dog populations and their habitats. No cat or dog species 

native to the United States or Canada would be eligible for grant 

assistance. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

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

(D–NM). The bill was referred to the Committee on Resources, and 

within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife 

and Oceans. On September 6, 2007, the Fisheries Subcommittee 

held a hearing on the bill. The bill received the qualified support 

of the administration and all other witnesses verified the need for 

the legislation and testified in support of the bill. 

On October 4, 2007, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. 

The Subcommittee’s Ranking Member, Rep. Henry Brown (R–SC) 

offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to make ineligible for funding those species whose populations are not endangered, clarify the use of funds for captive breeding activities, strike 

the bill’s findings, and require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

to complete a study of conservation status of rare felid and canid 

species. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. The bill was 

then forwarded as amended to the Full Committee by voice vote. 

On April 30, 2008, the Full Natural Resources Committee met to 

consider the bill. Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee 

Chairwoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D–GU) offered an amendment 

in the nature of a substitute to add one additional species (Borneo 

bay cat and Darwin’s fox) to each respective list; strike the eligibility criteria for non-listed species; and add the European Union 

to the list of regions where canid species would be ineligible to receive grant assistance. Rep. Steve Pearce (R–NM) offered an 

amendment to the amendment that would have amended the bill 

to insert a restrictive definition for determining a country’s eligiVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:14 May 20, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR657.XXX HR657

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bility to receive grant assistance. The amendment was ruled nongermane. Rep. Pearce then offered a second amendment to the 

amendment to insert at the end of the bill a list of specific ineligible countries that included, Iran, Syria, Cuba, Sudan, and North 

Korea. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. The bill, as 

amended, was then ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote. 

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 2007.’’

Section 2. Purposes 

Section 2 states that the purposes of the bill are to provide financial resources and to foster international cooperation to restore and 

perpetuate healthy populations of rare felids and canids in the wild 

and to assist in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations worldwide. 

Section 3. Definitions 

This section defines specific terms to be used in the legislation, 

including ‘‘CITES,’’ ‘‘Conservation,’’ ‘‘Fund,’’ ‘‘IUCN Red List,’’ ‘‘Rare 

Canid,’’ ‘‘Rare Felid,’’ and ‘‘Secretary.’’

Section 4. Financial assistance 

This section authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide 

financial assistance subject to the availability of appropriations for 

projects for the conservation of rare felids and rare canids. The section specifies eligible project applicants and provides a detailed list 

of required information to be included in project applications. The 

Secretary is required to approve or disapprove all applications no 

later than 180 days after receiving the application and must provide written notification to the applicant, other appropriate federal 

officials and each country within which the project will take place. 

This section also provides the Secretary with criteria to evaluate 

and approve project applications, including a determination that 

funds will not be used for the purchase or lease of land. Special 

preference shall be given under this section to projects that are designed to ensure effective, long-term conservation of rare felids and 

rare canids and their habitats and applications for which there 

exist non-federal matching funds. Approved projects are required 

under this section to report regularly to the Secretary to assess 

progress, foster improvements and ensure positive results. Such reports would be available to the public. Funds awarded by the Secretary under this section could not be used for captive breeding activities other than for release into the wild or if no other conservation method is available and biologically feasible to perpetuate the 

species. This section would also authorize the Secretary to convene 

an advisory group exempt from requirements under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act to incorporate stakeholder participation. 


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Section 5. Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund 

This section would authorize establishment of a Great Cats and 

Rare Canids Fund as a separate account in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund that would consist of amounts appropriated 

by Congress, amounts donated, and any interest earned on the investment of funds. All funding available to the Secretary for program administration is limited to three percent or $100,000 annually, whichever is greater. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to invest un-used portions of the Fund in interest bearing obligations and interest earned shall be credited to the Fund. The Secretary of the Treasury would be required to transfer funds to the 

Fund on no less than a monthly schedule. 

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

This section would direct the Secretary to complete a study and 

report to the Congress on the conservation status of felid and canid 

species listed under the IUCN Red List that are not eligible under 

this bill and include recommendations for additional species to be 

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

Section 7. Authorization of appropriations 

The legislation would authorize $5 million per year to be appropriated to carry out the Act for each fiscal year from 2008 to 2012. 

Such sums as are necessary are authorized to carry out the study 

authorized in Section 6 of the bill. 

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. 

FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

The functions of the proposed advisory committee authorized in 

the bill are not currently being nor could they be performed by one 

or more agencies, an advisory committee already in existence or by 

enlarging the mandate of an existing advisory committee. 

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 


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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 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. 

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. 1464 Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2007 

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 

wild. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $5 million a 

year through 2012 for financial assistance to eligible government 

agencies, international or foreign organizations, or private entities 

engaged in such activities. Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts (beginning in 2009), CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1464 would increase discretionary spending by $19 

million over the 2009–2013 period and by $1 million after 2013. 

H.R. 1464 also would authorize the agency to invest unneeded 

balances of appropriated funds in federal securities and spend any 

proceeds from those investments without further appropriation. 

Enacting this legislation would therefore increase direct spending 

by an estimated $200,000 a year beginning in 2010. The bill also 

would authorize the agency to accept and spend (also without further appropriation) donations from nonfederal sources, but any increase in revenues (from donations) would be offset by additional 

direct spending of such amounts. 

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 end of fiscal year 2008 and that authorized amounts will be 

provided as specified in the bill, beginning with fiscal year 2009. 

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 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 1

Authorization Level .............................................................................. 5 5 5 5 0 

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

1 Enacting H.R. 1464 also would increase direct spending by an estimated $200,000 a year, beginning in 2010, from the use of interest on 

appropriation balances. 


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11 

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. 

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

State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Neil Hood, Impact on the 

Private Sector: Amy Petz. 

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

Budget Analysis. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

H.R. 1464 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e) 

or 9(f) 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

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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