II 

Calendar No. 518 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2156 

[Report No. 112–216] 

To amend the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to 

permit the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Migratory 

Bird Conservation Commission, to set prices for Federal Migratory Bird 

Hunting and Conservation Stamps and make limited waivers of stamp 

requirements for certain users. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 6, 2012 

Mr. BEGICH (for himself, Ms. MURKOWSKI, and Mr. COONS) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 

Reported by Mrs. BOXER, with amendments 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To amend the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation 

Stamp Act to permit the Secretary of the Interior, in 

consultation with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, to set prices for Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps and make limited waivers 

of stamp requirements for certain users. 


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•S 2156 RS

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. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Migratory Bird Habi5 tat Investment and Enhancement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Con9 servation Stamps (commonly known as ‘‘duck 

10 stamps’’) were created in 1934 as Federal licenses 

11 required for hunting migratory waterfowl; 

12 (2)(A) duck stamps are a vital tool for wetland 

13 conservation; 

14 (B) 98 percent of the receipts from duck stamp 

15 sales are used to acquire important migratory bird 

16 breeding, migration, and wintering habitat, which 

17 are added to the National Wildlife Refuge System; 

18 and 

19 (C) those benefits extend to all wildlife, not just 

20 ducks; 

21 (3) since its inception, the Federal duck stamp 

22 program has— 

23 (A) generated more than $500,000,000; 

24 (B) preserved more than 5,000,000 acres 

25 of wetland and wildlife habitat; and 


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1 (C) been called 1 one of the most success2 ful conservation programs ever initiated; 

3 (4)(A) since 1934, when duck stamps cost $1, 

4 the price has been increased 7 times to the price in 

5 effect on the date of enactment of this Act of $15, 

6 which took effect in 1991; and 

7 (B) the price of the duck stamp has not in8 creased since 1991, the longest single period without 

9 an increase in program history; and 

10 (5)(A) with the price unchanged during the 20- 

11 year period preceding the date of enactment of this 

12 Act, duck stamps have lost 40 percent of their value 

13 based on the consumer price index, while the United 

14 States Fish and Wildlife Service reports the price of 

15 land in targeted wetland areas has tripled from an 

16 average of $306 to $1,091 per acre; and 

17 (B) a duck stamp would need to cost more than 

18 $24 as of the date of enactment of this Act just to 

19 maintain the earlier buying power of the stamp. 

20 SEC. 3. COST OF STAMPS. 

21 Section 2 of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Con22 servation Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718b) is amended by 

23 striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

24 ‘‘(b) COST OF STAMPS.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For a 5-calendar-year pe2 riod beginning with calendar year 2013, and for 

3 each 5-calendar-year period thereafter, the Sec4 retary, in consultation with the Migratory Bird Con5 servation Commission, shall establish the amount to 

6 be collected under paragraph (2) for each stamp sold 

7 under this section, which amount shall not exceed 

8 $25 for the first such 5-calendar-year period and $30 

9 for any subsequent period. 

10 ‘‘(2) COLLECTION OF AMOUNTS.—The Postal 

11 Service or the Department of the Interior shall collect 

12 the amount established under paragraph (1) for 

13 each stamp sold under this section for a hunting 

14 year if the Secretary determines, at any time before 

15 February 1 of the calendar year during which the 

16 hunting year begins, that all amounts described in 

17 paragraph (3) have been obligated for expenditure. 

18 ‘‘(3) AMOUNTS.—The amounts described in this 

19 paragraph are amounts in the Migratory Bird Con20 servation Fund available for obligation and attrib21 utable to— 

22 ‘‘(A) amounts appropriated pursuant to 

23 this Act for the fiscal year ending in the imme24 diately preceding calendar year; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) the sale of stamps under this section 

2 during that fiscal year.’’. 

3 SEC. 4. WAIVERS. 

4 Section 1(a) of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Con5 servation Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718a(a)) is amended— 

6 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and sub7 section (d)’’ after ‘‘paragraph (2)’’; and 

8 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(d) WAIVERS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta11 tion with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commis12 sion, may waive requirements under this section for 

13 such individuals as the Secretary, in consultation 

14 with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, 

15 determines to be appropriate. 

16 ‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—In making the determina17 tion described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 

18 grant only those waivers the Secretary determines 

19 will have a minimal adverse effect on funds to be de20 posited in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund es21 tablished under section 4(a)(3).’’. 


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Calendar No. 518 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2156 

[Report No. 112–216] 

A BILL 

To amend the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conrequirements for certain users. tion Stamps and make limited waivers of stamp Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conserva- Bird Conservation Commission, to set prices for the Interior, in consultation with the Migratory servation Stamp Act to permit the Secretary of 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 

Reported with amendments 


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