I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2026 

To assist in the conservation of highly endangered amphibian species in 

foreign countries, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 18, 2021 

Mr. JEFFRIES (for himself, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Mr. 

HUFFMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To assist in the conservation of highly endangered amphibian 

species in foreign countries, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Global Amphibian Pro5 tection Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) CONVENTION.—The term ‘‘Convention’’ 

9 means the Convention on International Trade in EnVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:09 May 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2026.IH H2026

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1 dangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (27 

2 U.S.C. 1087; 8249). 

3 (2) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conservation’’ 

4 means the protection and restoration of species and 

5 the habitat of such species. 

6 (3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the High7 ly Endangered Amphibians Conservation Fund es8 tablished by section 5. 

9 (4) HIGHLY ENDANGERED AMPHIBIAN SPE10 CIES.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘highly en12 dangered amphibian species’’ means— 

13 (i) any amphibian species categorized 

14 on the International Union Conservation of 

15 Nature Red List of Threatened Species as 

16 either Endangered or Critically Endan17 gered; and 

18 (ii) any other amphibian species cat19 egorized on the International Union Con20 servation of Nature Red List of Threat21 ened Species as Data Deficient or under a 

22 threat category lower than Endangered if 

23 the Secretary determines that— 

24 (I) the most recent International 

25 Union Conservation of Nature Red 


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1 List assessment indicates that the 

2 population is decreasing; or 

3 (II) such species is facing new or 

4 emerging threats. 

5 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘highly en6 dangered amphibian species’’ includes— 

7 (i) live specimens, at all lifecycle 

8 stages, of species described in subpara9 graph (A); 

10 (ii) dead specimens, or parts or prod11 ucts thereof, of such species. 

12 (5) MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION

13 FUND.—The term ‘‘Multinational Species Conserva14 tion Fund’’ means the fund established under the 

15 heading ‘‘multinational species conservation fund’’ in 

16 title I of the Department of the Interior and Related 

17 Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (16 U.S.C. 

18 4246). 

19 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

20 the Secretary of the Interior. 

21 SEC. 3. HIGHLY ENDANGERED AMPHIBIAN SPECIES ASSIST22 ANCE. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—In consultation with other Fed24 eral officials, the Secretary shall use amounts in the Fund 

25 to carry out a competitive grant program to provide finanVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:09 May 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2026.IH H2026

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1 cial assistance for the conservation of highly endangered 

2 amphibian species. 

3 (b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.— 

4 (1) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—A proposal for a 

5 grant under subsection (a) may be submitted to the 

6 Secretary by— 

7 (A) any wildlife management authority of 

8 a foreign country that has within its boundaries 

9 natural habitat of the highly endangered am10 phibians if the activities of the authority di11 rectly or indirectly benefit that species’ con12 servation; or 

13 (B) any other person or group with the 

14 demonstrated expertise and capacity required 

15 for the conservation of a highly endangered am16 phibian species. 

17 (2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—A project proposal 

18 shall include— 

19 (A) evidence of support for the project by 

20 appropriate governmental entities of the coun21 try in which the project will be conducted, if the 

22 Secretary determines that such support is re23 quired for the success of the project; 


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1 (B) evidence of sensitivity to local historic 

2 and cultural resources and compliance with ap3 plicable laws; 

4 (C) evidence of free, prior, and informed 

5 consent by indigenous peoples and local commu6 nities in the areas the project will be conducted, 

7 if the Secretary, based on the nature of the 

8 project, determines that such consent is re9 quired for the success of the project; 

10 (D) information regarding the source and 

11 amount of matching funding available for the 

12 project; and 

13 (E) any other information that the Sec14 retary determines to be appropriate. 

15 (c) EVALUATION AND APPROVAL.— 

16 (1) GOALS.—The Secretary may approve a pro17 posal under this section if the project will— 

18 (A) help recover and sustain viable popu19 lations in the wild of a highly endangered am20 phibian species with a range that is, in whole 

21 or in part, outside of the United States; 

22 (B) enhance compliance with provisions of 

23 the Convention and laws of the United States 

24 or a foreign country related to the conservation 

25 of a highly endangered amphibian species; or 


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1 (C) develop sound scientific information on 

2 that species’ habitat, population numbers and 

3 trends, reproduction, mortality, and other 

4 threats to survival. 

5 (2) METHODS.—The Secretary may approve a 

6 proposal under this section if the proposal would 

7 achieve one of the goals set forth in paragraph (1) 

8 through— 

9 (A) protection, restoration, and manage10 ment of habitat; 

11 (B) in situ research and monitoring of 

12 populations, habitats, annual reproduction, and 

13 species population trends; 

14 (C) development, implementation, and im15 provement of national and regional manage16 ment plans for a highly endangered amphibian 

17 species and the habitat of such species; 

18 (D) enforcement and implementation of 

19 the Convention or the law of a foreign country 

20 to— 

21 (i) protect and manage a highly en22 dangered amphibian species or the habitat 

23 of such species; 


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1 (ii) prevent illegal or unsustainable re2 moval of a highly endangered amphibian 

3 species from the wild; or 

4 (iii) prevent illegal trade of a highly 

5 endangered amphibian species; 

6 (E) training and capacity building for local 

7 law enforcement officials in the interdiction and 

8 prevention of the illegal killing, removal from 

9 the wild, or trade of a highly endangered am10 phibian species; 

11 (F) an initiative to resolve a conflict be12 tween humans and a highly endangered am13 phibian species; 

14 (G) research and implementation of 

15 projects to address disease and threats to the 

16 health of a highly endangered amphibian spe17 cies; 

18 (H) community outreach and education on 

19 conservation of a highly endangered amphibian 

20 species and the habitat of such species; or 

21 (I) strengthening the ability of local com22 munities to implement a conservation program. 

23 (3) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall, prior 

24 to approving any proposal under this section, consult 


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1 with each of the following with respect to such pro2 posal: 

3 (A) The Government of each country in 

4 which such proposal will be carried out. 

5 (B) Any other Federal agency the Sec6 retary determines is appropriate. 

7 (4) PREFERENTIAL CONSIDERATION.—In deter8 mining whether to approve a proposal, the Secretary 

9 shall give preference to a proposal that— 

10 (A) is designed to ensure effective, long11 term conservation of highly endangered amphib12 ian species and their habitats; and 

13 (B) has matching funds available. 

14 (5) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall, within 

15 180 days of receiving a proposal under this section, 

16 approve or disapprove of the proposal and provide 

17 written notification of such approval or disapproval 

18 to— 

19 (A) the person who submitted such pro20 posal; 

21 (B) any Federal agency the Secretary de22 termines appropriate; and 

23 (C) the foreign country in which such pro24 posal would be carried out. 

25 (d) PROJECT REPORTING.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall require 

2 each person that receives assistance under this sec3 tion to submit periodic reports including such infor4 mation as the Secretary may require in order to 

5 evaluate the progress and success of each grant 

6 issued under this section. 

7 (2) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—Reports 

8 under paragraph (1), and any other documents re9 lating to projects for which financial assistance is 

10 provided under this Act except for documents that 

11 the Secretary determines to be confidential in na12 ture, shall be made available to the public. 

13 (e) LIMITATIONS ON USE FOR CAPTIVE BREED14 ING.—Amounts provided as a grant under this Act— 

15 (1) may not be used for captive breeding of 

16 highly endangered amphibian species other than for 

17 captive breeding designed for release into the wild; 

18 and 

19 (2) may be used for captive breeding of a spe20 cies for release into the wild only if no other con21 servation method for the species is biologically or 

22 technically feasible. 


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1 SEC. 4. HIGHLY ENDANGERED AMPHIBIAN SPECIES CON2 SERVATION FUND. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

4 Multinational Species Conservation Fund a separate ac5 count to be known as the ‘‘Highly Endangered Amphibian 

6 Species Conservation Fund’’, consisting of— 

7 (1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the 

8 Treasury for deposit into the Fund under subsection 

9 (e); 

10 (2) amounts appropriated to the Fund under 

11 section 6; and 

12 (3) any interest earned on investment of 

13 amounts in the Fund under subsection (c). 

14 (b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), at 

16 the request of the Secretary, the Secretary of the 

17 Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the Sec18 retary, without further appropriation, such amounts 

19 as the Secretary determines are necessary to carry 

20 out section 4. 

21 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the 

22 amounts in the account available for each fiscal 

23 year, the Secretary may expend not more than 3 

24 percent, or up to $150,000, whichever is greater, to 

25 pay the administrative expenses necessary to carry 

26 out this Act. 


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1 (c) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas3 ury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not, 

4 in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

5 required to meet current withdrawals. Investments 

6 may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of 

7 the United States. 

8 (2) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the 

9 purpose of investments under paragraph (1), obliga10 tions may be acquired— 

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

12 (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations 

13 at market price. 

14 (3) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac15 quired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of 

16 the Treasury at market price. 

17 (4) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, and 

18 the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any ob19 ligations held in the Fund shall be credited to and 

20 form a part of the Fund. 

21 (d) TRANSFERS OF AMOUNTS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amounts required to be 

23 transferred to the Fund under this section shall be 

24 transferred at least monthly from the general fund 


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1 of the Treasury to the Fund on the basis of esti2 mates made by the Secretary of the Treasury. 

3 (2) ADJUSTMENTS.—Proper adjustment shall 

4 be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the 

5 extent prior estimates were in excess of or less than 

6 the amounts required to be transferred. 

7 (e) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATIONS.—The 

8 Secretary may accept and use donations to provide assist9 ance under section 4. Amounts received by the Secretary 

10 in the form of donations shall be transferred to the Sec11 retary of the Treasury for deposit in the Fund. The Sec12 retary may reject a gift under this section when the rejec13 tion is in the interest of the Government. 

14 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

15 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund 

16 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027. 

17 SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

18 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

19 of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary 

20 shall submit to Congress a report on the results and effec21 tiveness of the program carried out under this Act. 

Æ 


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