I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 742 

To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to establish January 31 of each 

year as the Federal framework closing date for the duck hunting season 

and to establish special duck hunting days for youths, veterans, and 

active military personnel, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 24, 2019 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to establish January 31 of each year as the Federal framework closing 

date for the duck hunting season and to establish special 

duck hunting days for youths, veterans, and active military personnel, 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 ‘‘Migratory Bird Frame5 work and Hunting Opportunities for Veterans Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FEDERAL CLOSING DATE FOR HUNTING OF DUCKS, 

2 MERGANSERS, AND COOTS. 

3 Section 3 of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 

4 U.S.C. 704) is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(c) FEDERAL FRAMEWORK CLOSING DATE FOR

7 HUNTING OF DUCKS, MERGANSERS, AND COOTS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In promulgating regula9 tions under subsection (a) relating to the Federal 

10 framework for outside dates within which the States 

11 may select seasons for migratory bird hunting, ex12 cept as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary 

13 shall, with respect to the hunting season for ducks, 

14 mergansers, and coots— 

15 ‘‘(A) adopt the recommendation of each re16 spective flyway council (as defined in section 

17 20.152 of title 50, Code of Federal Regula18 tions) for the Federal framework if considered 

19 by the Secretary to be consistent with science20 based and sustainable adaptive harvest manage21 ment, but the framework closing date shall be 

22 January 31 of each year; and 

23 ‘‘(B) allow the States to establish the clos24 ing date for the hunting season in accordance 

25 with the Federal framework. 


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1 ‘‘(2) SPECIAL DUCK HUNTING DAYS FOR

2 YOUTHS, VETERANS, AND ACTIVE MILITARY PER3 SONNEL.— 

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the 

5 closing date under paragraph (1) and subject to 

6 subparagraphs (B) and (C), the Secretary shall 

7 allow States to select 2 days for youths and 2 

8 days for veterans (as defined in section 101 of 

9 title 38, United States Code), and members of 

10 the Armed Forces on active duty, including 

11 members of the National Guard and Reserves 

12 on active duty (other than for training), to hunt 

13 ducks, mergansers, and coots. Such days shall 

14 be treated as an addition to the regular hunting 

15 season lengths selected by the States. 

16 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In selecting days 

17 under subparagraph (A), a State shall ensure 

18 that— 

19 ‘‘(i) the days selected— 

20 ‘‘(I) do not fall within the regular 

21 hunting season for ducks, mergansers, 

22 and coots; 

23 ‘‘(II) with regard to youth days, 

24 are on a weekend, holiday or other 


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1 day in which schools are not in ses2 sion; and 

3 ‘‘(III) are not more than 14 days 

4 before or after the hunting season for 

5 duck, mergansers, and coots; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) the total number of days in a 

7 hunting season for ducks, mergansers and 

8 coots, including any days selected under 

9 subparagraph (A), is not more than 107 

10 days. 

11 ‘‘(C) LIMITATION.—A State may combine 

12 the 2 days allowed for youths with the 2 days 

13 allowed for veterans and members of the Armed 

14 Forces on active duty under subparagraph (A), 

15 but in no circumstance may a State have more 

16 than a total of 4 additional days added to its 

17 regular hunting season for any purpose. 

18 ‘‘(3) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall pro19 mulgate regulations in accordance with this sub20 section for the Federal framework for migratory bird 

21 hunting for the 2020–2021 hunting season and each 

22 hunting season thereafter.’’. 

Æ 


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