II 

Calendar No. 466 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1865 

[Report No. 113–210] 

To amend the prices set 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 

DECEMBER 19, 2013 

Mr. BEGICH (for himself, Mr. COONS, Mr. BAUCUS, and Mr. TESTER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

JULY 15, 2014 

Reported by Mrs. BOXER, with an amendment 

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

A BILL 

To amend the prices set for Federal Migratory Bird Hunting 

and Conservation Stamps and make limited waivers of 

stamp requirements for certain users. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Migratory Bird Habi3 tat Investment and Enhancement Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds that— 

6 (1) Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Con7 servation Stamps (commonly known as ‘‘duck 

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

9 required for hunting migratory waterfowl; 

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

11 conservation; 

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

13 sales are used to acquire important migratory bird 

14 breeding, migration, and wintering habitat, which 

15 are added to the National Wildlife Refuge System; 

16 and 

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

18 ducks; 

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

20 program has— 

21 (A) generated more than $750,000,000; 

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

23 of wetland and wildlife habitat; and 

24 (C) is considered among the most success25 ful conservation programs ever initiated; 


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•S 1865 RS

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

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

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

4 which took effect in 1991; and 

5 (B) the price of the duck stamp has not in6 creased since 1991, the longest single period without 

7 an increase in program history; and 

8 (5) with the price unchanged during the 20- 

9 year period preceding the date of enactment of this 

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

11 based on the consumer price index, while the United 

12 States Fish and Wildlife Service reports the price of 

13 land in targeted wetland areas has tripled from an 

14 average of $306 to $1,091 per acre. 

15 SEC. 3. COST OF STAMPS. 

16 Section 2 of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Con17 servation Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718b) is amended by 

18 striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

19 ‘‘(b) COST OF STAMPS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For the 5-calendar-year pe21 riod beginning with calendar year 2014, and for 

22 each 5-calendar-year period thereafter, the Sec23 retary, in consultation with the Migratory Bird Con24 servation Commission, shall establish the amount to 

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


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•S 1865 RS

1 under this section, provided that the amount shall 

2 not exceed $25 for the initial 5-calendar-year period 

3 and not exceed $30 for the any subsequent 5-cal4 endar-year period. 

5 ‘‘(2) COLLECTION OF AMOUNTS.—The United 

6 States Postal Service, the Department of the Inte7 rior, or any other agent approved by the Department 

8 of the Interior, shall collect the amount established 

9 under paragraph (1) for each stamp sold under this 

10 section for a hunting year if the Secretary deter11 mines, at any time before February 1 of the cal12 endar year during which the hunting year begins, 

13 that all amounts described in paragraph (3) have 

14 been obligated for expenditure. 

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

16 paragraph are amounts in the Migratory Bird Con17 servation Fund available for obligation and attrib18 utable to— 

19 ‘‘(A) amounts appropriated pursuant to 

20 this Act for the fiscal year ending in the imme21 diately preceding calendar year; and 

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

23 during that fiscal year.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. WAIVERS. 

2 Section 1(a) of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Con3 servation Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718a(a)) is amended— 

4 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and sub5 section (d)’’ after ‘‘paragraph (2)’’; and 

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

7 ‘‘(d) WAIVERS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta9 tion with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commis10 sion, may waive requirements under this section for 

11 such individuals as the Secretary, in consultation 

12 with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, 

13 determines to be appropriate. 

14 ‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—In making the determina15 tion described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 

16 grant only those waivers the Secretary determines 

17 will have a minimal adverse effect on funds to be de18 posited in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund es19 tablished under section 4(a)(3).’’. 


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Calendar No. 466 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1865 

[Report No. 113–210] 

A BILL 

To amend the prices set for Federal Migratory Bird 

users. limited waivers of stamp requirements for certain Hunting and Conservation Stamps and make 

JULY 15, 2014 

Reported with an amendment 


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