II

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1699

To establish the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in the State

of New Mexico, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 24, 1996

Mr. BINGAMAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To establish the National Cave and Karst Research Institute

in the State of New Mexico, 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 ‘‘National Cave and

5 Karst Research Institute Act of 1996’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

7 The purposes of this Act are—

8 (1) to further the science of speleology;

9 (2) to centralize and standardize speleological

10 information;
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1 (3) to foster interdisciplinary cooperation in

2 cave and karst research programs;

3 (4) to promote public education;

4 (5) to promote national and international co5 operation in protecting the environment for the ben6 efit of cave and karst landforms; and

7 (6) to promote and develop environmentally

8 sound and sustainable resource management prac9 tices.

10 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INSTITUTE.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior (re12 ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through

13 the Director of the National Park Service, shall establish

14 the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (referred

15 to in this Act as the ‘‘Institute’’).

16 (b) PURPOSES.—The Institute shall, to the extent

17 practicable, further the purposes of this Act.

18 (c) LOCATION.—The Institute shall be located in the

19 vicinity of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in the State

20 of New Mexico. The Institute shall not be located inside

21 the boundaries of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

22 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTITUTE.

23 (a) MANAGEMENT.—The Institute shall be jointly ad24 ministered by the National Park Service and a public or
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1 private agency, organization, or institution, as determined

2 by the Secretary.

3 (b) GUIDELINES.—The Institute shall be operated

4 and managed in accordance with the study prepared by

5 the National Park Service pursuant to section 203 of the

6 Act entitled ‘‘An Act to conduct certain studies in the

7 State of New Mexico’’, approved November 15, 1990

8 (Public Law 101–578; 16 U.S.C. 4310 note).

9 (c) CONTRACTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—

10 The Secretary may enter into a contract or cooperative

11 agreement with a public or private agency, organization,

12 or institution to carry out this Act.

13 (d) FACILITY.—

14 (1) LEASING OR ACQUIRING A FACILITY.—The

15 Secretary may lease or acquire a facility for the In16 stitute.

17 (2) CONSTRUCTION OF A FACILITY.—If the

18 Secretary determines that a suitable facility is not

19 available for a lease or acquisition under paragraph

20 (1), the Secretary may construct a facility for the

21 Institute.

22 (e) ACCEPTANCE OF GRANTS AND TRANSFERS.—To

23 carry out this Act, the Secretary may accept—

24 (1) a grant or donation from a private person;

25 or
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1 (2) a transfer of funds from another Federal

2 agency.

3 SEC. 5. FUNDING.

4 (a) MATCHING FUNDS.—The Secretary may spend

5 only such amount of Federal funds to carry out this Act

6 as is matched by an equal amount of funds from non-Fed7 eral sources.

8 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

9 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be

10 necessary to carry out this Act.

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