II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1925 

To extend the secure rural schools and community self-determination program 

and to make permanent the payment in lieu of taxes program and 

the land and water conservation fund. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 4, 2015 

Mr. HEINRICH (for himself, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. UDALL, Mr. BENNET, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. COONS, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 

TESTER, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. KING, Mr. LEAHY, and Mrs. SHAHEEN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To extend the secure rural schools and community self-determination program and to make permanent the payment 

in lieu of taxes program and the land and water conservation fund. 

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

3 SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND 

4 COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION PRO5 GRAM. 

6 (a) SECURE PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUNTIES

7 CONTAINING FEDERAL LAND.— 

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1 (1) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3(11) of the Secure 

2 Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 

3 Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7102) is amended— 

4 (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

5 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

6 (B) in subparagraph (C)— 

7 (i) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2012 and 

8 each fiscal year thereafter’’ and inserting 

9 ‘‘each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015’’; 

10 and 

11 (ii) by striking ‘‘year.’’ and inserting 

12 ‘‘year; and’’; and 

13 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(D) for each of fiscal years 2016 through 

15 2021, the amount that is equal to the full fund16 ing amount for fiscal year 2011.’’. 

17 (2) CALCULATION OF PAYMENTS.—Section 101 

18 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self19 Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7111) is 

20 amended by striking ‘‘2015’’ each place it appears 

21 and inserting ‘‘2021’’. 

22 (3) ELECTIONS.—Section 102(b) of the Secure 

23 Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 

24 Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7112(b)) is amended— 

25 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

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1 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

2 ‘‘August 1, 2013 (or as soon thereafter as 

3 the Secretary concerned determines is 

4 practicable), and August 1 of each second 

5 fiscal year thereafter’’ and inserting ‘‘Au6 gust 1 of each fiscal year (or a later date 

7 specified by the Secretary concerned for 

8 the fiscal year)’’; and 

9 (ii) by adding at the end the fol10 lowing: 

11 ‘‘(D) PAYMENT FOR FISCAL YEARS 2016

12 THROUGH 2021.—A county election otherwise 

13 required by subparagraph (A) shall not apply 

14 for fiscal years 2016 through 2021 if the coun15 ty elects to receive a share of the State payment 

16 or the county payment in 2013.’’; and 

17 (B) in paragraph (2)(B)— 

18 (i) by inserting ‘‘or any subsequent 

19 year’’ after ‘‘2013’’; and 

20 (ii) by striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting 

21 ‘‘2021’’. 

22 (4) ELECTION AS TO USE OF BALANCE.—Sec23 tion 102(d)(1) of the Secure Rural Schools and 

24 Community Self Determination Act of 2000 (16 

25 U.S.C. 7112(d)(1)) is amended— 

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1 (A) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking 

2 ‘‘not more than 7 percent of the total share for 

3 the eligible county of the State payment or the 

4 county payment’’ and inserting ‘‘any portion of 

5 the balance’’; and 

6 (B) by striking subparagraph (C) and in7 serting the following: 

8 ‘‘(C) COUNTIES WITH MAJOR DISTRIBU9 TIONS.—In the case of each eligible county to 

10 which $350,000 or more is distributed for any 

11 fiscal year pursuant to either or both of para12 graphs (1)(B) and (2)(B) of subsection (a), the 

13 eligible county shall elect to do 1 or more of the 

14 following with the balance of any funds not ex15 pended pursuant to subparagraph (A): 

16 ‘‘(i) Reserve any portion of the bal17 ance for projects in accordance with title 

18 II. 

19 ‘‘(ii) Reserve not more than 7 percent 

20 of the total share for the eligible county of 

21 the State payment or the county payment 

22 for projects in accordance with title III. 

23 ‘‘(iii) Return to the Treasury of the 

24 United States the portion of the balance 

25 not reserved under clauses (i) and (ii).’’. 

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1 (5) FAILURE TO ELECT.—Section 

2 102(d)(3)(B)(ii) of the Secure Rural Schools and 

3 Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 

4 U.S.C. 7112(d)(3)(B)(ii)) is amended by striking 

5 ‘‘purpose described in section 202(b)’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘purposes described in section 202(b), section 

7 203(c), or section 204(a)(5)’’. 

8 (6) DISTRIBUTION OF PAYMENTS TO ELIGIBLE

9 COUNTIES.—Section 103(d)(2) of the Secure Rural 

10 Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 

11 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7113(d)(2)) is amended by striking 

12 ‘‘2015’’ and inserting ‘‘2021’’. 

13 (b) CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT

14 SPECIAL PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND.— 

15 (1) PILOT PROGRAM.—Section 204(e) of the 

16 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter17 mination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7124(e)) is amend18 ed by striking paragraph (3). 

19 (2) AVAILABILITY OF PROJECT FUNDS.—Sec20 tion 207(d)(2) of the Secure Rural Schools and 

21 Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 

22 U.S.C. 7127(d)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘sub23 paragraph (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph 

24 (B)(i)’’. 

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1 (3) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 

2 208 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 

3 Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7128) is 

4 amended— 

5 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2017’’ 

6 and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 

7 (B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 

8 and inserting ‘‘2024’’. 

9 (c) CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY TO USE COUNTY

10 FUNDS.— 

11 (1) FUNDING FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE.—Sec12 tion 302(a) of the Secure Rural Schools and Com13 munity Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

14 7142(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (2) and 

15 inserting the following: 

16 ‘‘(2) to reimburse the participating county or 

17 sheriff for amounts paid for by the participating 

18 county or sheriff, as applicable, for— 

19 ‘‘(A) search and rescue and other emer20 gency services, including firefighting, that are 

21 performed on Federal land; and 

22 ‘‘(B) emergency response vehicles or air23 craft but only in the amount attributable to the 

24 use of the vehicles or aircraft to provide the 

25 services described in subparagraph (A).’’. 

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1 (2) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 

2 304 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 

3 Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7144) is 

4 amended— 

5 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2017’’ 

6 and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 

7 (B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 

8 and inserting ‘‘2024’’. 

9 (d) NO REDUCTION IN PAYMENT.—Title IV of the 

10 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 

11 Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7151 et seq.) is amended by add12 ing at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘SEC. 404. NO REDUCTION IN PAYMENTS. 

14 ‘‘Payments under this Act for fiscal year 2016 and 

15 each fiscal year thereafter shall be exempt from direct 

16 spending reductions under section 251A of the Balanced 

17 Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 

18 U.S.C. 901a).’’. 

19 SEC. 2. RESTORING MANDATORY FUNDING STATUS TO THE 

20 PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES PROGRAM. 

21 Section 6906 of title 31, United States Code, is 

22 amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by strik23 ing ‘‘of fiscal years 2008 through 2014’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘fiscal year’’. 

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1 SEC. 3. PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION AND FULL FUNDING 

2 OF THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION 

3 FUND. 

4 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 200302 of title 54, 

5 United States Code, is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (b), in the matter preceding 

7 paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘During the period end8 ing September 30, 2015, there’’ and inserting 

9 ‘‘There’’; and 

10 (2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘through 

11 September 30, 2015’’. 

12 (b) FULL FUNDING.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 200303 of title 54, 

14 United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

15 ‘‘§ 200303. Availability of funds 

16 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Amounts deposited in the Fund 

17 under section 200302 shall be made available for expendi18 ture, without further appropriation or fiscal year limita19 tion, to carry out the purposes of the Fund (including ac20 counts and programs made available from the Fund under 

21 the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations 

22 Act, 2015 (Public Law 113–235; 128 Stat. 2130)). 

23 ‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS.—Amounts made avail24 able under subsection (a) shall be in addition to amounts 

25 made available to the Fund under section 105 of the Gulf 

26 of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (43 U.S.C. 1331 

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1 note; Public Law 109–432) or otherwise appropriated 

2 from the Fund. 

3 ‘‘(c) ALLOCATION AUTHORITY.— 

4 ‘‘(1) SUBMISSION OF COST ESTIMATES.—The 

5 President shall submit to Congress detailed account, 

6 program, and project allocations to be funded under 

7 subsection (a) as part of the annual budget submis8 sion of the President. 

9 ‘‘(2) ALTERNATE ALLOCATION.— 

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Appropriations Acts 

11 may provide for alternate allocation of amounts 

12 made available under subsection (a), including 

13 allocations by account and program. 

14 ‘‘(B) ALLOCATION BY PRESIDENT.— 

15 ‘‘(i) NO ALTERNATE ALLOCATIONS.— 

16 If Congress has not enacted legislation es17 tablishing alternate allocations by the date 

18 that is 120 days after the date on which 

19 the applicable fiscal year begins, amounts 

20 made available under subsection (a) shall 

21 be allocated by the President. 

22 ‘‘(ii) INSUFFICIENT ALTERNATE AL23 LOCATION.—If Congress enacts legislation 

24 establishing alternate allocations for 

25 amounts made available under subsection 

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1 (a) that are less than the full amount ap2 propriated under that subsection, the dif3 ference between the amount appropriated 

4 and the alternate allocation shall be allo5 cated by the President. 

6 ‘‘(3) ANNUAL REPORT.—The President shall 

7 submit to Congress an annual report that describes 

8 the final allocation by account, program, and project 

9 of amounts made available under subsection (a), in10 cluding a description of the status of obligations and 

11 expenditures.’’. 

12 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec13 tions affected for title 54 is amended by striking the 

14 item relating to section 200303 and inserting the 

15 following: 

‘‘200303. Availability of funds.’’. 

16 (c) PUBLIC ACCESS.—Section 200306 of title 54, 

17 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

18 following: 

19 ‘‘(c) PUBLIC ACCESS.—Not less than 1.5 percent of 

20 the annual authorized funding amount shall be made 

21 available each year for projects that secure recreational 

22 public access to existing Federal public land for hunting, 

23 fishing, or other recreational purposes.’’. 

Æ 

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