I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2399 

To establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory 

Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture 

on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, recreational shooting, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 18, 2015 

Mr. LATTA (for himself, Mr. WITTMAN, and Mr. HANNA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 

and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation 

Council Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries 

of the Interior and Agriculture on wildlife and habitat 

conservation, hunting, recreational shooting, 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 ‘‘Wildlife and Hunting 

5 Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. WILDLIFE AND HUNTING HERITAGE CONSERVA2 TION COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Fish and Wildlife Coordina4 tion Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) is amended by adding 

5 at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 10. WILDLIFE AND HUNTING HERITAGE CONSERVA7 TION COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

8 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established 

9 the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council 

10 Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the ‘Ad11 visory Committee’) to advise the Secretaries of the Interior 

12 and Agriculture on wildlife and habitat conservation, 

13 hunting, and recreational shooting. 

14 ‘‘(b) DUTIES OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The 

15 Advisory Committee shall advise the Secretaries with re16 gard to— 

17 ‘‘(1) implementation of Executive Order No. 

18 13443: Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wild19 life Conservation, which directs Federal agencies ‘to 

20 facilitate the expansion and enhancement of hunting 

21 opportunities and the management of game species 

22 and their habitat’; 

23 ‘‘(2) policies or programs to conserve and re24 store wetlands, agricultural lands, grasslands, forest, 

25 and rangeland habitats; 


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1 ‘‘(3) policies or programs to promote opportuni2 ties and access to hunting and shooting sports on 

3 Federal lands; 

4 ‘‘(4) policies or programs to recruit and retain 

5 new hunters and shooters; 

6 ‘‘(5) policies or programs that increase public 

7 awareness of the importance of wildlife conservation 

8 and the social and economic benefits of recreational 

9 hunting and shooting; and 

10 ‘‘(6) policies or programs that encourage co11 ordination among the public, the hunting and shoot12 ing sports community, wildlife conservation groups, 

13 and States, tribes, and the Federal Government. 

14 ‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

15 ‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Com17 mittee shall consist of no more than 16 discre18 tionary members and 7 ex officio members. 

19 ‘‘(B) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The ex offi20 cio members are— 

21 ‘‘(i) the Director of the United States 

22 Fish and Wildlife Service or a designated 

23 representative of the Director; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) the Director of the Bureau of 

2 Land Management or a designated rep3 resentative of the Director; 

4 ‘‘(iii) the Director of the National 

5 Park Service or a designated representa6 tive of the Director; 

7 ‘‘(iv) the Chief of the Forest Service 

8 or a designated representative of the Chief; 

9 ‘‘(v) the Chief of the Natural Re10 sources Conservation Service or a des11 ignated representative of the Chief; 

12 ‘‘(vi) the Administrator of the Farm 

13 Service Agency or a designated representa14 tive of the Administrator; and 

15 ‘‘(vii) the Executive Director of the 

16 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 

17 ‘‘(C) DISCRETIONARY MEMBERS.—The dis18 cretionary members shall be appointed jointly 

19 by the Secretaries from at least one of each of 

20 the following: 

21 ‘‘(i) State fish and wildlife agencies. 

22 ‘‘(ii) Game bird hunting organiza23 tions. 

24 ‘‘(iii) Wildlife conservation organiza25 tions. 


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1 ‘‘(iv) Big game hunting organizations. 

2 ‘‘(v) The tourism, outfitter, or guiding 

3 industry. 

4 ‘‘(vi) The firearms or ammunition 

5 manufacturing industry. 

6 ‘‘(vii) The hunting or shooting equip7 ment retail industry. 

8 ‘‘(viii) Tribal resource management 

9 organizations. 

10 ‘‘(ix) The agriculture industry. 

11 ‘‘(x) The ranching industry. 

12 ‘‘(xi) Waterfowl hunting organiza13 tions. 

14 ‘‘(D) ELIGIBILITY.—Prior to the appoint15 ment of the discretionary members, the Secre16 taries shall determine that all individuals nomi17 nated for appointment to the Advisory Com18 mittee, and the organization each individual 

19 represents, actively support and promote sus20 tainable-use hunting, wildlife conservation, and 

21 recreational shooting. 

22 ‘‘(2) TERMS.— 

23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

24 subparagraph (B), members of the Advisory 

25 Committee shall be appointed for a term of 4 


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1 years. Members shall not be appointed for more 

2 than 3 consecutive or nonconsecutive terms. 

3 ‘‘(B) TERMS OF INITIAL APPOINTEES.—As 

4 designated by the Secretary at the time of ap5 pointment, of the members first appointed— 

6 ‘‘(i) 6 members shall be appointed for 

7 a term of 4 years; 

8 ‘‘(ii) 5 members shall be appointed for 

9 a term of 3 years; and 

10 ‘‘(iii) 5 members shall be appointed 

11 for a term of 2 years. 

12 ‘‘(3) PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC ADVISORY STA13 TUS.—No individual may be appointed as a discre14 tionary member of the Advisory Committee while 

15 serving as an officer or employee of the Federal 

16 Government. 

17 ‘‘(4) VACANCY AND REMOVAL.— 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any vacancy on the 

19 Advisory Committee shall be filled in the man20 ner in which the original appointment was 

21 made. 

22 ‘‘(B) REMOVAL.—Advisory Committee 

23 members shall serve at the discretion of the 

24 Secretaries and may be removed at any time for 

25 good cause. 


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1 ‘‘(5) CONTINUATION OF SERVICE.—Each ap2 pointed member may continue to serve after the ex3 piration of the term of office to which such member 

4 was appointed until a successor has been appointed. 

5 ‘‘(6) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the 

6 Advisory Committee shall be appointed for a 3-year 

7 term by the Secretaries, jointly, from among the 

8 members of the Advisory Committee. An individual 

9 may not be appointed as Chairperson for more than 

10 2 consecutive or nonconsecutive terms. 

11 ‘‘(7) PAY AND EXPENSES.—Members of the Ad12 visory Committee shall serve without pay for such 

13 service, but each member of the Advisory Committee 

14 may be reimbursed for travel and lodging incurred 

15 through attending meetings of the Advisory Com16 mittee approved subgroup meetings in the same 

17 amounts and under the same conditions as Federal 

18 employees (in accordance with section 5703 of title 

19 5, United States Code). 

20 ‘‘(8) MEETINGS.— 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Com22 mittee shall meet at the call of the Secretaries, 

23 the chairperson, or a majority of the members, 

24 but not less frequently than twice annually. 


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1 ‘‘(B) OPEN MEETINGS.—Each meeting of 

2 the Advisory Committee shall be open to the 

3 public. 

4 ‘‘(C) PRIOR NOTICE OF MEETINGS.—Time5 ly notice of each meeting of the Advisory Com6 mittee shall be published in the Federal Reg7 ister and be submitted to trade publications and 

8 publications of general circulation. 

9 ‘‘(D) SUBGROUPS.—The Advisory Com10 mittee may establish such workgroups or sub11 groups as it deems necessary for the purpose of 

12 compiling information or conducting research. 

13 However, such workgroups may not conduct 

14 business without the direction of the Advisory 

15 Committee and must report in full to the Advi16 sory Committee. 

17 ‘‘(9) QUORUM.—Nine members of the Advisory 

18 Committee shall constitute a quorum. 

19 ‘‘(d) EXPENSES.—The expenses of the Advisory 

20 Committee that the Secretaries determine to be reasonable 

21 and appropriate shall be paid by the Secretaries. 

22 ‘‘(e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, TECHNICAL SERV23 ICES, AND ADVICE.—A designated Federal Officer shall 

24 be jointly appointed by the Secretaries to provide to the 

25 Advisory Committee the administrative support, technical 


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1 services, and advice that the Secretaries determine to be 

2 reasonable and appropriate. 

3 ‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORT.— 

4 ‘‘(1) REQUIRED.—Not later than September 30 

5 of each year, the Advisory Committee shall submit 

6 a report to the Secretaries, the Committee on Nat7 ural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture of 

8 the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 

9 Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee 

10 on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Sen11 ate. If circumstances arise in which the Advisory 

12 Committee cannot meet the September 30 deadline 

13 in any year, the Secretaries shall advise the Chair14 persons of each such Committee of the reasons for 

15 such delay and the date on which the submission of 

16 the report is anticipated. 

17 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The report required by para18 graph (1) shall describe— 

19 ‘‘(A) the activities of the Advisory Com20 mittee during the preceding year; 

21 ‘‘(B) the reports and recommendations 

22 made by the Advisory Committee to the Secre23 taries during the preceding year; and 

24 ‘‘(C) an accounting of actions taken by the 

25 Secretaries as a result of the recommendations. 


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1 ‘‘(g) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The 

2 Advisory Committee shall be exempt from the Federal Ad3 visory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).’’. 

4 (b) CONTINUANCE AND ABOLISHMENT OF EXISTING

5 WILDLIFE AND HUNTING HERITAGE CONSERVATION

6 COUNCIL.—The Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conserva7 tion Council established pursuant to section 441 of the 

8 Revised Statutes (43 U.S.C. 1457), section 2 of the Fish 

9 and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a), and other Acts 

10 applicable to specific bureaus of the Department of the 

11 Interior— 

12 (1) shall continue until the date of the first 

13 meeting of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Con14 servation Council established by the amendment 

15 made by subsection (a); and 

16 (2) is hereby abolished effective on that date. 

Æ 


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