IB 

Union Calendar No. 757 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6013 

[Report No. 115–969] 

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

year as the Federal closing date for 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 

JUNE 6, 2018 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah (for himself and Mr. BERGMAN) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 

Additional sponsor: Mr. KELLY of Mississippi 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 

on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 6, 2018] 


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•HR 6013 RH

A BILL 

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

duck hunting season and to establish special duck hunting days for youths, veterans, and active military personnel, and for other purposes. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
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•HR 6013 RH

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’’. 

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

7 MERGANSERS, AND COOTS. 

8 Section 3 of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 

9 704) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(c) FEDERAL FRAMEWORK CLOSING DATE FOR

11 HUNTING OF DUCKS, MERGANSERS, AND COOTS.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In promulgating regulations 

13 under subsection (a) relating to the Federal frame14 work for outside dates within which the States may 

15 select seasons for migratory bird hunting, except as 

16 provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall, with 

17 respect to the hunting season for ducks, mergansers, 

18 and coots— 

19 ‘‘(A) adopt the recommendation of each re20 spective flyway council (as defined in section 

21 20.152 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations) 

22 for the Federal framework, but the framework 

23 closing date shall be January 31 of each year; 

24 and 


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1 ‘‘(B) allow the States to establish the closing 

2 date for the hunting season in accordance with 

3 the Federal framework. 

4 ‘‘(2) SPECIAL DUCK HUNTING DAYS FOR YOUTHS, 

5 VETERANS, AND ACTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL.— 

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

7 closing date under paragraph (1) and subject to 

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

9 allow States to select 2 days for youths and 2 

10 days for veterans (as defined in section 101 of 

11 title 38, United States Code), and members of the 

12 Armed Forces on active duty, including members 

13 of the National Guard and Reserves on active 

14 duty (other than for training), to hunt ducks, 

15 mergansers, and coots. Such days shall be treated 

16 as an addition to the regular hunting season 

17 lengths selected by the States. 

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

19 under subparagraph (A), a State shall ensure 

20 that— 

21 ‘‘(i) the days selected— 

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

23 hunting season for ducks, mergansers, 

24 and coots; 


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1 ‘‘(II) with regard to youth days, 

2 are on a weekend, holiday or other day 

3 in which schools are not in session; 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(III) are not more than 14 days 

6 before or after the hunting season for 

7 duck, mergansers, and coots; and 

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

9 hunting season for ducks, mergansers and 

10 coots, including any days selected under 

11 subparagraph (A), is not more than 107 

12 days. 

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

14 the 2 days allowed for youths with the 2 days al15 lowed for veterans and members of the Armed 

16 Forces on active duty under subparagraph (A), 

17 but in no circumstance may a State have more 

18 than a total of 4 additional days added to its 

19 regular hunting season for any purpose. 

20 ‘‘(3) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall pro21 mulgate regulations in accordance with this sub22 section for the Federal framework for migratory bird 

23 hunting for the 2019–2020 hunting season and each 

24 hunting season thereafter.’’. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend the 

Migratory Bird Treaty Act to establish January 31 of 


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•HR 6013 RH

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.’’. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS

pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 757 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6013 

[Report No. 115–969] 

A BILL 

To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to estabposes. and active military personnel, and for other pur- special duck hunting days for youths, veterans, ing date for duck hunting season and to establish lish January 31 of each year as the Federal closSEPTEMBER 25, 2018 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 

dered to be printed of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and orVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:02 Sep 25, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H6013.RH H6013

pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS