II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 435 

To extend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act 

of 2000. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 24, 2021 

Mr. CRAPO (for himself, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. RISCH, Mr. MERKLEY, Mrs. CAPITO, Ms. ROSEN, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. KELLY, Mr. SULLIVAN, Ms. 

STABENOW, Mr. BENNET, Mr. TESTER, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, 

Mr. ROMNEY, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. MANCHIN, Ms. SINEMA, and Mr. 

SANDERS) 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 SelfDetermination Act of 2000. 

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 ‘‘Secure Rural Schools 

5 Reauthorization Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COM2 MUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION ACT OF 2000. 

3 (a) DEFINITION OF FULL FUNDING AMOUNT.—Sec4 tion 3(11) of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 

5 Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7102(11)) is 

6 amended by striking subparagraphs (D) and (E) and in7 serting the following: 

8 ‘‘(D) for fiscal year 2017, the amount that 

9 is equal to 95 percent of the full funding 

10 amount for fiscal year 2015; 

11 ‘‘(E) for each of fiscal years 2018 through 

12 2020, the amount that is equal to 95 percent 

13 of the full funding amount for the preceding fis14 cal year; and 

15 ‘‘(F) for fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal 

16 year thereafter, the amount that is equal to the 

17 full funding amount for fiscal year 2017.’’. 

18 (b) SECURE PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUNTIES

19 CONTAINING FEDERAL LAND.— 

20 (1) SECURE PAYMENTS.—Section 101 of the 

21 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter22 mination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7111) is amended, 

23 in subsections (a) and (b), by striking ‘‘2015, 2017, 

24 2018, 2019, and 2020’’ each place it appears and 

25 inserting ‘‘2015 and 2017 through 2023’’. 


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1 (2) DISTRIBUTION OF PAYMENTS TO ELIGIBLE

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

3 Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 

4 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7113(d)(2)) is amended by striking 

5 ‘‘2020’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 

6 (c) PILOT PROGRAM TO STREAMLINE NOMINATION

7 OF MEMBERS OF RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.— 

8 Section 205 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 

9 Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125) is 

10 amended by striking subsection (g) and inserting the fol11 lowing: 

12 ‘‘(g) RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPOINT13 MENT PILOT PROGRAMS.— 

14 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

15 ‘‘(A) APPLICABLE DESIGNEE.—The term 

16 ‘applicable designee’ means the applicable re17 gional forester. 

18 ‘‘(B) NATIONAL PILOT PROGRAM.—The 

19 term ‘national pilot program’ means the na20 tional pilot program established under para21 graph (4)(A). 

22 ‘‘(C) REGIONAL PILOT PROGRAM.—The 

23 term ‘regional pilot program’ means the re24 gional pilot program established under para25 graph (3)(A). 


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1 ‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAMS.— 

2 In accordance with paragraphs (3) and (4), the Sec3 retary concerned shall carry out 2 pilot programs to 

4 appoint members of resource advisory committees. 

5 ‘‘(3) REGIONAL PILOT PROGRAM.— 

6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary con7 cerned shall carry out a regional pilot program 

8 to allow an applicable designee to appoint mem9 bers of resource advisory committees. 

10 ‘‘(B) GEOGRAPHIC LIMITATION.—The re11 gional pilot program shall only apply to re12 source advisory committees chartered in— 

13 ‘‘(i) the State of Montana; and 

14 ‘‘(ii) the State of Arizona. 

15 ‘‘(C) RESPONSIBILITIES OF APPLICABLE

16 DESIGNEE.— 

17 ‘‘(i) REVIEW.—Before appointing a 

18 member of a resource advisory committee 

19 under the regional pilot program, an appli20 cable designee shall conduct the review and 

21 analysis that would otherwise be conducted 

22 for an appointment to a resource advisory 

23 committee if the regional pilot program 

24 was not in effect, including any review and 


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1 analysis with respect to civil rights and 

2 budgetary requirements. 

3 ‘‘(ii) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in 

4 this paragraph relieves an applicable des5 ignee from any requirement developed by 

6 the Secretary concerned for making an ap7 pointment to a resource advisory com8 mittee that is in effect on December 20, 

9 2018, including any requirement for adver10 tising a vacancy. 

11 ‘‘(4) NATIONAL PILOT PROGRAM.— 

12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary con13 cerned shall carry out a national pilot program 

14 to allow the Chief of the Forest Service or the 

15 Director of the Bureau of Land Management, 

16 as applicable, to submit to the Secretary con17 cerned nominations of individuals for appoint18 ment as members of resource advisory commit19 tees. 

20 ‘‘(B) APPOINTMENT.—Under the national 

21 pilot program, subject to subparagraph (C), not 

22 later than 30 days after the date on which a 

23 nomination is transmitted to the Secretary con24 cerned under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

25 concerned shall— 


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1 ‘‘(i) appoint the nominee to the appli2 cable resource advisory committee; or 

3 ‘‘(ii) reject the nomination. 

4 ‘‘(C) AUTOMATIC APPOINTMENT.—If the 

5 Secretary concerned does not act on a nomina6 tion in accordance with subparagraph (B) by 

7 the date described in that subparagraph, the 

8 nominee shall be deemed appointed to the appli9 cable resource advisory committee. 

10 ‘‘(D) GEOGRAPHIC LIMITATION.—The na11 tional pilot program shall apply to a resource 

12 advisory committee chartered in any State other 

13 than— 

14 ‘‘(i) the State of Montana; or 

15 ‘‘(ii) the State of Arizona. 

16 ‘‘(E) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this 

17 paragraph relieves the Secretary concerned 

18 from any requirement relating to an appoint19 ment to a resource advisory committee, includ20 ing any requirement with respect to civil rights 

21 or advertising a vacancy. 

22 ‘‘(5) TERMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS.—The 

23 authority provided under this subsection terminates 

24 on October 1, 2023. 


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1 ‘‘(6) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 180 

2 days after the date described in paragraph (5), the 

3 Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a re4 port that includes— 

5 ‘‘(A) with respect to appointments made 

6 under the regional pilot program compared to 

7 appointments made under the national pilot 

8 program, a description of the extent to which— 

9 ‘‘(i) appointments were faster or slow10 er; and 

11 ‘‘(ii) the requirements described in 

12 paragraph (3)(C)(i) differ; and 

13 ‘‘(B) a recommendation with respect to 

14 whether Congress should terminate, continue, 

15 modify, or expand the pilot programs.’’. 

16 (d) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT SPE17 CIAL PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND.— 

18 (1) EXISTING ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—Section 

19 205(a)(4) of the Secure Rural Schools and Commu20 nity Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

21 7125(a)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘December 20, 

22 2021’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Decem23 ber 20, 2023’’. 

24 (2) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 208 

25 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community SelfVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:58 Mar 17, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S435.IS S435

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1 Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7128) is 

2 amended— 

3 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2022’’ 

4 and inserting ‘‘2025’’; and 

5 (B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘2023’’ 

6 and inserting ‘‘2026’’. 

7 (e) ACCESS TO BROADBAND AND OTHER TECH8 NOLOGY.—Section 302(a) of the Secure Rural Schools and 

9 Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

10 7142(a)) is amended— 

11 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

12 end; 

13 (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 

14 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

15 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(5) to provide or expand access to— 

17 ‘‘(A) broadband telecommunications serv18 ices at local schools; or 

19 ‘‘(B) the technology and connectivity nec20 essary for students to use a digital learning tool 

21 at or outside of a local school campus.’’. 

22 (f) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO EXPEND COUNTY

23 FUNDS.—Section 304 of the Secure Rural Schools and 

24 Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

25 7144) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2022’’ and 

2 inserting ‘‘2025’’; and 

3 (2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘2023’’ and 

4 inserting ‘‘2026’’. 

5 (g) AMOUNTS OBLIGATED BUT UNSPENT; PROHIBI6 TION ON USE OF FUNDS.—Title III of the Secure Rural 

7 Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 

8 (16 U.S.C. 7141 et seq.) is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating section 304 as section 305; 

10 and 

11 (2) by inserting after section 303 the following: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 304. AMOUNTS OBLIGATED BUT UNSPENT; PROHIBI13 TION ON USE OF FUNDS. 

14 ‘‘(a) AMOUNTS OBLIGATED BUT UNSPENT.—Any 

15 county funds that were obligated by the applicable partici16 pating county before October 1, 2017, but are unspent on 

17 October 1, 2020— 

18 ‘‘(1) may, at the option of the participating 

19 county, be deemed to have been reserved by the par20 ticipating county on October 1, 2020, for expendi21 ture in accordance with this title; and 

22 ‘‘(2)(A) may be used by the participating coun23 ty for any authorized use under section 302(a); and 

24 ‘‘(B) on a determination by the participating 

25 county under subparagraph (A) to use the county 


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1 funds, shall be available for projects initiated after 

2 October 1, 2020, subject to section 305. 

3 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS.—Notwith4 standing any other provision of law, effective beginning 

5 on the date of enactment of the Secure Rural Schools Re6 authorization Act of 2021, no county funds made available 

7 under this title may be used by any participating county 

8 for any lobbying activity, regardless of the purpose for 

9 which the funds are obligated on or before that date.’’. 

Æ 


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