II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2327 

To make continuing appropriations for certain programs that benefit 

sportsmen in the event of a lapse in appropriations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 13, 2014 

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

to the Committee on Appropriations 

A BILL 

To make continuing appropriations for certain programs that 

benefit sportsmen in the event of a lapse in appropriations. 

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 ‘‘Keeping Public Lands 

5 Open Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) units of the National Park System, units of 

9 the National Forest System, units of the National 

10 Wildlife Refuge System, and other public land— 


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1 (A) are an integral part of the conserva2 tion heritage of the United States; 

3 (B) provide many recreational opportuni4 ties; and 

5 (C) support jobs and economic activity in 

6 communities across the United States, including 

7 in many rural areas; and 

8 (2) it is critical that the public have uninter9 rupted access to the national treasures referred to in 

10 paragraph (1). 

11 SEC. 3. AUTOMATIC CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR 

12 CERTAIN COVERED ACCOUNTS. 

13 (a) DEFINITION OF COVERED ACCOUNT.—In this 

14 section, the term ‘‘covered account’’ means each of the fol15 lowing appropriation accounts: 

16 (1) Within the Department of the Interior for 

17 the Fish and Wildlife Service, within the resource 

18 management appropriation, amounts made available 

19 for— 

20 (A) the activities of the National Wildlife 

21 Refuge System; and 

22 (B) habitat conservation. 

23 (2) Within the Department of the Interior for 

24 the Fish and Wildlife Service, the appropriation for 

25 the Migratory Bird Conservation Account. 


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1 (3) Within the Department of Agriculture for 

2 the Forest Service, within the National Forest Sys3 tem appropriation, amounts made available for— 

4 (A) the activities of recreation, heritage, 

5 and wilderness; and 

6 (B) law enforcement operations. 

7 (4) Within the Department of the Interior for 

8 the Bureau of Land Management, within the man9 agement of land and resources appropriation, 

10 amounts made available for— 

11 (A) the activities of recreation manage12 ment, resource protection, and maintenance; 

13 and 

14 (B) the National Landscape Conservation 

15 System. 

16 (5) Within the Department of the Interior for 

17 the National Park Service, the appropriation for the 

18 operation of the National Park System. 

19 (6) Within the Department of the Interior for 

20 the Fish and Wildlife Service, the appropriation for 

21 the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund. 

22 (7) Within the Department of the Interior for 

23 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, within 

24 the resource management appropriation, under the 

25 activity of general operations, the amounts made 


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1 available for the National Fish and Wildlife Founda2 tion. 

3 (8) Within the Department of the Interior for 

4 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the ap5 propriation for land acquisition. 

6 (9) Within the Department of Agriculture for 

7 the Forest Service, the appropriation for land acqui8 sition. 

9 (10) Within the Department of the Interior for 

10 the Bureau of Land Management, the appropriation 

11 for land acquisition. 

12 (11) Within the Department of the Interior for 

13 the National Park Service, the appropriation for 

14 land acquisition and State assistance. 

15 (b) AUTHORIZATION FOR CONTINUING APPROPRIA16 TIONS.—If an appropriations measure for a covered ac17 count for a fiscal year is not enacted before the beginning 

18 of the applicable fiscal year and a joint resolution making 

19 continuing appropriations for the covered account is not 

20 in effect, such sums as may be necessary shall be made 

21 available without further appropriation to continue any 

22 program, project, or activity for which funds were provided 

23 from the covered account in the preceding fiscal year. 

24 (c) AMOUNT OF APPROPRIATIONS AND FUNDS.—Ap25 propriations and funds made available under this section 


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1 for a program, project, or activity funded by a covered 

2 account shall be in an amount equal to a pro rata amount 

3 of the annual funding provided for the program, project, 

4 or activity in the preceding appropriations Act or, in the 

5 absence of a regular appropriations Act, a joint resolution 

6 making continuing appropriations for the preceding fiscal 

7 year. 

8 (d) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Appropriations 

9 and funds made available, and authority granted, under 

10 this section for a program, project, or activity funded by 

11 a covered account shall be available for the period begin12 ning with the first day of a lapse in appropriations and 

13 ending on the date of enactment of the applicable appro14 priations Act or a joint resolution making continuing ap15 propriations until the end of the fiscal year, whether or 

16 not the Act or resolution provides for the program, 

17 project, or activity. 

18 (e) REQUIREMENTS.—Amounts made available, or 

19 authority granted, for a program, project, or activity fund20 ed by a covered account for any fiscal year under this Act 

21 shall be subject to— 

22 (1) the terms and conditions imposed with re23 spect to the program, project, or activity for the pre24 ceding fiscal year; and 


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1 (2) the authority granted for the program, 

2 project, or activity funded by the covered account 

3 under applicable law. 

4 (f) APPLICABLE ACCOUNTS.—Expenditures made for 

5 a program, project, or activity funded by a covered ac6 count for any fiscal year under this Act shall be charged 

7 to the applicable covered account on the date of enactment 

8 of an appropriations Act or a joint resolution making con9 tinuing appropriations until the end of a fiscal year that 

10 provides funds for the program, project, or activity for the 

11 applicable period. 

12 (g) EXCLUSIONS.—This section shall not apply to a 

13 program, project, or activity funded by a covered account 

14 during a fiscal year if any other provision of law (other 

15 than a change in authorization of appropriations)— 

16 (1) makes an appropriation, makes funds avail17 able, or grants authority for the program, project, or 

18 activity to continue for the applicable period; or 

19 (2) specifically provides that no appropriation 

20 shall be made, no funds shall be made available, or 

21 no authority shall be granted for the program, 

22 project, or activity to continue for the applicable pe23 riod. 

Æ 


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