I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 788 

To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to facilitate the 

establishment of additional or expanded public target ranges in certain States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2017 

Mr. HUNTER (for himself, Ms. CHENEY, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. WALZ, Mr. KINZINGER, Mr. PALAZZO, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. 

ABRAHAM, Mr. COMER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. 

MARSHALL, Mr. LATTA, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. 

MAST, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. WELCH, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. 

CUELLAR, Mr. PEARCE, and Mr. POLIS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 

to facilitate the establishment of additional or expanded 

public target ranges in certain States. 

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 ‘‘Target Practice and 

5 Marksmanship Training Support Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

3 (1) the use of firearms and archery equipment 

4 for target practice and marksmanship training ac5 tivities on Federal land is allowed, except to the ex6 tent specific portions of that land have been closed 

7 to those activities; 

8 (2) in recent years preceding the date of enact9 ment of this Act, portions of Federal land have been 

10 closed to target practice and marksmanship training 

11 for many reasons; 

12 (3) the availability of public target ranges on 

13 non-Federal land has been declining for a variety of 

14 reasons, including continued population growth and 

15 development near former ranges; 

16 (4) providing opportunities for target practice 

17 and marksmanship training at public target ranges 

18 on Federal and non-Federal land can help— 

19 (A) to promote enjoyment of shooting, rec20 reational, and hunting activities; and 

21 (B) to ensure safe and convenient locations 

22 for those activities; 

23 (5) Federal law in effect on the date of enact24 ment of this Act, including the Pittman-Robertson 

25 Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.), 

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1 pansion of public target ranges by making available 

2 to States amounts that may be used for construc3 tion, operation, and maintenance of public target 

4 ranges; and 

5 (6) it is in the public interest to provide in6 creased Federal support to facilitate the construction 

7 or expansion of public target ranges. 

8 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to facili9 tate the construction and expansion of public target 

10 ranges, including ranges on Federal land managed by the 

11 Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. 

12 SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF PUBLIC TARGET RANGE. 

13 In this Act, the term ‘‘public target range’’ means 

14 a specific location that— 

15 (1) is identified by a governmental agency for 

16 recreational shooting; 

17 (2) is open to the public; 

18 (3) may be supervised; and 

19 (4) may accommodate archery or rifle, pistol, or 

20 shotgun shooting. 

21 SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO PITTMAN-ROBERTSON WILDLIFE 

22 RESTORATION ACT. 

23 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2 of the Pittman-Robert24 son Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669a) is amend25 ed— 


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1 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 

2 (8) as paragraphs (3) through (9), respectively; and 

3 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(2) the term ‘public target range’ means a 

6 specific location that— 

7 ‘‘(A) is identified by a governmental agen8 cy for recreational shooting; 

9 ‘‘(B) is open to the public; 

10 ‘‘(C) may be supervised; and 

11 ‘‘(D) may accommodate archery or rifle, 

12 pistol, or shotgun shooting;’’. 

13 (b) EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILD14 LIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.—Section 8(b) of the Pitt15 man-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 

16 669g(b)) is amended— 

17 (1) by striking ‘‘(b) Each State’’ and inserting 

18 the following: 

19 ‘‘(b) EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILD20 LIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para22 graph (2), each State’’; 

23 (2) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by 

24 striking ‘‘construction, operation,’’ and inserting 

25 ‘‘operation’’; 


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1 (3) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘The 

2 non-Federal share’’ and inserting the following: 

3 ‘‘(3) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal 

4 share’’; 

5 (4) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘The Sec6 retary’’ and inserting the following: 

7 ‘‘(4) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary’’; and 

8 (5) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as des9 ignated by paragraph (1) of this subsection) the fol10 lowing: 

11 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding the limita12 tion described in paragraph (1), a State may pay up 

13 to 90 percent of the cost of acquiring land for, ex14 panding, or constructing a public target range.’’. 

15 (c) FIREARM AND BOW HUNTER EDUCATION AND

16 SAFETY PROGRAM GRANTS.—Section 10 of the Pittman17 Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669h–1) 

18 is amended— 

19 (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

20 following: 

21 ‘‘(3) ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS.— 

22 Of the amount apportioned to a State for any fiscal 

23 year under section 4(b), the State may elect to allo24 cate not more than 10 percent, to be combined with 

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1 graph (1) for that fiscal year, for acquiring land for, 

2 expanding, or constructing a public target range.’’; 

3 (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 

4 following: 

5 ‘‘(b) COST SHARING.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para7 graph (2), the Federal share of the cost of any activ8 ity carried out using a grant under this section shall 

9 not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the activ10 ity. 

11 ‘‘(2) PUBLIC TARGET RANGE CONSTRUCTION OR

12 EXPANSION.—The Federal share of the cost of ac13 quiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public 

14 target range in a State on Federal or non-Federal 

15 land pursuant to this section or section 8(b) shall 

16 not exceed 90 percent of the cost of the activity.’’; 

17 and 

18 (3) in subsection (c)(1)— 

19 (A) by striking ‘‘Amounts made’’ and in20 serting the following: 

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

22 subparagraph (B), amounts made’’; and 

23 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Amounts provided for 

25 acquiring land for, constructing, or expanding a 


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1 public target range shall remain available for 

2 expenditure and obligation during the 5-fiscal3 year period beginning on October 1 of the first 

4 fiscal year for which the amounts are made 

5 available.’’. 

6 SEC. 5. LIMITS ON LIABILITY. 

7 (a) DISCRETIONARY FUNCTION.—For purposes of 

8 chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code (commonly 

9 referred to as the ‘‘Federal Tort Claims Act’’), any action 

10 by an agent or employee of the United States to manage 

11 or allow the use of Federal land for purposes of target 

12 practice or marksmanship training by a member of the 

13 public shall be considered to be the exercise or perform14 ance of a discretionary function. 

15 (b) CIVIL ACTION OR CLAIMS.—Except to the extent 

16 provided in chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, 

17 the United States shall not be subject to any civil action 

18 or claim for money damages for any injury to or loss of 

19 property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity 

20 occurring at a public target range that is— 

21 (1) funded in whole or in part by the Federal 

22 Government pursuant to the Pittman-Robertson 

23 Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.); or 

24 (2) located on Federal land. 


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1 SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING COOPERATION. 

2 It is the sense of Congress that, consistent with appli3 cable laws and regulations, the Chief of the Forest Service 

4 and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 

5 should cooperate with State and local authorities and 

6 other entities to carry out waste removal and other activi7 ties on any Federal land used as a public target range 

8 to encourage continued use of that land for target practice 

9 or marksmanship training. 

Æ 


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