II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 659 

To protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and 

shooting, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 4, 2015 

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

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

A BILL 

To protect and enhance opportunities for recreational 

hunting, fishing, and 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Modification of definition of sport fishing equipment under the Toxic 

Substances Control Act. 

Sec. 3. Target practice and marksmanship. 

Sec. 4. Permits for importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in 

Canada. 

Sec. 5. Baiting of migratory game birds. 

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Sec. 6. Protecting the right of individuals to bear arms at water resources development projects. 

Sec. 7. North American Wetlands Conservation Act. 

Sec. 8. Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization. 

Sec. 9. Interest on obligations held in the wildlife restoration fund. 

1 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF SPORT FISHING 

2 EQUIPMENT UNDER THE TOXIC SUBSTANCES 

3 CONTROL ACT. 

4 Section 3(2)(B) of the Toxic Substances Control Act 

5 (15 U.S.C. 2602(2)(B)) is amended— 

6 (1) in clause (v), by striking ‘‘, and’’ and insert7 ing ‘‘, or any component of any such article includ8 ing, without limitation, shot, bullets and other pro9 jectiles, propellants, and primers,’’; 

10 (2) in clause (vi) by striking the period at the 

11 end and inserting ‘‘, and’’; and 

12 (3) by inserting after clause (vi) the following: 

13 ‘‘(vii) any sport fishing equipment (as such 

14 term is defined in section 4162(a) of the Internal 

15 Revenue Code of 1986) the sale of which is subject 

16 to the tax imposed by section 4161(a) of such Code 

17 (determined without regard to any exemptions from 

18 such tax provided by section 4162 or 4221 or any 

19 other provision of such Code), and sport fishing 

20 equipment components.’’. 

21 SEC. 3. TARGET PRACTICE AND MARKSMANSHIP. 

22 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to fa23 cilitate the construction and expansion of public target 

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1 ranges, including ranges on Federal land managed by the 

2 Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. 

3 (b) DEFINITION OF PUBLIC TARGET RANGE.—In 

4 this section, the term ‘‘public target range’’ means a spe5 cific location that— 

6 (1) is identified by a governmental agency for 

7 recreational shooting; 

8 (2) is open to the public; 

9 (3) may be supervised; and 

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

11 shotgun shooting. 

12 (c) AMENDMENTS TO PITTMAN-ROBERTSON WILD13 LIFE RESTORATION ACT.— 

14 (1) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2 of the Pittman15 Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 

16 669a) is amended— 

17 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) 

18 through (8) as paragraphs (3) through (9), re19 spectively; and 

20 (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

21 following: 

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

23 specific location that— 

24 ‘‘(A) is identified by a governmental agen25 cy for recreational shooting; 

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1 ‘‘(B) is open to the public; 

2 ‘‘(C) may be supervised; and 

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

4 pistol, or shotgun shooting;’’. 

5 (2) EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF

6 WILDLIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.—Section 8(b) of 

7 the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 

8 U.S.C. 669g(b)) is amended— 

9 (A) by striking ‘‘(b) Each State’’ and in10 serting the following: 

11 ‘‘(b) EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILD12 LIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para14 graph (2), each State’’; 

15 (B) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by 

16 striking ‘‘construction, operation,’’ and insert17 ing ‘‘operation’’; 

18 (C) in the second sentence, by striking 

19 ‘‘The non-Federal share’’ and inserting the fol20 lowing: 

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

22 share’’; 

23 (D) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘The 

24 Secretary’’ and inserting the following: 

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

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1 (E) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as 

2 designated by subparagraph (A)) the following: 

3 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding the limita4 tion described in paragraph (1), a State may pay up 

5 to 90 percent of the cost of acquiring land for, ex6 panding, or constructing a public target range.’’. 

7 (3) FIREARM AND BOW HUNTER EDUCATION

8 AND SAFETY PROGRAM GRANTS.—Section 10 of the 

9 Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 

10 U.S.C. 669h–1) is amended— 

11 (A) in subsection (a), by adding at the end 

12 the following: 

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

14 Of the amount apportioned to a State for any fiscal 

15 year under section 4(b), the State may elect to allo16 cate not more than 10 percent, to be combined with 

17 the amount apportioned to the State under para18 graph (1) for that fiscal year, for acquiring land for, 

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

20 (B) by striking subsection (b) and insert21 ing the following: 

22 ‘‘(b) COST SHARING.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para24 graph (2), the Federal share of the cost of any activ25 ity carried out using a grant under this section shall 

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1 not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the activ2 ity. 

3 ‘‘(2) PUBLIC TARGET RANGE CONSTRUCTION OR

4 EXPANSION.—The Federal share of the cost of ac5 quiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public 

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

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

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

9 and 

10 (C) in subsection (c)(1)— 

11 (i) by striking ‘‘Amounts made’’ and 

12 inserting the following: 

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

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

15 (ii) by adding at the end the fol16 lowing: 

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

18 acquiring land for, constructing, or expanding a 

19 public target range shall remain available for 

20 expenditure and obligation during the 5-fiscal21 year period beginning on October 1 of the first 

22 fiscal year for which the amounts are made 

23 available.’’. 

24 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING COOPERA25 TION.—It is the sense of Congress that, consistent with 

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1 applicable laws (including regulations), the Chief of the 

2 Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land 

3 Management should cooperate with State and local au4 thorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and 

5 other activities on any Federal land used as a public target 

6 range to encourage continued use of that land for target 

7 practice or marksmanship training. 

8 SEC. 4. PERMITS FOR IMPORTATION OF POLAR BEAR TRO9 PHIES TAKEN IN SPORT HUNTS IN CANADA. 

10 Section 104(c)(5)(D) of the Marine Mammal Protec11 tion Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1374(c)(5)(D)) is amended 

12 to read as follows: 

13 ‘‘(D)(i) The Secretary of the Interior shall, ex14 peditiously after the expiration of the applicable 30- 

15 day period under subsection (d)(2), issue a permit 

16 for the importation of any polar bear part (other 

17 than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in 

18 a sport hunt in Canada to any person— 

19 ‘‘(I) who submits, with the permit applica20 tion, proof that the polar bear was legally har21 vested by the person before February 18, 1997; 

22 or 

23 ‘‘(II) who has submitted, in support of a 

24 permit application submitted before May 15, 

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1 vested by the person before May 15, 2008, from 

2 a polar bear population from which a sport3 hunted trophy could be imported before that 

4 date in accordance with section 18.30(i) of title 

5 50, Code of Federal Regulations. 

6 ‘‘(ii) The Secretary shall issue permits under 

7 clause (i)(I) without regard to subparagraphs (A) 

8 and (C)(ii) of this paragraph, subsection (d)(3), and 

9 sections 101 and 102. Sections 101(a)(3)(B) and 

10 102(b)(3) shall not apply to the importation of any 

11 polar bear part authorized by a permit issued under 

12 clause (i)(I). This clause shall not apply to polar 

13 bear parts that were imported before June 12, 1997. 

14 ‘‘(iii) The Secretary shall issue permits under 

15 clause (i)(II) without regard to subparagraph (C)(ii) 

16 of this paragraph or subsection (d)(3). Sections 

17 101(a)(3)(B) and 102(b)(3) shall not apply to the 

18 importation of any polar bear part authorized by a 

19 permit issued under clause (i)(II). This clause shall 

20 not apply to polar bear parts that were imported be21 fore the date of enactment of the Bipartisan Sports22 men’s Act of 2015.’’. 

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1 SEC. 5. BAITING OF MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS. 

2 Section 3 of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 

3 U.S.C. 704) is amended by striking subsection (b) and in4 serting the following: 

5 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION OF BAITING.— 

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

7 ‘‘(A) BAITED AREA.— 

8 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘baited 

9 area’ means— 

10 ‘‘(I) any area on which salt, 

11 grain, or other feed has been placed, 

12 exposed, deposited, distributed, or 

13 scattered, if the salt, grain, or feed 

14 could lure or attract migratory game 

15 birds; and 

16 ‘‘(II) in the case of waterfowl, 

17 cranes (family Gruidae), and coots 

18 (family Rallidae), a standing, 

19 unharvested crop that has been ma20 nipulated through activities such as 

21 mowing, discing, or rolling, unless the 

22 activities are normal agricultural prac23 tices. 

24 ‘‘(ii) EXCLUSIONS.—An area shall not 

25 be considered to be a ‘baited area’ if the 

26 area— 

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1 ‘‘(I) has been treated with a nor2 mal agricultural practice; 

3 ‘‘(II) has standing crops that 

4 have not been manipulated; or 

5 ‘‘(III) has standing crops that 

6 have been or are flooded. 

7 ‘‘(B) BAITING.—The term ‘baiting’ means 

8 the direct or indirect placing, exposing, depos9 iting, distributing, or scattering of salt, grain, 

10 or other feed that could lure or attract migra11 tory game birds to, on, or over any areas on 

12 which a hunter is attempting to take migratory 

13 game birds. 

14 ‘‘(C) MIGRATORY GAME BIRD.—The term 

15 ‘migratory game bird’ means migratory bird 

16 species— 

17 ‘‘(i) that are within the taxonomic 

18 families of Anatidae, Columbidae, Gruidae, 

19 Rallidae, and Scolopacidae; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) for which open seasons are pre21 scribed by the Secretary of the Interior. 

22 ‘‘(D) NORMAL AGRICULTURAL PRAC23 TICE.— 

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1 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘normal 

2 agricultural practice’ means any practice in 

3 1 annual growing season that— 

4 ‘‘(I) is carried out in order to 

5 produce a marketable crop, including 

6 planting, harvest, post-harvest, or soil 

7 conservation practices; and 

8 ‘‘(II) is recommended for the 

9 successful harvest of a given crop by 

10 the applicable State office of the Co11 operative Extension System of the De12 partment of Agriculture, in consulta13 tion with, and if requested, the con14 currence of, the head of the applicable 

15 State department of fish and wildlife. 

16 ‘‘(ii) INCLUSIONS.— 

17 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Subject to 

18 subclause (II), the term ‘normal agri19 cultural practice’ includes the destruc20 tion of a crop in accordance with 

21 practices required by the Federal 

22 Crop Insurance Corporation for agri23 cultural producers to obtain crop in24 surance under the Federal Crop In25 surance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) 

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1 on land on which a crop during the 

2 current or immediately preceding crop 

3 year was not harvestable due to a nat4 ural disaster (including any hurricane, 

5 storm, tornado, flood, high water, 

6 wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsu7 nami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, 

8 landslide, mudslide, drought, fire, 

9 snowstorm, or other catastrophe that 

10 is declared a major disaster by the 

11 President in accordance with section 

12 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis13 aster Relief and Emergency Assist14 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170)). 

15 ‘‘(II) LIMITATIONS.—The term 

16 ‘normal agricultural practice’ only in17 cludes a crop described in subclause 

18 (I) that has been destroyed or manip19 ulated through activities that include 

20 (but are not limited to) mowing, 

21 discing, or rolling if the Federal Crop 

22 Insurance Corporation certifies that 

23 flooding was not an acceptable method 

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1 ance under the Federal Crop Insur2 ance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.). 

3 ‘‘(E) WATERFOWL.—The term ‘waterfowl’ 

4 means native species of the family Anatidae. 

5 ‘‘(2) PROHIBITION.—It shall be unlawful for 

6 any person— 

7 ‘‘(A) to take any migratory game bird by 

8 baiting or on or over any baited area, if the 

9 person knows or reasonably should know that 

10 the area is a baited area; or 

11 ‘‘(B) to place or direct the placement of 

12 bait on or adjacent to an area for the purpose 

13 of causing, inducing, or allowing any person to 

14 take or attempt to take any migratory game 

15 bird by baiting or on or over the baited area. 

16 ‘‘(3) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of the In17 terior may promulgate regulations to implement this 

18 subsection. 

19 ‘‘(4) REPORTS.—Annually, the Secretary of Ag20 riculture shall submit to the Secretary of the Inte21 rior a report that describes any changes to normal 

22 agricultural practices across the range of crops 

23 grown by agricultural producers in each region of 

24 the United States in which the recommendations are 

25 provided to agricultural producers.’’. 

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1 SEC. 6. PROTECTING THE RIGHT OF INDIVIDUALS TO BEAR 

2 ARMS AT WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT 

3 PROJECTS. 

4 The Secretary of the Army shall not promulgate or 

5 enforce any regulation that prohibits an individual from 

6 possessing a firearm, including an assembled or functional 

7 firearm, in any area open to the public (other than a Fed8 eral facility as defined in section 930(g) of title 18, United 

9 States Code) at a water resources development project 

10 covered under section 327.0 of title 36, Code of Federal 

11 Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this 

12 Act), if— 

13 (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by 

14 law from possessing the firearm; and 

15 (2) the possession of the firearm is in compli16 ance with the law of the State in which the water 

17 resources development project is located. 

18 SEC. 7. NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT. 

19 Section 7(c) of the North American Wetlands Con20 servation Act (16 U.S.C. 4406(c)) is amended— 

21 (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’; 

22 (2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at 

23 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

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

25 ‘‘(6) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 

26 through 2020.’’. 

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1 SEC. 8. MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUNDS 

2 REAUTHORIZATION. 

3 (a) REAUTHORIZATION OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT CON4 SERVATION ACT.—Section 2306(a) of the African Ele5 phant Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4245(a)) is amended 

6 by striking ‘‘2007 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2016 

7 through 2020’’. 

8 (b) REAUTHORIZATION OF RHINOCEROS AND TIGER

9 CONSERVATION ACT OF 1994.—Section 10(a) of the Rhi10 noceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 

11 5306(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘2007 through 2012’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘2016 through 2020’’. 

13 (c) REAUTHORIZATION OF ASIAN ELEPHANT CON14 SERVATION ACT OF 1997.—Section 8(a) of the Asian Ele15 phant Conservation Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 4266(a)) is 

16 amended by striking ‘‘2007 through 2012’’ and inserting 

17 ‘‘2016 through 2020’’. 

18 (d) AMENDMENT AND REAUTHORIZATION OF GREAT

19 APE CONSERVATION ACT OF 2000.—The Great Ape Con20 servation Act of 2000 is amended as follows: 

21 (1) MULTIYEAR GRANTS.—In section 4 (16 

22 U.S.C. 6303), by adding at the end the following 

23 new subsections: 

24 ‘‘(j) MULTIYEAR GRANTS.— 

25 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award 

26 a multiyear grant under this section to a person who 

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1 is otherwise eligible for a grant under this section, 

2 to carry out a project that the person demonstrates 

3 is an effective, long-term conservation strategy for 

4 great apes and their habitats. 

5 ‘‘(2) ANNUAL GRANTS NOT AFFECTED.—This 

6 subsection shall not be construed as precluding the 

7 Secretary from awarding grants on an annual 

8 basis.’’. 

9 (2) PANEL OF EXPERTS.—In section 4(i) (16 

10 U.S.C. 6303(i))— 

11 (A) in paragraph (1), by— 

12 (i) striking ‘‘Every 2 years’’ and in13 serting ‘‘Within one year after the date of 

14 the enactment of the Bipartisan Sports15 men’s Act of 2015, and every 5 years 

16 thereafter’’; 

17 (ii) striking ‘‘may convene’’ and in18 serting ‘‘shall convene’’; 

19 (iii) inserting ‘‘and priorities’’ after 

20 ‘‘needs’’; and 

21 (iv) adding at the end the following 

22 new sentence: ‘‘The panel shall, to the ex23 tent practicable, include representatives 

24 from foreign range states with expertise in 

25 great ape conservation.’’; and 

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1 (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 

2 paragraph (4), and inserting after paragraph 

3 (1) the following new paragraphs: 

4 ‘‘(2) In identifying conservation needs and pri5 orities under paragraph (1), the panel shall consider 

6 relevant great ape conservation plans or strategies 

7 including scientific research and findings related 

8 to— 

9 ‘‘(A) the conservation needs and priorities 

10 of great apes; 

11 ‘‘(B) regional or species-specific action 

12 plans or strategies; 

13 ‘‘(C) applicable strategies developed or ini14 tiated by the Secretary; and 

15 ‘‘(D) any other applicable conservation 

16 plan or strategy. 

17 ‘‘(3) The Secretary, subject to the availability 

18 of appropriations, may pay expenses of convening 

19 and facilitating meetings of the panel.’’. 

20 (3) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES LIMITATION.— 

21 In section 5(b)(2) (16 U.S.C. 6304(b)(2)), by strik22 ing ‘‘$100,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$150,000’’. 

23 (4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In 

24 section 6 (16 U.S.C. 6305), by striking ‘‘2006 

25 through 2010’’ and inserting ‘‘2016 through 2020’’. 

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1 (e) AMENDMENT AND REAUTHORIZATION OF MA2 RINE TURTLE CONSERVATION ACT OF 2004.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Marine Turtle Con4 servation Act of 2004 is amended— 

5 (A) in sections 2(b) and 3(2) (16 U.S.C. 

6 6601(b), 6602(2)), by inserting ‘‘and territories 

7 of the United States’’ after ‘‘foreign countries’’ 

8 each place it occurs; 

9 (B) in section 3 (16 U.S.C. 6602) by add10 ing at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(7) TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES.— 

12 The term ‘territory of the United States’ means each 

13 of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, 

14 Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 

15 Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory 

16 or possession of the United States.’’; and 

17 (C) in section 4 (16 U.S.C. 6603)— 

18 (i) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by insert19 ing ‘‘or territory of the United States’’ 

20 after ‘‘foreign country’’; and 

21 (ii) in subsection (d) by inserting 

22 ‘‘and territories of the United States’’ after 

23 ‘‘foreign countries’’. 

24 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES LIMITATION.— 

25 Section 5(b)(2) of the Marine Turtle Conservation 

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1 Act of 2004 (16 U.S.C. 6604(b)(2)) is amended by 

2 striking ‘‘$80,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$150,000’’. 

3 (3) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 7 of the Ma4 rine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 (16 U.S.C. 

5 6606) is amended by striking ‘‘each of fiscal years 

6 2005 through 2009’’ and inserting ‘‘each of fiscal 

7 years 2016 through 2020’’. 

8 SEC. 9. INTEREST ON OBLIGATIONS HELD IN THE WILD9 LIFE RESTORATION FUND. 

10 Section 3(b)(2)(C) of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife 

11 Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669b) is amended by striking 

12 ‘‘2016’’ and inserting ‘‘2026’’. 

Æ 

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