I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3065 

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 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 

Mr. SHULER (for himself, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. COSTA, Mr. 

CHANDLER, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. HOLDEN, 

Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BOREN, Mr. ROSS of Arkansas, Mr. BARROW, Mr. 

KISSELL, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. 

HULTGREN, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. HANNA, Ms. FOXX, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. KIND, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. 

BUCHANAN, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, 

Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. CRITZ, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mr. 

BENISHEK, Mr. ROSS of Florida, Mr. GUINTA, Mr. AUSTRIA, Mr. LATTA, 

Mr. YODER, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. MILLER of 

Florida, Mr. KLINE, and Mr. PETERSON) 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Target Practice and 

3 Marksmanship Training Support Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

6 (1) the use of firearms and archery equipment 

7 for target practice and marksmanship training ac8 tivities on Federal land is allowed, except to the ex9 tent specific portions of that land have been closed 

10 to those activities; 

11 (2) in recent years preceding the date of enact12 ment of this Act, portions of Federal land have been 

13 closed to target practice and marksmanship training 

14 for many reasons; 

15 (3) the availability of public target ranges on 

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

17 reasons, including continued population growth and 

18 development near former ranges; 

19 (4) providing opportunities for target practice 

20 and marksmanship training at public target ranges 

21 on Federal and non-Federal land can help— 

22 (A) to promote enjoyment of shooting, rec23 reational, and hunting activities; and 

24 (B) to ensure safe and convenient locations 

25 for those activities; 


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1 (5) Federal law in effect on the date of enact2 ment of this Act, including the Pittman-Robertson 

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

4 provides Federal support for construction and ex5 pansion of public target ranges by making available 

6 to States amounts that may be used for construc7 tion, operation, and maintenance of public target 

8 ranges; and 

9 (6) it is in the public interest to provide in10 creased Federal support to facilitate the construction 

11 or expansion of public target ranges. 

12 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to facili13 tate the construction and expansion of public target 

14 ranges, including ranges on Federal land managed by the 

15 Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. 

16 SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF PUBLIC TARGET RANGE. 

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

18 a specific location that— 

19 (1) is identified by a governmental agency for 

20 recreational shooting; 

21 (2) is open to the public; 

22 (3) may be supervised; and 

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

24 shotgun shooting. 


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1 SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO PITTMAN-ROBERTSON WILDLIFE 

2 RESTORATION ACT. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2 of the Pittman-Robert4 son Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669a) is amend5 ed— 

6 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 

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

8 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol9 lowing: 

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

11 specific location that— 

12 ‘‘(A) is identified by a governmental agen13 cy for recreational shooting; 

14 ‘‘(B) is open to the public; 

15 ‘‘(C) may be supervised; and 

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

17 pistol, or shotgun shooting;’’. 

18 (b) EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILD19 LIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.—Section 8(b) of the Pitt20 man-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 

21 669g(b)) is amended— 

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

23 the following: 

24 ‘‘(b) EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILD25 LIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para2 graph (2), each State’’; 

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

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

5 ‘‘operation’’; 

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

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

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

9 share’’; 

10 (4) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘The Sec11 retary’’ and inserting the following: 

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

13 (5) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as des14 ignated by paragraph (1) of this subsection) the fol15 lowing: 

16 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding the limita17 tion described in paragraph (1), a State may pay up 

18 to 90 percent of the cost of acquiring land for, ex19 panding, or constructing a public target range.’’. 

20 (c) FIREARM AND BOW HUNTER EDUCATION AND

21 SAFETY PROGRAM GRANTS.—Section 10 of the Pittman22 Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669h–1) 

23 is amended— 

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

25 following: 


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

2 Of the amount apportioned to a State for any fiscal 

3 year under section 4(b), the State may elect to allo4 cate not more than 10 percent, to be combined with 

5 the amount apportioned to the State under para6 graph (1) for that fiscal year, for acquiring land for, 

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

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

9 following: 

10 ‘‘(b) COST SHARING.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para12 graph (2), the Federal share of the cost of any activ13 ity carried out using a grant under this section shall 

14 not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the activ15 ity. 

16 ‘‘(2) PUBLIC TARGET RANGE CONSTRUCTION OR

17 EXPANSION.—The Federal share of the cost of ac18 quiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public 

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

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

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

22 and 

23 (3) in subsection (c)(1)— 

24 (A) by striking ‘‘Amounts made’’ and in25 serting the following: 


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

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

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

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

5 acquiring land for, constructing, or expanding a 

6 public target range shall remain available for 

7 expenditure and obligation during the 5-fiscal8 year period beginning on October 1 of the first 

9 fiscal year for which the amounts are made 

10 available.’’. 

11 SEC. 5. LIMITS ON LIABILITY. 

12 (a) DISCRETIONARY FUNCTION.—For purposes of 

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

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

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

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

17 practice or marksmanship training by a member of the 

18 public shall be considered to be the exercise or perform19 ance of a discretionary function. 

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

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

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

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

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

25 occurring at a public target range that is— 


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

2 Government pursuant to the Pittman-Robertson 

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

4 (2) located on Federal land. 

5 SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING COOPERATION. 

6 It is the sense of Congress that, consistent with appli7 cable laws and regulations, the Chief of the Forest Service 

8 and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 

9 should cooperate with State and local authorities and 

10 other entities to carry out waste removal and other activi11 ties on any Federal land used as a public target range 

12 to encourage continued use of that land for target practice 

13 or marksmanship training. 

Æ 


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