Stewardship End Result Contracting Improvement Act of 2017

To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to provide cancellation ceilings for stewardship end result contracting projects, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stewardship End Result Contracting Improvement Act of 2017 2. Stewardship end result contracting projects (a) Cancellation ceilings Section 604(d) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591c(d) (1) by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), and (7) as paragraphs (6), (7), and (8), respectively; (2) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following: (5) Cancellation ceilings (A) In general The Chief and the Director may obligate funds to cover any potential cancellation or termination costs for an agreement or contract under subsection (b) in stages that are economically or programmatically viable. (B) Notice (i) Submission to congress Not later than 30 days before entering into a multiyear agreement or contract under subsection (b) that includes a cancellation ceiling in excess of $25,000,000, but does not include proposed funding for the costs of cancelling the agreement or contract up to the cancellation ceiling established in the agreement or contract, the Chief and the Director shall submit to the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committees on Natural Resources and Agriculture of the House of Representatives a written notice that includes— (I) (aa) the cancellation ceiling amounts proposed for each program year in the agreement or contract; and (bb) the reasons for the cancellation ceiling amounts proposed under item (aa); (II) the extent to which the costs of contract cancellation are not included in the budget for the agreement or contract; and (III) a financial risk assessment of not including budgeting for the costs of agreement or contract cancellation. (ii) Transmittal to OMB At least 14 days before the date on which the Chief and Director enter into an agreement or contract under subsection (b), the Chief and Director shall transmit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a copy of the written notice submitted under clause (i). ; and (3) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), by striking , the Chief may and section 2(a)(1) of the Act of July 31, 1947 (commonly known as the Materials Act of 1947 30 U.S.C. 602(a)(1) (b) Excess offset value Section 604(g)(2) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591c(g)(2) (A) use the excess to satisfy any outstanding liabilities for cancelled agreements or contracts; or (B) if there are no outstanding liabilities under subparagraph (A), apply the excess to other authorized stewardship projects. . (c) Reporting Section 604(i) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591c(i) Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committees on Natural Resources and Agriculture of the House of Representatives

Summary: Stewardship End Result Contracting Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to authorize the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to obligate funds to cover any potential cancellation or termination costs (cancellation ceiling) in stages that are economically or programmatically viable with respect to an agreement or contract for a stewardship end result contracting project. The Forest Service and BLM shall submit written notice to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget 30 days before entering into a multiyear agreement or contract that includes a cancellation ceiling exceeding $25 million if proposed funding for the costs of cancelling the agreement or contract up to the ceiling is not included. If the offset value of the forest products to be removed exceeds the value of the resource improvement treatments, the Forest Service and BLM may: (1) use the excess to satisfy any outstanding liabilities for cancelled agreements or contracts; or (2) if there are no such outstanding liabilities, apply the excess to other authorized stewardship projects.