Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2018

To reauthorize the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 through fiscal year 2021, and for other purposes. 1. Short title; table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Amendment to short title of Act to encompass modified scope. Sec. 3. Protection of forests and coral reefs. Sec. 4. Change to name of facility. Sec. 5. Eligibility for benefits. Sec. 6. United States Government representation on oversight bodies for grants from debt-for-nature swaps and debt buybacks. Sec. 7. Conservation agreements. Sec. 8. Conservation Fund. Sec. 9. Repeal of authority of the Enterprise for the Americas Board to carry out activities under the Tropical Forest Conservation Authorization Act of 1998. Sec. 10. Changes to due dates of annual reports to Congress. Sec. 11. Changes to International Monetary Fund criterion for country eligibility. Sec. 12. New authorization of appropriations for the reduction of debt and authorization for audit, evaluation, monitoring, and administration expenses. 2. Amendment to short title of Act to encompass modified scope (a) In general Section 801 of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 Public Law 87–195 22 U.S.C. 2151 Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 (b) References Any reference in any other provision of law, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 3. Protection of forests and coral reefs (a) In general Section 802 of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431 (1) in subsections (a)(1), (a)(6), (b)(1), (b)(3), and (b)(4), by striking tropical forests tropical forests, non-tropical forests, and coral reef ecosystems (2) in subsection (a)(2)(C), by striking far-flung (3) in subsection (a)(7), by striking tropical forests is critical to the protection of tropical forests tropical forests, non-tropical forests, and coral reef ecosystems is critical to the protection of such areas (4) in subsection (b)(2)— (A) by striking tropical forests tropical forests, non-tropical forests, and coral ecosystems (B) by striking tropical forests areas (C) by striking tropical forests tropical forests, non-tropical forests, and coral reef ecosystems (b) Amendments related to definitions Section 803 of such Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2431a (1) in paragraph (5)— (A) in the heading, by striking tropical forest tropical forest, non-tropical forest, or coral reef (B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking tropical forest tropical forest, non-tropical forest, or coral reef (C) in subparagraph (B)— (i) by striking tropical forest tropical forest, non-tropical forest, or coral reef (ii) by striking tropical forests tropical forests, non-tropical forests, or coral reefs (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (10) Coral The term coral (A) all species of the orders Antipatharia (black corals), Scleractinia (stony corals), Alcyonacea (soft corals), Gorgonacea (horny corals), Stolonifera (organpipe corals and others), and Coenothecalia (blue coral), of the class Anthoza; and (B) all species of the order Hydrocorallina (fire corals and hydrocorals) of the class Hydrozoa. (11) Coral reef The term coral reef (12) Coral reef ecosystem The term coral reef ecosystem . 4. Change to name of facility (a) In general Section 804 of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431b Tropical Forest Facility Conservation Facility (b) Conforming amendments to definitions Section 803(8) of such Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2431a(8) (1) in the heading, by striking Tropical forest facility Conservation facility (2) by striking Tropical Forest Facility Conservation Facility (c) References Any reference in any other provision of law, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Tropical Forest Facility Conservation Facility 5. Eligibility for benefits Section 805(a) of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431c(a) tropical forest tropical forest, non-tropical forest, or coral reef 6. United States Government representation on oversight bodies for grants from debt-for-nature swaps and debt buybacks Section 808(a)(5) of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431f(a)(5) (C) United States Government representation on the administering body One or more individuals appointed by the United States Government may serve in an official capacity on the administering body that oversees the implementation of grants arising from a debt-for-nature swap or debt buyback regardless of whether the United States is a party to any agreement between the eligible purchaser and the government of the beneficiary country. . 7. Conservation agreements (a) Renaming of agreements Section 809 of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431g (1) in the section heading, by striking Tropical Forest Agreement Conservation Agreement (2) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking Authority (1) In General.— Authority (B) by striking Tropical Forest Agreement Conservation Agreement (b) Elimination of requirement To consult with the enterprise for the Americas Board Such subsection is further amended by striking paragraph (2). (c) Role of beneficiary countries Such section is further amended— (1) in subsection (e)(1)(C), by striking in exceptional circumstances, the government of the beneficiary country in limited circumstances, the government of the beneficiary country when needed to improve governance and enhance management of tropical forests, non-tropical forests, or coral reef ecosystems, without replacing existing levels of financial efforts by the government of the beneficiary country and with priority given to projects that complement grants made under subparagraphs (A) and (B) (2) by amending subsection (f) to read as follows: (f) Review of larger grants Any grant of more than $250,000 from a Fund must be approved by the Government of the United States and the government of the beneficiary country. . (d) Technical and conforming amendments Such section is further amended— (1) in subsection (c)(2)(A)(i), by inserting to serve in an official capacity Government (2) in subsection (d)— (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking tropical forests tropical forests, non-tropical forests, and coral reef ecosystems (B) in paragraph (5), by striking tropical forest (C) in paragraph (6), by striking living in or near a tropical forest in a manner consistent with protecting such tropical forest dependent on a tropical forest, non-tropical forest, or coral reef ecosystem and related resources in a manner consistent with conserving such resources (e) Conforming amendments to definitions Section 803(7) of such Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2431a(7) (1) in the heading, by striking Tropical Forest Agreement Conservation Agreement (2) by striking Tropical Forest Agreement Conservation Agreement 8. Conservation Fund (a) In general Section 810 of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431h (1) in the section heading, by striking Tropical Forest Fund Conservation Fund (2) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking Tropical Forest Agreement Conservation Agreement (B) by striking Tropical Forest Fund Conservation Fund (b) Conforming amendments to definitions Such Act is further amended— (1) in section 803(9) ( 22 U.S.C. 2431a(9) (A) in the heading, by striking Tropical Forest Fund Conservation Fund (B) by striking Tropical Forest Fund Conservation Fund (2) in section 806(c)(2) ( 22 U.S.C. 2431d(c)(2) Tropical Forest Fund Conservation Fund (3) in section 807(c)(2) ( 22 U.S.C. 2431e(c)(2) Tropical Forest Fund Conservation Fund 9. Repeal of authority of the Enterprise for the Americas Board to carry out activities under the Tropical Forest Conservation Authorization Act of 1998 (a) In general Section 811 of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431i (b) Conforming amendments Section 803 of such Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2431a (1) by striking paragraph (4); and (2) by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), (7), (8), and (9) as paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7), and (8), respectively. 10. Changes to due dates of annual reports to Congress Section 813 of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431k (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking (a) In General.— Not later than April 15 (B) by striking fiscal year calendar year (2) by striking subsection (b). 11. Changes to International Monetary Fund criterion for country eligibility Section 703(a)(5) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 22 U.S.C. 2430b(a)(5) (1) by striking or, as appropriate in exceptional circumstances, or (2) in subparagraph (A)— (A) by striking or in exceptional circumstances, a Fund monitored program or its equivalent, or a Fund monitored program, or is implementing sound macroeconomic policies, (B) by striking (after consultation with the Enterprise for the Americas Board) (3) in subparagraph (B), by striking (after consultation with the Enterprise for Americas Board) 12. New authorization of appropriations for the reduction of debt and authorization for audit, evaluation, monitoring, and administration expenses Section 806 of the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2017 22 U.S.C. 2431d (1) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (7) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2018. (8) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2019. (9) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2020. (10) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2021. ; and (2) by amending subsection (e) to read as follows: (e) Use of funds To conduct program audits, evaluations, monitoring, and administration Of the amounts made available to carry out this part for a fiscal year, $300,000 is authorized to be made available to carry out audits, evaluations, monitoring, and administration of programs under this part, including personnel costs associated with such audits, evaluations, monitoring and administration. .

Summary: Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 through FY 2020 and expands the Act to include coral reefs as well as tropical forests. The bill also changes the name of the Act to the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act of 1998. The bill authorizes to be appropriated funds for the Act's debt-for-nature swaps and debt buyback programs through FY 2020. Such programs convert reduce or convert debt obligations from eligible countries to the United States into funding for nature conservation and protection efforts in that country. The Tropical Forest Facility, an entity that administers the programs, shall be renamed the Conservation Facility. The bill modifies the administration of agreements signed between the United States and each country that participate in the debt reduction programs. The administering body for each country that disperses grants under the Act shall have at least one U.S.-appointed individual serving in an official capacity. It also modifies the additional approval requirements for larger grants and defines such grants as those of more than $250,000. Currently, grants of more than $100,000 are subject to additional approval requirements.