II 
Calendar No. 424 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2773 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JUNE 15, 2022 
Received; read twice and placed on the calendar 
AN ACT 
To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 
to make supplemental funds available for management 
of fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need 
as determined by State fish and wildlife agencies, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Recovering America’s 
Wildlife Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to extend financial and 
technical assistance to States, territories, the District of 
Columbia, and Indian Tribes, including under the Pitt-
man-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 
et seq.), for the purpose of avoiding the need to list spe-
cies, or recovering species currently listed as a threatened 
species or an endangered species, under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) or under 
State law. 
TITLE I—WILDLIFE CONSERVA-
TION AND RESTORATION 
SEC. 101. WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION 
SUBACCOUNT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3 of the Pittman-Robert-
son Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669b) is amended 
in subsection (c)— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 
paragraphs (9) and (10); and 
(2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF SUBACCOUNT.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There is established in 
the fund a subaccount to be known as the 
‘Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Sub-
account’ (referred to in this section as the ‘Sub-
account’). 
‘‘(B) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts in the Sub-
account shall be available without further ap-
propriation, for each fiscal year, for apportion-
ment in accordance with this Act. 
‘‘(C) DEPOSITS INTO SUBACCOUNT.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from 
the general fund of the Treasury to the Sub-
account— 
‘‘(i) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2023, 
$850,000,000; 
‘‘(ii) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2024, 
$1,100,000,000; 
‘‘(iii) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2025, 
$1,200,000,000; and 
‘‘(iv) for fiscal year 2026 and each fis-
cal year thereafter, $1,300,000,000. 
‘‘(2) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Amounts 
transferred to the Subaccount shall supplement, but 
not replace, existing funds available to the States 
from— 
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‘‘(A) the funds distributed pursuant to the 
Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act 
(16 U.S.C. 777 et seq.); and 
‘‘(B) the fund. 
‘‘(3) INNOVATION GRANTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
distribute 10 percent of funds apportioned from 
the Subaccount through a competitive grant 
program to State fish and wildlife departments, 
the District of Columbia fish and wildlife de-
partment, fish and wildlife departments of terri-
tories, nonprofit organizations, or to regional 
associations of fish and wildlife departments (or 
any group composed of more than 1 such enti-
ty). 
‘‘(B) PURPOSE.—Such grants shall be pro-
vided for the purpose of catalyzing innovation 
of techniques, tools, strategies, or collaborative 
partnerships that accelerate, expand, or rep-
licate effective and measurable recovery efforts 
for species of greatest conservation need and 
species listed under the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the habi-
tats of such species. 
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‘‘(C) REVIEW COMMITTEE.—The Secretary 
shall appoint a review committee comprised 
of— 
‘‘(i) a State Director from each re-
gional association of State fish and wildlife 
departments; 
‘‘(ii) the head of a department respon-
sible for fish and wildlife management in a 
territory; 
‘‘(iii) one delegate from the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service, for the 
purpose of providing technical assistance; 
and 
‘‘(iv) beginning in fiscal year 2023, 
four individuals representing four different 
nonprofit organizations each of which is 
actively participating in carrying out wild-
life conservation restoration activities using 
funds apportioned from the Subaccount. 
‘‘(D) SUPPORT FROM UNITED STATES FISH 
AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.—Using not more than 
3 percent of the amounts apportioned under 
subparagraph (A) to carry out a competitive 
grant program, the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service shall provide any personnel or 
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administrative support services necessary for 
such committee to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act. 
‘‘(E) EVALUATION.—Such committee shall 
evaluate each proposal submitted under this 
paragraph and recommend projects for funding, 
giving preference to solutions that accelerate 
the recovery of species identified as priorities 
through regional scientific assessments of spe-
cies of greatest conservation need. 
‘‘(4) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds apportioned from 
the Subaccount shall be used for purposes consistent 
with section 2 of the Recovering America’s Wildlife 
Act of 2022 and— 
‘‘(A) shall be used to implement the Wild-
life Conservation Strategy of a State, territory, 
or the District of Columbia, as required under 
section 4(e), by carrying out, revising, or en-
hancing existing wildlife and habitat conserva-
tion and restoration programs and developing 
and implementing new wildlife conservation and 
restoration programs to recover and manage 
species of greatest conservation need and the 
key habitats and plant community types essen-
tial to the conservation of those species, as de-
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termined by the appropriate State fish and 
wildlife department; 
‘‘(B) shall be used to develop, revise, and 
enhance the Wildlife Conservation Strategy of a 
State, territory, or the District of Columbia, as 
may be required by this Act; 
‘‘(C) shall be used to assist in the recovery 
of species found in the State, territory, or the 
District of Columbia that are listed as endan-
gered species, threatened species, candidate spe-
cies or species proposed for listing, or species 
petitioned for listing under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 
or under State law; 
‘‘(D) may be used for wildlife conservation 
education and wildlife-associated recreation 
projects, especially in historically underserved 
communities; 
‘‘(E) may be used to manage a species of 
greatest conservation need whose range is 
shared with another State, territory, Indian 
Tribe, or foreign government and for the con-
servation of the habitat of such species; 
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‘‘(F) may be used to manage, control, and 
prevent invasive species, disease, and other 
risks to species of greatest conservation need; 
‘‘(G) may be used for law enforcement ac-
tivities that are directly related to the protec-
tion and conservation of a species of greatest 
conservation need and the habitat of such spe-
cies; 
‘‘(H) may be used to expand the use of in-
novative technologies, tools, strategies, or col-
laborative partnerships that accelerate, expand, 
or replicate effective and measurable recovery 
efforts for species of greatest conservation need 
and species listed as threatened or endangered 
under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 and the habitats of such species; 
‘‘(I) may be used for conservation infra-
structure projects related to the protection and 
conservation of a species of greatest conserva-
tion need and the habitat of such species; and 
‘‘(J) may be used to conserve and restore 
a native pollinator species which is a species of 
greatest conservation need. 
‘‘(5) MINIMUM REQUIRED SPENDING FOR EN-
DANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY.—Not less than an 
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average of 15 percent over a 5-year period of 
amounts apportioned to a State, territory, or the 
District of Columbia from the Subaccount shall be 
used for purposes described in paragraph (4)(C). 
The Secretary may reduce the minimum requirement 
of a State, territory, or the District of Columbia on 
an annual basis if the Secretary determines that the 
State, territory, or the District of Columbia is meet-
ing the conservation and recovery needs of all spe-
cies described in paragraph (4)(C). 
‘‘(6) PUBLIC ACCESS TO PRIVATE LANDS NOT 
REQUIRED.—Funds apportioned from the Sub-
account shall not be conditioned upon the provision 
of public access to private lands, waters, or holdings. 
‘‘(7) REQUIREMENTS FOR MATCHING FUNDS.— 
‘‘(A) For the purposes of the non-Federal 
fund matching requirement for a wildlife con-
servation or restoration program or project 
funded by the Subaccount, a State, territory, or 
the District of Columbia may use as matching 
non-Federal funds— 
‘‘(i) funds from Federal agencies 
other than the Department of the Interior 
and the Department of Agriculture; 
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‘‘(ii) 
donated 
private 
lands 
and 
waters, including privately owned ease-
ments; 
‘‘(iii) in circumstances described in 
subparagraph 
(B), 
revenue 
generated 
through the sale of State hunting and fish-
ing licenses; and 
‘‘(iv) other sources consistent with 
part 80 of title 50, Code of Federal Regu-
lations, in effect on the date of enactment 
of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 
2022. 
‘‘(B) Revenue described in subparagraph 
(A)(iii) may only be used to fulfill the require-
ments of such non-Federal fund matching re-
quirement if— 
‘‘(i) no Federal funds apportioned to 
the State fish and wildlife department of 
such State from the Wildlife Restoration 
Program or the Sport Fish Restoration 
Program have been reverted because of a 
failure to fulfill such non-Federal fund 
matching requirement by such State dur-
ing the previous 2 years; and 
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‘‘(ii) the project or program being 
funded benefits the habitat of a hunted or 
fished species and a species of greatest 
conservation need. 
‘‘(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the fol-
lowing definitions apply: 
‘‘(A) PARTNERSHIPS.—The term ‘partner-
ships’ may include collaborative efforts with 
Federal agencies, State agencies, local agencies, 
Indian Tribes, nonprofit organizations, aca-
demic institutions, industry groups, and private 
individuals to implement a State’s Wildlife Con-
servation Strategy. 
‘‘(B) SPECIES
OF
GREATEST
CONSERVA-
TION NEED.—The term ‘species of greatest con-
servation need’ may be fauna or flora, and may 
include terrestrial, aquatic, marine, and inverte-
brate species that are of low population, declin-
ing, rare, or facing threats and in need of con-
servation attention, as determined by each 
State fish and wildlife department, with respect 
to funds apportioned to such State. 
‘‘(C) TERRITORY AND TERRITORIES.—The 
terms ‘territory’ and ‘territories’ mean the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, Amer-
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ican Samoa, the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands, and the United States 
Virgin Islands. 
‘‘(D) 
WILDLIFE.—The 
term 
‘wildlife’ 
means any species of wild, freeranging fauna, 
including fish, and also fauna in captive breed-
ing programs the object of which is to reintro-
duce individuals of a depleted indigenous spe-
cies into previously occupied range.’’. 
(b) Section 3 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Res-
toration Act (16 U.S.C. 669b) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS TO IN-
SPECTOR GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Office of the Inspector General of the De-
partment of the Interior 1⁄2 of 1 percent of the amounts 
made available under subsection (c) for the purposes of 
providing oversight and accountability with respect to ex-
penditure of funds authorized under such subsection, to 
remain available until September 30, 2029.’’. 
(c) ALLOCATION AND APPORTIONMENT OF AVAIL-
ABLE AMOUNTS.—Section 4 of the Pittman-Robertson 
Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669c) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
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(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘to the District of Columbia and to the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, each’’ and 
inserting ‘‘To the District of Columbia’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘to Guam’’ and 
inserting ‘‘To Guam’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘not more than 
one-fourth of one percent’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘not less than one-third of one 
percent’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(C) To the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, a sum equal to not less than 1 percent 
thereof.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)(A)— 
(i) by amending clause (i) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(i) one-half of which is based on the ratio 
to which the land and water area of such State 
bears to the total land and water area of all 
such States;’’; 
(ii) in clause (ii)— 
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(I) by striking ‘‘two-thirds’’ and 
inserting ‘‘one-quarter’’; and 
(II) by striking the period and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) one-quarter of which is based upon 
the ratio to which the number of species listed 
as endangered or threatened under the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.) in such State bears to the total number of 
such species listed in all such States.’’; 
(C) by amending paragraph (2)(B) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(B) The amounts apportioned under this 
paragraph shall be adjusted equitably so that 
no such State, unless otherwise designated, 
shall be apportioned a sum which is less than 
1 percent or more than 5 percent of the amount 
available for apportionment under— 
‘‘(i) subparagraph (A)(i); 
‘‘(ii) subparagraph (A)(ii); and 
‘‘(iii) the overall amount available for 
subparagraph (A).’’; and 
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(D) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘3 per-
cent’’ and inserting ‘‘1.85 percent’’; 
(2) in subsection (e)(4)— 
(A) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(B) Not more than an average of 15 percent 
over a 5-year period of amounts apportioned to each 
State, territory, or the District of Columbia under 
this section for a wildlife conservation and restora-
tion program may be used for wildlife conservation 
education and wildlife-associated recreation.’’; and 
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (B), 
as so amended, the following: 
‘‘(C) 5 percent of amounts apportioned to each 
State, each territory, or the District of Columbia 
under this section for a wildlife conservation and 
restoration program shall be reserved for States and 
territories that include plants among their species of 
greatest conservation need and in the conservation 
planning and habitat prioritization efforts of their 
Wildlife Conservation Strategy. Each eligible State, 
territory, or the District of Columbia shall receive an 
additional 5 percent of their apportioned amount. 
Any unallocated resources shall be allocated propor-
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tionally among all States and territories under the 
formulas of this section.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end following: 
‘‘(f) MINIMIZATION
OF PLANNING
AND REPORT-
ING.—Nothing in this Act shall be interpreted to require 
a State to create a comprehensive strategy related to con-
servation education or outdoor recreation. 
‘‘(g) ACCOUNTABILITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not more than one year 
after the date of enactment of the Recovering Amer-
ica’s Wildlife Act of 2022 and every 3 years there-
after, each State fish and wildlife department shall 
submit a 3-year work plan and budget for imple-
menting its Wildlife Conservation Strategy and a re-
port describing the results derived from activities ac-
complished under subsection (e) during the previous 
3 years to the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice for review, which shall summarize such findings 
and submit a report to— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works of the Senate; and 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The format of the 3- 
year work plans, budgets, and reports required 
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under paragraph (1) shall be established by the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, in consulta-
tion with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agen-
cies. 
‘‘(3) GAO STUDY.—Not later than 7 years after 
the date of enactment of the Recovering America’s 
Wildlife Act of 2022, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study to examine the 
progress of States, territories, the District of Colum-
bia, and Indian Tribes towards achieving the pur-
pose described in section 2 of that Act.’’. 
SEC. 102. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2 of the Pittman-Robert-
son Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669a) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘including 
fish,’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (9), by inserting ‘‘Indian 
Tribes, academic institutions,’’ before ‘‘wildlife con-
servation organizations’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The Pittman-Rob-
ertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.) 
is amended— 
(1) in section 3— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
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grams to manage Tribal species of greatest con-
servation need and the habitats of such species, 
as determined by the Indian Tribe. 
(B) To assist in the recovery of species 
listed as an endangered or threatened species 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 
(C) For wildlife conservation education and 
wildlife-associated recreation projects. 
(D) To manage a Tribal species of greatest 
conservation need and the habitat of such spe-
cies, the range of which may be shared with a 
foreign country, State, or other Indian Tribe. 
(E) To manage, control, and prevent 
invasive species as well as diseases and other 
risks to wildlife. 
(F) For law enforcement activities that are 
directly related to the protection and conserva-
tion of wildlife. 
(G) To develop, revise, and implement 
comprehensive wildlife conservation strategies 
and plans for such Tribe. 
(H) For the hiring and training of wildlife 
conservation and restoration program staff. 
(2) CONDITIONS ON THE USE OF FUNDS.— 
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