I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2697 
To assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids by supporting 
and providing financial resources for the conservation programs of na-
tions within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and 
projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of 
rare felid and rare canid populations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 9, 2015 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. FARR, Ms. MOORE, 
Mr. NADLER, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids 
by supporting and providing financial resources for the 
conservation programs of nations within the range of 
rare felid and rare canid populations and projects of 
persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation 
of rare felid and rare canid populations. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rare Cats and Canids 
Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are to provide financial re-
sources and to foster international cooperation— 
(1) to restore and perpetuate healthy popu-
lations of rare felids and rare canids in the wild; and 
(2) to assist in the conservation of rare felid 
and rare canid populations worldwide. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CITES.—The term ‘‘CITES’’ means the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered 
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, done at Wash-
ington March 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249), 
including its appendices. 
(2) 
CONSERVATION.—The 
term 
‘‘conserva-
tion’’— 
(A) means the methods and procedures 
necessary to bring a population, subspecies, 
species, or taxon of rare felid or rare canid to 
the point at which there are sufficient popu-
lations in the wild to ensure its long-term via-
bility; and 
(B) includes all activities associated with 
protection and management of a population, 
subspecies, species, or taxon of rare felid or 
rare canid, including— 
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(i) maintenance, management, protec-
tion, and restoration of rare felid or rare 
canid habitat; 
(ii) research and monitoring; 
(iii) law enforcement; 
(iv) community outreach and edu-
cation; 
(v) conflict resolution initiatives; and 
(vi) strengthening the capacity of local 
communities, governmental agencies, non-
governmental organizations and other in-
stitutions to implement conservation pro-
grams. 
(3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Rare 
Cats and Canids Conservation Fund established by 
section 5. 
(4) IUCN RED LIST.—The term ‘‘IUCN Red 
List’’ means the Red List of Threatened Species 
Maintained by the World Conservation Union. 
(5) RARE CANID.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the term ‘‘rare canid’’ 
means any population, subspecies, species, or 
taxon in the family Canidae that is listed in the 
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provide financial assistance for projects for the conserva-
tion of rare felid and rare canids for which project pro-
posals are approved by the Secretary in accordance with 
this section. 
(b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.— 
(1) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—A proposal for a 
project for the conservation of rare felid and canids 
may be submitted to the Secretary by— 
(A) any wildlife management authority of 
a country that has within its boundaries any 
part of the range of a rare felid or rare canid, 
respectively; and 
(B) any person or group with the dem-
onstrated expertise required for the conserva-
tion in the wild of rare felids or rare canids, re-
spectively. 
(2) PROJECT
PROPOSALS.—To be considered 
for financial assistance for a project under this Act, 
an applicant shall submit a project proposal that in-
cludes— 
(A) a concise statement of the purposes of 
the project; 
(B) the name of the individual responsible 
for conducting the project; 
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(C) a description of the qualifications of 
the individuals who will conduct the project; 
(D) a concise description of— 
(i) methods for project implementa-
tion and outcome assessment; 
(ii) staffing for the project; 
(iii) the logistics of the project; and 
(iv) community involvement in the 
project; 
(E) an estimate of funds and time required 
to complete the project; 
(F) evidence of support for the project by 
appropriate governmental entities of the coun-
tries in which the project will be conducted, if 
the Secretary determines that such support is 
required for the success of the project; 
(G) information regarding the source and 
amount of matching funding available for the 
project; and 
(H) any other information that the Sec-
retary considers to be necessary for evaluating 
the eligibility of the project for funding under 
this Act. 
(c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 
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(A) not later than 30 days after receiving 
a project proposal, provide a copy of the pro-
posal to the appropriate Federal officials; and 
(B) review each project proposal in a time-
ly manner to determine if the proposal meets 
the criteria specified in subsection (d). 
(2) 
CONSULTATION; 
APPROVAL
OR
DIS-
APPROVAL.—Not later than 180 days after receiving 
a project proposal, and subject to the availability of 
funds, the Secretary, after consulting with other ap-
propriate Federal officials, shall— 
(A) ensure the proposal contains assur-
ances that the project will be implemented in 
consultation with relevant wildlife management 
authorities and other appropriate government 
officials with jurisdiction over the resources ad-
dressed by the project; 
(B) approve or disapprove the proposal; 
and 
(C) provide written notification of the ap-
proval or disapproval to the person who sub-
mitted the proposal, other appropriate Federal 
officials, and each country within whose borders 
the project will take place. 
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(d) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—The Secretary may 
approve a project proposal under this section if the project 
will contribute to conservation of rare felids or rare canids 
in the wild by assisting efforts to— 
(1) implement conservation programs; 
(2) address the conflicts between humans and 
rare felids or rare canids, respectively, that arise 
from competition for the same habitat or resources; 
(3) enhance compliance with CITES, the En-
dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.), and other applicable laws that prohibit or reg-
ulate the taking or trade of rare felids and rare 
canids or regulate the use and management of rare 
felid and rare canid habitat; 
(4) develop sound scientific information on, or 
methods for monitoring— 
(A) the condition and health of rare felid 
or rare canid habitat; 
(B) rare felid or rare canid population 
numbers and trends; and 
(C) the ecological characteristics and re-
quirements of populations of rare felids or rare 
canids for which there are little or no data; 
(5) promote cooperative projects among govern-
ment entities, affected local communities, nongovern-
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mental organizations, and other persons in the pri-
vate sector; or 
(6) funds will not be appropriated for the pur-
chase or lease of lands to be used as suitable habitat 
for felids or canids. 
(e) PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY.—In approving project 
proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give pref-
erence to conservation projects that are designed to ensure 
effective, long-term conservation of rare felids and rare 
canids and their habitats. 
(f) MATCHING FUNDS.—In determining whether to 
approve project proposals under this section, the Secretary 
shall give preference to projects for which there exists 
some measure of matching funds. 
(g) PROJECT REPORTING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each person that receives 
assistance under this section for a project shall sub-
mit to the Secretary periodic reports (at such inter-
vals as the Secretary considers necessary) that in-
clude all information that the Secretary, after con-
sultation with other appropriate government offi-
cials, determines is necessary to evaluate the 
progress and success of the project for the purposes 
of ensuring positive results, assessing problems, and 
fostering improvements. 
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(2) AVAILABILITY
TO
THE
PUBLIC.—Reports 
under paragraph (1), and any other documents re-
lating to projects for which financial assistance is 
provided under this Act, shall be made available to 
the public. 
(h) LIMITATIONS ON USE FOR CAPTIVE BREEDING 
OR DISPLAY.—Amounts provided as a grant under this 
Act may not be used for captive breeding unless as part 
of an accredited reintroduction or restoration program. 
(i) ADVISORY GROUP.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—To assist in carrying out 
this Act, the Secretary may convene an advisory 
group consisting of individuals representing public 
and private organizations actively involved in the 
conservation of felids and canids. 
(2) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.— 
(A) 
MEETINGS.—The 
advisory 
group 
shall— 
(i) ensure that each meeting of the 
advisory group is open to the public; and 
(ii) provide, at each meeting, an op-
portunity for interested persons to present 
oral or written statements concerning 
items on the agenda. 
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(B) NOTICE.—The Secretary shall provide 
to the public timely notice of each meeting of 
the advisory group, including the meeting agen-
da. 
(C) MINUTES.—Minutes of each meeting 
of the advisory group shall be kept by the Sec-
retary and shall be made available to the public. 
(3) EXEMPTION
FROM
FEDERAL
ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the advisory 
group. 
SEC. 5. RARE CATS AND CANIDS CONSERVATION FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established, in the 
Multinational Species Conservation Fund established in 
title I of the Department of the Interior and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 under the heading 
‘‘MULTINATIONAL 
SPECIES 
CONSERVATION 
FUND’’, a separate account to be known as the ‘‘Rare 
Cats and Canids Conservation Fund’’, consisting of— 
(1) amounts transferred to the Secretary of the 
Treasury for deposit into such account under sub-
section (c); and 
(2) amounts appropriated to such account 
under section 6. 
(b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
upon request by the Secretary, the Secretary of the 
Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the Sec-
retary, without further appropriation, such amounts 
as the Secretary determines are necessary to provide 
assistance under section 4. 
(2) 
ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—Of 
the 
amounts in the Fund available for each fiscal year, 
the Secretary may expend not more than three per-
cent, or up to $100,000, whichever is greater, to pay 
the administrative expenses necessary to carry out 
this Act. 
(c) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DONATIONS.—The 
Secretary may accept and use donations to provide assist-
ance under section 4, and may make public on the Internet 
Web site and in publications of the Department of the In-
terior that the Secretary is authorized to accept and use 
such donations. Amounts received by the Secretary in the 
form of such donations shall be transferred to the Sec-
retary of the Treasury for deposit into the Fund. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund, 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020 
to carry out this Act. 
Æ 
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