I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 642 
To provide opportunities for continued recreational shooting on certain 
Federal public land. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 22, 2009 
Mr. FLAKE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To provide opportunities for continued recreational shooting 
on certain Federal public land. 
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 ‘‘Recreational Shooting 
Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. 
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(2) FEDERAL PUBLIC LAND.—The term ‘‘Fed-
eral public land’’ means any Federal land that is— 
(A) publicly accessible; 
(B) under the jurisdiction of and adminis-
tered by the Bureau of Land Management; and 
(C) managed for purposes that include the 
conservation of natural resources. 
(3) RANGE
TECHNICAL
ADVISOR.—The term 
‘‘Range Technical Advisor’’ means a person des-
ignated by the Director who has experience as a 
technical advisor for shooting range development, de-
sign, or operations. 
(4) 
RECREATIONAL
SHOOTING.—The 
term 
‘‘recreational shooting’’ means any form of shooting 
sport or pastime, formal or informal, by whatever 
name known, including (but not limited to) target 
and practical rifle, pistol and shotgun shooting, 
archery, trap, skeet, and sporting clays. 
SEC. 3. RECREATIONAL SHOOTING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, 
Federal public land shall be open to access and use for 
recreational shooting except as limited by the Director for 
one or more of the following: 
(1) Reasons of national security. 
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sons of public safety, as certified by the Range 
Technical Advisor, or national security. 
(d) NO PRIORITY.—Nothing in this Act requires the 
Director to give preference to recreational shooting over 
other uses of Federal public land or over land or water 
management priorities established by Federal law. 
(e) AUTHORITY OF THE STATES.— 
(1) SAVINGS.—Nothing in this Act affects the 
authority, jurisdiction, or responsibility of a State to 
manage, control, or regulate fish and wildlife under 
State law (including regulations) on land or water in 
the State, including Federal public land. 
(2) FEDERAL LICENSES.—Nothing in this Act 
authorizes the Director to require a license for rec-
reational shooting on land or water in a State, in-
cluding on Federal public land in the State. 
(3) STATE RIGHT OF ACTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Any State aggrieved by 
the failure of the Director to comply with this 
Act may bring a civil action in the United 
States District Court for the district in which 
the failure occurs for a permanent injunction. 
(B) PRELIMINARY
INJUNCTION.—If the 
district court determines, based on the facts, 
that a preliminary injunction is appropriate, the 
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district court may grant a preliminary injunc-
tion. 
(C) COURT COSTS.—If the district court 
issues an injunction under this paragraph or 
otherwise finds in favor of the State, the dis-
trict court shall award to the State any reason-
able costs of bringing the civil action (including 
an attorney’s fee). 
Æ 
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