I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 788 
To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to facilitate the 
establishment of additional or expanded public target ranges in certain States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 1, 2017 
Mr. HUNTER (for himself, Ms. CHENEY, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. YOUNG of Alas-
ka, Mr. WALZ, Mr. KINZINGER, Mr. PALAZZO, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. 
ABRAHAM, Mr. COMER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
MARSHALL, Mr. LATTA, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. 
MAST, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. WELCH, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. 
CUELLAR, Mr. PEARCE, and Mr. POLIS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 
to facilitate the establishment of additional or expanded 
public target ranges in certain States. 
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 ‘‘Target Practice and 
Marksmanship Training Support Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) the use of firearms and archery equipment 
for target practice and marksmanship training ac-
tivities on Federal land is allowed, except to the ex-
tent specific portions of that land have been closed 
to those activities; 
(2) in recent years preceding the date of enact-
ment of this Act, portions of Federal land have been 
closed to target practice and marksmanship training 
for many reasons; 
(3) the availability of public target ranges on 
non-Federal land has been declining for a variety of 
reasons, including continued population growth and 
development near former ranges; 
(4) providing opportunities for target practice 
and marksmanship training at public target ranges 
on Federal and non-Federal land can help— 
(A) to promote enjoyment of shooting, rec-
reational, and hunting activities; and 
(B) to ensure safe and convenient locations 
for those activities; 
(5) Federal law in effect on the date of enact-
ment of this Act, including the Pittman-Robertson 
Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.), 
provides Federal support for construction and ex-
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pansion of public target ranges by making available 
to States amounts that may be used for construc-
tion, operation, and maintenance of public target 
ranges; and 
(6) it is in the public interest to provide in-
creased Federal support to facilitate the construction 
or expansion of public target ranges. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to facili-
tate the construction and expansion of public target 
ranges, including ranges on Federal land managed by the 
Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF PUBLIC TARGET RANGE. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘public target range’’ means 
a specific location that— 
(1) is identified by a governmental agency for 
recreational shooting; 
(2) is open to the public; 
(3) may be supervised; and 
(4) may accommodate archery or rifle, pistol, or 
shotgun shooting. 
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO PITTMAN-ROBERTSON WILDLIFE 
RESTORATION ACT. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2 of the Pittman-Robert-
son Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669a) is amend-
ed— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 
(8) as paragraphs (3) through (9), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) the term ‘public target range’ means a 
specific location that— 
‘‘(A) is identified by a governmental agen-
cy for recreational shooting; 
‘‘(B) is open to the public; 
‘‘(C) may be supervised; and 
‘‘(D) may accommodate archery or rifle, 
pistol, or shotgun shooting;’’. 
(b) EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILD-
LIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.—Section 8(b) of the Pitt-
man-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 
669g(b)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(b) Each State’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(b) EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILD-
LIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), each State’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by 
striking ‘‘construction, operation,’’ and inserting 
‘‘operation’’; 
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(3) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘The 
non-Federal share’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(3) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal 
share’’; 
(4) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘The Sec-
retary’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(4) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary’’; and 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as des-
ignated by paragraph (1) of this subsection) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding the limita-
tion described in paragraph (1), a State may pay up 
to 90 percent of the cost of acquiring land for, ex-
panding, or constructing a public target range.’’. 
(c) FIREARM AND BOW HUNTER EDUCATION AND 
SAFETY PROGRAM GRANTS.—Section 10 of the Pittman- 
Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669h–1) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(3) ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS.— 
Of the amount apportioned to a State for any fiscal 
year under section 4(b), the State may elect to allo-
cate not more than 10 percent, to be combined with 
the amount apportioned to the State under para-
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graph (1) for that fiscal year, for acquiring land for, 
expanding, or constructing a public target range.’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(b) COST SHARING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the Federal share of the cost of any activ-
ity carried out using a grant under this section shall 
not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the activ-
ity. 
‘‘(2) PUBLIC TARGET RANGE CONSTRUCTION OR 
EXPANSION.—The Federal share of the cost of ac-
quiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public 
target range in a State on Federal or non-Federal 
land pursuant to this section or section 8(b) shall 
not exceed 90 percent of the cost of the activity.’’; 
and 
(3) in subsection (c)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Amounts made’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), amounts made’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Amounts provided for 
acquiring land for, constructing, or expanding a 
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public target range shall remain available for 
expenditure and obligation during the 5-fiscal- 
year period beginning on October 1 of the first 
fiscal year for which the amounts are made 
available.’’. 
SEC. 5. LIMITS ON LIABILITY. 
(a) DISCRETIONARY FUNCTION.—For purposes of 
chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code (commonly 
referred to as the ‘‘Federal Tort Claims Act’’), any action 
by an agent or employee of the United States to manage 
or allow the use of Federal land for purposes of target 
practice or marksmanship training by a member of the 
public shall be considered to be the exercise or perform-
ance of a discretionary function. 
(b) CIVIL ACTION OR CLAIMS.—Except to the extent 
provided in chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, 
the United States shall not be subject to any civil action 
or claim for money damages for any injury to or loss of 
property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity 
occurring at a public target range that is— 
(1) funded in whole or in part by the Federal 
Government pursuant to the Pittman-Robertson 
Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.); or 
(2) located on Federal land. 
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SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING COOPERATION. 
It is the sense of Congress that, consistent with appli-
cable laws and regulations, the Chief of the Forest Service 
and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 
should cooperate with State and local authorities and 
other entities to carry out waste removal and other activi-
ties on any Federal land used as a public target range 
to encourage continued use of that land for target practice 
or marksmanship training. 
Æ 
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