I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 751
To authorize increased fines for improper use of vehicles that results in 
damage to public lands or national forests, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 12, 2003
Mr. UDALL of Colorado introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agri-
culture and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize increased fines for improper use of vehicles 
that results in damage to public lands or national forests, 
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS; PURPOSES. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Responsible Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement and Re-
sponse Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To authorize imposition of appropriate fines 
for violations of requirements or regulations regard-
ing use of vehicles on public lands or on Federal 
lands within the National Forest System that result 
in damage to such lands. 
(2) To authorize immediate use of funds re-
ceived as a result of the imposition of such fines for 
restoration or other treatment of lands damaged by 
such violations, for increasing public awareness of 
the regulations applicable to use of vehicles on such 
lands, and for defraying the costs of enforcing such 
regulations. 
SEC. 2. PUBLIC LANDS. 
(a) FINES.—Section 303(a) of the Federal Land Pol-
icy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1733(a)) is 
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(a) The’’ and inserting ‘‘(a)(1) 
The’’; and 
(2) by adding after paragraph (1) (as so des-
ignated above) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law (in-
cluding section 3571 of title 18, United States Code), the 
Secretary may impose a fine of no more than $10,000 or
an amount equal to the cost to the United States of any 
improvement, protection, or rehabilitation work on the 
public lands rendered necessary by damages to such lands 
resulting from violation of any regulation or other require-
ment regarding use of any vehicle over such lands, which-
ever amount is greater. Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, such a violation not resulting in death shall 
be considered a Class B misdemeanor.’’. 
(b) USE OF FINES.—Section 305 of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
1735), is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(d) Any moneys received by the United States as 
a result of a fine imposed pursuant to section 303(a)(2) 
shall be available to the Secretary, without further appro-
priation, and shall be used—
‘‘(1) to cover the administrative, legal, and re-
lated expenses, including damage assessments, pay-
ments of rewards for information, and investigative 
costs of enforcing regulations or other requirements 
regarding use of vehicles on public lands; 
‘‘(2) to cover the costs of any improvement, 
protection, or rehabilitation work on public lands; 
and
‘‘(3) to increase public awareness of regulations 
and other requirements regarding recreational use of 
vehicles on public lands.’’. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL FOREST LANDS. 
(a) VEHICLE VIOLATIONS.—Section 1 of the Act of 
June 4, 1897 (16 U.S.C. 551), is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary of Agriculture’’ 
and inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of 
Agriculture’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) FINES FOR VEHICLE VIOLATIONS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law (including section 
3571 of title 18, United States Code), the Secretary may 
impose a fine of no more than $10,000 or any amount 
equal to the cost to the United States of any improvement, 
protection, or rehabilitation work on lands managed by the 
Forest Service rendered necessary by damages to such 
lands resulting from violation of any regulation or require-
ment regarding use of any vehicle on such lands, which-
ever amount is greater. Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, such a violation not resulting in death shall 
be considered a Class B misdemeanor.’’. 
(b) USE OF FINES.—Section 7 of the Act of June 
20, 1958 (16 U.S.C. 579c), is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘administrative, legal, and re-
lated expenses, including damage assessments, pay-
ments of rewards for information, and investigative 
costs, incurred in connection with such claim, and 
all’’ after ‘‘cost to the United States of any’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘Provided’’ and all that follows 
at the end of such section and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Provided, That any portion of the moneys 
so received in excess of the amounts expended for 
such purposes shall be similarly made available to be 
used for enforcement and increased public awareness 
of the regulations and other requirements regarding 
activities on such lands, including the regulations 
and requirements regarding the use of vehicles on 
such lands.’’.
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