I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3501
To promote and appropriately recognize the role of volunteers and partnership
organizations in the stewardship of the resources and values of Federal
lands administered by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary
of the Interior, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 18, 1999
Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself and Mr. UDALL of New Mexico) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Re-
sources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
A BILL
To promote and appropriately recognize the role of volunteers
and partnership organizations in the stewardship of the
resources and values of Federal lands administered by
the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the
Interior, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Stewardship Education, Recreation, and Volunteers for
the Environment Act of 1999’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings, purposes, and definitions.
Sec. 3. Use of volunteers to perform services to benefit Federal lands.
Sec. 4. Recognition of volunteers.
Sec. 5. Cooperative agreements for stewardship of Federal lands.
Sec. 6. Educational outreach.
Sec. 7. Reports and accountability.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS, PURPOSES, AND DEFINITIONS.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) Lands owned by the United States and
managed by the Federal land management agencies
encompass extensive natural, cultural, educational,
scientific, ecological, wilderness, recreational and
other resources and values.
(2) Proper stewardship of these resources and
values is an important national priority.
(3) Individual volunteers and organizations,
working in partnership with Federal land manage-
ment agencies, play an invaluable role in the stew-
ardship of these resources and values.
(4) It is in the national interest to encourage
and properly recognize the contributions of these vol-
unteers and organizations.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to encourage individual volunteers and part-
nership organizations to assist the Secretary of the
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture in imple-
menting programs for the stewardship of the re-
sources, values, and facilities of the Federal lands
managed by the Federal land management agencies;
and
(2) to authorize appropriate recognition for the
role of volunteers and partnership organizations in
providing such assistance.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:
(1) FEDERAL
LANDS.—The term ‘‘Federal
lands’’ means—
(A) lands owned by the United States and
managed by Forest Service of the Department
of Agriculture; and
(B) lands owned by the United States and
managed by a Federal land management agency
of the Department of the Interior.
(2) FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY.—
The term ‘‘Federal land management agency’’
means the Bureau of Land Management, the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park
Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest
Service.
(3) PARTNERSHIP
ORGANIZATION.—the term
‘‘partnership organization’’ means an organization
that—
(A) draws its membership from private in-
dividuals, organizations, corporations, academic
institutions, or State and local governments;
(B) is established to promote the under-
standing and conservation of the natural, rec-
reational, and cultural resources of Federal
lands and to promote education relating to
these natural and cultural resources; and
(C) is described in section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt
from taxation under section 501(a) of that
Code.
(4) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec-
retary concerned’’ means the Secretary of the Inte-
rior with respect to the Federal lands described in
paragraph (1)(B) and the Secretary of Agriculture
with respect to the Federal lands described in para-
graph (1)(A).
(5) VOLUNTEER.—The term ‘‘volunteer’’ means
an individual or member of a partnership organiza-
tion who performs volunteer services pursuant to
section 3(a).
SEC. 3. USE OF VOLUNTEERS TO PERFORM SERVICES TO
BENEFIT FEDERAL LANDS.
(a) AUTHORITY TO USE VOLUNTEERS.—The Sec-
retary concerned may recruit, train, and accept the serv-
ices of individuals and partnership organizations, without
compensation, as volunteers to supplement the work of
employees of each Federal land management agency in
performing activities for the benefit of Federal lands. The
Secretary concerned may recruit, train, and accept volun-
teers without regard to—
(1) the provisions of title 5, United States
Code, relating to appointments in the competitive
service; or
(2) chapter 51 or subchapter III of chapter 53
of title 5, United States Code, relating to classifica-
tion and General Schedule pay rates for employees.
(b) GENERAL STATUS OF VOLUNTEERS UNDER FED-
ERAL EMPLOYMENT LAW.—Except as provided in sub-
section (c), a volunteer shall not—
(1) be considered to be a Federal employee; and
(2) be subject to the provisions of law relating
to Federal employment, including provisions relating
to hours of work, rates of compensation, leave, un-
(b) UNIFORMITY.—The Volunteer Passports Pro-
gram shall apply uniformly to each Federal land manage-
ment agency.
(c) CLASSES OF PASSPORTS.—
(1) AWARD
AND
PURPOSE.—The Volunteer
Passports Program shall provide for the award of
various classes of Volunteer Passports to volunteers.
The passport shall entitle the volunteer to exemp-
tion, for a specified period of time, from one or more
fees charged for access to or use of facilities on
lands managed by one or more Federal land man-
agement agencies in one or more States.
(2) CLASSES AND BENEFITS BASED ON HOURS
OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES.—The award of a par-
ticular class of Volunteer Passport to a volunteer
shall reflect completion by the volunteer of a speci-
fied number of hours of volunteer service, so that
completion of additional hours shall result in exemp-
tion from additional fees.
(d) PROGRESS REPORT.—Not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall sub-
mit to Congress a report concerning the steps taken to
implement this section and any steps remaining to be
taken to complete its implementation.
SEC. 5. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR STEWARDSHIP
OF FEDERAL LANDS.
(a) AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS.—
The Secretary concerned may enter into cooperative agree-
ments (within the meaning of chapter 63 of title 31,
United States Code) with any partnership organization,
academic institution, or State or local government agency
to carry out one or more projects or programs of coopera-
tion with a Federal land management agency in accord-
ance with this section.
(b) AUTHORIZED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS.—Sub-
ject to subsection (c), the Secretary concerned may carry
out the following types of projects and programs for the
Federal lands using a cooperative agreement under sub-
section (a):
(1) Projects and programs that promote the
stewardship of resources of Federal lands by volun-
teers.
(2) Projects and programs that support the
programs of a Federal land management agency
through constructing, operating, maintaining, or im-
proving educational and recreational facilities and
services.
(3) Projects and programs that increase aware-
ness and understanding of Federal lands through
the development, publication, or distribution of edu-
cational materials and products.
(4) Projects and programs that advance edu-
cation concerning the Federal lands and the mis-
sions of the Federal land management agencies
through the use of the Federal lands as outdoor
classrooms and development of other educational
programs.
(5) Projects and programs that contribute fi-
nancial resources to the Federal lands, under terms
that require that the net revenues be used exclu-
sively for volunteer or educational programs at a
particular field office, program, site, or project.
(c) CONDITIONS ON USE OF AUTHORITY.—The Sec-
retary concerned may use a cooperative agreement under
subsection (a) to carry out a project or program for the
Federal lands only if the project or program—
(1) complies with all Federal laws and all Fed-
eral rules, regulations, and policies;
(2) is consistent with the applicable manage-
ment plan for the Federal lands involved; and
(3) satisfies such other terms and conditions as
the Secretary concerned determines to be appro-
priate.
(d) FEDERAL FUNDING AND OWNERSHIP.—
(1) MATCHING.—Subject to the availability of
appropriations and the requirements of applicable
laws, the Secretary concerned may provide funds to
match non-Federal funds (and the value of services
or materials) donated under a cooperative agreement
under this section. With respect to each project, pro-
gram, or site, the amount of funds provided by a
Secretary may not exceed the amount of the non-
Federal donations.
(2) USE
OF
FEDERAL
FUNDS.—Any Federal
funds used to fund a project or program under a co-
operative agreement may be used only for expenses
directly related to the project or program and may
not be used for operation or administration of any
non-Federal entity.
(3) OWNERSHIP OF FACILITIES.—Any new fa-
cility, improvement to an existing facility, or other
permanent improvement to a Federal lands site or
project constructed under this section shall be the
property of the United States.
(e) TREASURY ACCOUNT.—Amounts received by the
Secretary concerned for use in connection with projects
and programs conducted under the authority of this sec-
tion shall be deposited in a separate account in the Treas-
ury and shall be available for such use without further
congressional action. Amounts in the account that are at-
tributable to activities at a particular field office or site
shall be available to pay the costs of incidental expenses
related to volunteer or educational activities and to carry
out cooperative agreements for that office or site.
SEC. 6. EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH.
In implementing this Act and other applicable laws,
each Federal land management agency shall seek to co-
operate with States, local school districts, and other
entities—
(1) to promote participation by students and
other young people in volunteer programs of the
Federal land management agencies;
(2) to promote greater understanding by stu-
dents and other young people of the resources and
values of Federal lands and the importance of prop-
er stewardship of those resources and values; and
(3) to provide information and assistance to
students and other young people with an interest in
careers with a Federal land management agency or
other organizations concerned with the management
of natural or cultural resources.
SEC. 7. REPORTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
After submission of the report required by section
4(d), the progress and results of all programs and activi-
ties authorized under this Act shall be reported through
existing agency mechanisms, including budget-related doc-
uments.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such
sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act during
fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
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