I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1845
To establish the Biological Survey in the Department of the Interior.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 22, 1993
Mr. STUDDS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries
A BILL
To establish the Biological Survey in the Department of
the Interior.
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 ‘‘Biological Survey Act
of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the De-
partment of the Interior an office which shall be known
as the Biological Survey. The purpose of the Survey is
to ensure—
(1) the comprehensive assessment of the bio-
logical resources of the United States;
(2) the provision of information to be used in
protecting and managing ecosystems, including their
plant, fish, and wildlife components; and
(3) that the Secretary may anticipate and avoid
or resolve conflicts arising in the implementation of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and other fish-
eries and wildlife conservation laws.
(b) DIRECTOR.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The head of the Survey is
the Director of the Biological Survey, who shall—
(A) be appointed by the President, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate, from
among individuals having expertise in the bio-
logical sciences; and
(B) be compensated at the rate provided
for level V of the Executive Schedule.
(2) FUNCTIONS.—The Director, under the su-
pervision of the Assistant Secretary, shall perform
the following functions:
(A) Assess and study biological resources,
including plants, fish, wildlife, and ecosystems
and their components.
(B) Develop, test, and monitor methods of
ecosystem management in order to improve the
capability of the Secretary to conserve biological
resources and diversity.
(C) Collect and analyze data and informa-
tion to determine and inventory the distribu-
tion, abundance, health, status, and trends of
biological resources and ecosystems.
(D) Develop methods for the consistent
and systematic collection and analysis of data
on ecosystems and their components.
(E) Disseminate information to resource
managers, scientists, and the public.
(F) Provide technical assistance in support
of legislative, regulatory, and resource manage-
ment decisions.
(G) Perform international activities related
to the management of biological resources.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the term—
(1) ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’ means the Assistant
Secretary for Fish and Wildlife of the Department
of the Interior established under section 3 of the
Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742b);
(2) ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of the Bio-
logical Survey appointed under subsection (b);
(3) ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the
Interior; and
(4) ‘‘Survey’’ means the Biological Survey es-
tablished under subsection (a).
SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.
Section 5316 of title 5, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after the item relating to the Direc-
tor, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Department
of the Interior, the following:
‘‘Director of the Biological Survey, Department
of the Interior.’’.
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