(1) There exists no dedicated, coordinated Fed-
eral effort to address, control, or eradicate harmful, 
invasive weeds. 
(2) Public and private land in the United 
States faces unprecedented and severe stress from 
harmful, invasive weeds. 
(3) The economic and resource value of the 
land is being destroyed as harmful invasive weeds 
overtake native vegetation, making the land unus-
able for forage and for diverse plant and animal 
communities. 
(4) Damage caused by harmful invasive weeds 
has been estimated to run in the hundreds of mil-
lions of dollars annually. 
(5) Successfully fighting this scourge will re-
quire coordinated action by all affected stakeholders, 
which may include Federal, State, and local govern-
ments, private landowners, and nongovernmental or-
ganizations. 
(6) The fight must begin at the local level, since 
it is at the local level that persons feel the loss 
caused by harmful invasive weeds and will therefore 
have the greatest motivation to take effective action.
(7) To date, effective action has been hampered 
by inadequate funding at all levels of government 
and by inadequate coordination. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are the fol-
lowing: 
(1) To direct the Secretary to coordinate with 
the Federal Interagency Committee for the Manage-
ment of Noxious and Exotic Weeds to develop a 
dedicated program to combat harmful, invasive 
weeds. 
(2) To provide assistance to eligible weed man-
agement entities in carrying out projects to control 
or eradicate harmful, invasive weeds on public and 
private land. 
(3) To coordinate projects with existing weed 
management entities, areas, districts, and ongoing 
partnerships. 
(4) In locations in which no weed management 
entity, area, or district exists, to stimulate the for-
mation of additional local or regional cooperative 
weed management entities, such as entities for weed 
management areas or districts, that organize locally 
affected stakeholders to control or eradicate weeds.
(5) To leverage additional funds from a variety 
of public and private sources to control or eradicate 
weeds through local stakeholders. 
(6) To promote healthy, diverse, and desirable 
plant communities by abating through a variety of 
measures the threat posed by harmful, invasive 
weeds. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Committee’’ 
means the Federal Interagency Committee for the 
Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds estab-
lished through a memorandum of agreement entered 
into in August 1994 to implement the requirements 
of section 15 of the Federal Noxious Weed Act of 
1974 (7 U.S.C. 2814). 
(2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 
(3) LOCAL STAKEHOLDER.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘local stake-
holder’’ means an interested party that partici-
pates in the establishment of a weed manage-
ment entity in a State.
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘local stake-
holder’’ includes a Federal, State, local, tribal, 
or private landowner. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States of the United States, the District 
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory 
or possession of the United States. 
(6) WEED.—The term ‘‘weed’’ means any para-
sitic or other kind of plant at any living stage (in-
cluding seeds and reproductive parts of such a 
plant), that—
(A) is of foreign origin; 
(B) is new or not widely prevalent in a re-
gion, State, or the United States; and 
(C) can directly or indirectly impact other 
useful plants, livestock, wildlife resources, or 
the public health. 
(7) WEED
MANAGEMENT
ENTITY.—The term 
‘‘weed management entity’’ means an entity that—
(A) is recognized by the State in which it 
is established;
(B) is established by and includes local 
stakeholders; 
(C) is established for the purpose of con-
trolling or eradicating harmful, invasive weeds 
on public or private land and increasing public 
knowledge and education concerning the need to 
control or eradicate harmful, invasive weeds on 
public or private land; and 
(D) is multijurisdictional and multidisci-
plinary in nature. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 
The Secretary, in coordination with the Committee, 
shall establish in the Office of the Secretary a program 
to provide financial assistance through States to eligible 
weed management entities to control or eradicate harmful, 
invasive weeds on public and private land. 
SEC. 5. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO STATES AND INDIAN 
TRIBES. 
(a) ALLOCATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), in 
consultation with the Committee, the Secretary shall 
allocate funds made available for each fiscal year 
under section 12 to States and Indian tribes to pro-
vide funding in accordance with sections 6 and 7 to 
weed management entities to carry out projects ap-
proved by States and Indian tribes to control or 
eradicate harmful, invasive weeds on public and pri-
vate land. 
(2) 
FEDERAL
ALLOCATION
TO
INDIAN 
TRIBES.—Of the funds made available for allocation 
under section 12 for each fiscal year, 5 percent shall 
be—
(A) reserved for allocation to Indian tribes; 
and 
(B) administered by the Committee. 
(b) AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall determine the 
amount of Federal funds allocated to a State or Indian 
tribe for a fiscal year under this section to be used to ad-
dress a harmful, invasive weed problem in the State or 
portion of the State, or on land or in water under the 
jurisdiction of the Indian tribe, on the basis of—
(1) the severity or potential severity of the 
harmful, invasive weed problem; 
(2) the extent to which the Federal funds will 
be used to leverage non-Federal funds to address the 
harmful, invasive weed problem; 
(3) the extent to which the State or Indian 
tribe has made progress in addressing harmful, 
invasive weed problems; and
(4) other factors recommended by the Com-
mittee and approved by the Secretary. 
SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS ALLOCATED TO STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A State that receives an allocation 
of funds under section 5 for a fiscal year shall use—
(1) not more than 25 percent of the allocation 
to make an incentive payment to each weed manage-
ment entity established in the State, in accordance 
with subsection (b); and 
(2) not less than 75 percent of the allocation to 
make financial awards to weed management entities 
established in the State, in accordance with sub-
section (c). 
(b) INCENTIVE PAYMENTS.—
(1) USE BY WEED MANAGEMENT ENTITIES.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Incentive payments 
under subsection (a)(1) shall be used by weed 
management entities—
(i) to encourage the formation of new 
weed management entities; or 
(ii) to carry out 1 or more projects de-
scribed in subsection (d) to improve the ef-
fectiveness of existing weed management 
entities or programs.
(B) DURATION
OF
PAYMENTS.—A weed 
management entity is eligible to receive an in-
centive payment under subparagraph (A) for 
not more than 3 years in the aggregate. 
(C) FEDERAL SHARE.—
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 
in clause (ii), for purposes of subparagraph 
(A), the Federal share of the cost of car-
rying out a project described in subsection 
(d) shall not exceed 50 percent. 
(ii) ADJUSTMENT.—After consultation 
with the Secretary, the Governor of a State 
that makes either an incentive payment or 
financial award under subsection (a) may 
increase, to a maximum of 100 percent, 
such Federal share of a project that the 
Governor determines is necessary to meet 
the needs of an underserved area. 
(iii) FORM
OF
MATCHING
FUNDS.—
Under subparagraph (A), the non-Federal 
share of the cost of carrying out a project 
described in subsection (d) may be pro-
vided—
(I) in cash or in kind; or
(II) in the form of Federal funds 
made available under a Federal law 
other than this Act. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY OF WEED MANAGEMENT ENTI-
TIES.—To be eligible to obtain an incentive payment 
under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, a weed man-
agement entity in a State shall—
(A)(i) for the first fiscal year for which the 
entity receives an incentive payment under this 
subsection, provide to the State in which it is 
established a description of—
(I) the purposes for which the entity 
was established; and 
(II) any projects to be carried out to 
accomplish those purposes; and 
(ii) for any subsequent fiscal year for 
which the entity receives an incentive payment, 
provide to the State—
(I) a description of the activities car-
ried out by the entity in the previous fiscal 
year—
(aa) to control or eradicate harm-
ful, invasive weeds on public or pri-
vate land; or
(bb) to increase public knowledge 
and education concerning the need to 
control or eradicate harmful, invasive 
weeds on public or private land; and 
(II) the results of each such activity; 
and 
(B) meet such additional eligibility require-
ments, and conform to such process for deter-
mining eligibility, as the State may establish. 
(c) FINANCIAL AWARDS.—
(1) USE BY WEED MANAGEMENT ENTITIES.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Financial awards under 
subsection (a)(2) shall be used by weed man-
agement entities to pay the Federal share of 
the cost of carrying out projects described in 
subsection (d) that are selected by the State in 
accordance with subsection (d). 
(B) FEDERAL SHARE.—
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 
in clause (ii), for purposes of subparagraph 
(A), the Federal share of the cost of car-
rying out a project described in subsection 
(d) shall not exceed 50 percent. 
(ii) ADJUSTMENT.—After consultation 
with the Secretary, the Governor of a State
that makes either an incentive payment or 
financial award under subsection (a) may 
increase, to a maximum of 100 percent, 
such Federal share of a project that the 
Governor determines is necessary to meet 
the needs of an underserved area. 
(iii) FORM
OF
MATCHING
FUNDS.—
Under subparagraph (A), the non-Federal 
share of the cost of carrying out a project 
described in subsection (d) may be pro-
vided—
(I) in cash or in kind; or 
(II) in the form of Federal funds 
made available under a Federal law 
other than this Act. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY OF WEED MANAGEMENT ENTI-
TIES.—To be eligible to obtain a financial award 
under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, a weed man-
agement entity in a State shall—
(A) meet the requirements for eligibility 
for an incentive payment under subsection 
(b)(2); and 
(B) submit to the State a description of 
the project for which the financial award is 
sought.
(d) PROJECTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—A weed management entity 
may use a financial award received under this sec-
tion to carry out a project to control or eradicate 
harmful, invasive weeds on public or private land, in-
cluding—
(A) education, inventories and mapping, 
management, monitoring, and similar activities, 
including the payment of the cost of personnel 
and equipment that promote such control or 
eradication; and 
(B) other activities to promote such control 
or eradication, if the results of the activities are 
disseminated to the public. 
(2) SELECTION OF PROJECTS.—A State shall 
select projects for funding under this section on a 
competitive basis, taking into consideration—
(A) the seriousness of the harmful, 
invasive weed problem or potential problem ad-
dressed by the project; 
(B) the likelihood that the project will pre-
vent or resolve the problem, or increase knowl-
edge about resolving similar problems in the fu-
ture;
(C) the extent to which the payment will 
leverage non-Federal funds to address the 
harmful, invasive weed problem addressed by 
the project; 
(D) the extent to which the recipient weed 
management entity has made progress in ad-
dressing harmful, invasive weed problems; 
(E) the extent to which the project will 
provide a comprehensive approach to the con-
trol or eradication of harmful, invasive weeds; 
(F) the extent to which the project will re-
duce the total population of a harmful, invasive 
weed within the State; 
(G) the extent to which the project uses 
the principles of integrated vegetation manage-
ment and sound science; and 
(H) other factors that the State deter-
mines to be relevant. 
(3) SCOPE OF PROJECTS.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—A weed management 
entity shall determine the geographic scope of 
the harmful, invasive weed problem to be ad-
dressed through a project using an incentive 
payment or financial award received under this 
section.
(B) MULTIPLE STATES.—A weed manage-
ment entity may use an incentive payment or fi-
nancial award under this section to carry out a 
project to address the harmful, invasive weed 
problem of more than 1 State only if the entity 
meets the requirements of all applicable State 
laws. 
(4) LAND.—A weed management entity may 
use an incentive payment or financial award received 
under this section to carry out a project to control 
or eradicate weeds on any public land, or on any pri-
vate land with the approval of the owner or operator 
of the land. 
(5) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS.—An in-
centive payment or financial award under this Act 
may not be used to carry out a project—
(A) to control or eradicate animal pests; or 
(B) to protect an agricultural commodity 
(as defined in section 102 of the Agricultural 
Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602)) other 
than—
(i) livestock (as defined in section 602 
of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1949 (7 
U.S.C. 1471); or
(ii) an animal- or insect-based prod-
uct. 
(e) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more than 5 per-
cent of the funds made available under section 12 for a 
fiscal year may be used by the Federal Government to pay 
the administrative costs of the program established by this 
Act, including the costs of complying with Federal envi-
ronmental laws. 
(f) REPORT.—As a condition of the receipt of an in-
centive payment or financial award under this Act, a weed 
management entity in a State that received such a pay-
ment or award shall submit to the Committee a report 
that describes the purposes and results of each project for 
which the payment or award was used, by not later than 
6 months after completion of the projects. 
SEC. 7. USE OF FUNDS ALLOCATED TO INDIAN TRIBES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The requirements for the use of 
funds allocated to States described in section 6 shall apply 
to the use of funds allocated to Indian tribes under section 
5(a)(2). 
(b) INSUFFICIENT OR EXCESS FUNDS.—
(1) INSUFFICIENT
FUNDS.—If, in any fiscal 
year, the funds allocated to Indian tribes under sec-
tion 5(a)(2) are not sufficient to provide incentive 
payments or financial awards to each weed manage-
ment entity of an Indian tribe, an Indian tribe may 
seek additional funds by participating as a local 
stakeholder in the establishment of a weed manage-
ment entity that receives assistance under section 6. 
(2) EXCESS FUNDS.—Any excess funds remain-
ing after the provision of incentive payments or fi-
nancial awards to weed management entities of In-
dian tribes shall be reserved by the Committee for 
use in carrying out this Act in the following fiscal 
year. 
(c) REPORT.—As a condition of the receipt of an in-
centive payment or financial award under this Act, not 
later than October 30 of each year, a weed management 
entity of an Indian tribe that received such a payment or 
award in the preceding fiscal year shall submit to the 
Committee a report that describes, for that preceding fis-
cal year, the purposes for which the payment or award 
was used. 
SEC. 8. FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS. 
The Secretary of Agriculture and the Committee shall 
make recommendations to the Secretary regarding—
(1) the annual allocation of funds to States and 
Indian tribes under section 5; and 
(2) other issues related to funding under this 
Act.
SEC. 9. LAND-RELATED CONDITIONS. 
(a) CONSENT OF LANDOWNER.—Any activity involv-
ing real property may be carried out under this Act only 
with the consent of the landowner. 
(b) NO EFFECT ON PILT PAYMENTS.—The provi-
sion of funds to any entity under this Act shall have no 
effect on the amount of any payment received by a county 
from the Federal Government under chapter 69 of title 
31, United States Code (commonly known as ‘‘payments 
in lieu of taxes’’). 
SEC. 10. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAWS. 
Any activity carried out under this Act shall comply 
with all other Federal laws (including regulations), includ-
ing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.). 
SEC. 11. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROGRAMS. 
Assistance authorized under this Act is intended to 
supplement, and not replace, assistance available to weed 
management entities, areas, and districts for control or 
eradication of harmful, invasive weeds on public lands and 
private lands, including funding available under the Pull-
ing Together Initiative of the National Fish and Wildlife 
Foundation.
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
To carry out this Act there is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2003 through 2007.
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