I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2760
To amend the Sikes Act to establish a mechanism by which outdoor recreation
programs on military installations will be accessible to disabled veterans,
military dependents with disabilities, and other persons with disabilities.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 29, 1997
Mr. CUNNINGHAM (for himself, Mr. TANNER, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr.
CHAMBLISS, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. LEWIS of
California, Mr. JOHN, Mr. METCALF, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. BARR of Geor-
gia, Mr. GIBBONS, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. BOYD, and Mr. POMBO) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and
in addition to the Committee on National Security, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the Sikes Act to establish a mechanism by which
outdoor recreation programs on military installations will
be accessible to disabled veterans, military dependents
with disabilities, and other persons with disabilities.
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 ‘‘Disabled Sportsmen’s
Access Act’’.
SEC. 2. OUTDOOR RECREATION DEVELOPMENT ON MILI-
TARY INSTALLATIONS FOR DISABLED VETER-
ANS, MILITARY DEPENDENTS WITH DISABIL-
ITIES, AND OTHER PERSONS WITH DISABIL-
ITIES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) The Department of Defense is the steward
of nearly 30,000,000 acres of lands and resources
managed for a variety of recreational activities.
(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs reports
that nearly 9,000,000 veterans are classified as dis-
abled. Of these disabled veterans, nearly 78,000 suf-
fer from serious spinal cord injuries.
(3) Outdoor recreational opportunities are im-
portant for people with disabilities and add an intan-
gible improvement to the quality of life.
(4) A 1996 survey conducted by the Paralyzed
Veterans of America found that the number one rec-
reational activity for members of the organization
was fishing, followed closely by hunting, and that
outdoor recreational activities generally led every
category of the survey.
(b) ACCESS FOR DISABLED VETERANS, MILITARY
DEPENDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND OTHER PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES.—Section 103 of the Act of Septem-
ber 15, 1960 (commonly known as the Sikes Act; 16
U.S.C. 670c), is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new subsections:
‘‘(b) ACCESS FOR DISABLED VETERANS, MILITARY
DEPENDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND OTHER PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES.—(1) In developing facilities and con-
ducting programs for public outdoor recreation at military
installations, consistent with the primary military mission
of the installations, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure,
to the maximum extent practicable, that outdoor recre-
ation opportunities (including fishing, hunting, trapping,
wildlife viewing, boating, and camping) made available to
the public also provide equal access for persons described
in paragraph (2) when topographic, vegetative, and water
resources allow equal access without substantial modifica-
tion to the natural environment.
‘‘(2) Persons referred to in paragraph (1) are dis-
abled veterans, military dependents with disabilities, and
other persons with disabilities.
‘‘(3) The Secretary of Defense shall carry out this
subsection in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, national service, military, and veterans organiza-
tions, and sporting organizations in the private sector that
participate in outdoor recreation projects for persons de-
scribed in paragraph (2).
‘‘(c) ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS.—In connection
with the facilities and programs for public outdoor recre-
ation at military installations, in particular the require-
ment under subsection (b) to provide equal access for per-
sons described in paragraph (2) of such subsection, the
Secretary of Defense may accept—
‘‘(1) the voluntary services of individuals and
organizations; and
‘‘(2) donations of money or property, whether
real, personal, mixed, tangible, or intangible.
‘‘(d) TREATMENT
OF VOLUNTEERS.—A volunteer
under subsection (c) shall not be considered to be a Fed-
eral employee and shall not be subject to the provisions
of law relating to Federal employment, including those re-
lating to hours of work, rates of compensation, leave, un-
employment compensation, and Federal employee benefits,
except that—
‘‘(1) for the purposes of the tort claims provi-
sions of chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code,
the volunteer shall be considered to be a Federal em-
ployee;
‘‘(2) for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter
81 of title 5, United States Code, relating to com-
pensation to Federal employees for work injuries,
the volunteer shall be considered to be an employee,