I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2291
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 to enable the
Secretary of the Interior to more effectively utilize the proceeds of sales
of certain items.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 29, 1997
Mr. SKAGGS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To amend the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978
to enable the Secretary of the Interior to more effectively
utilize the proceeds of sales of certain items.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States Fish and Wildlife Service
(in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Service’’) is respon-
sible for storage and disposal of fish and wildlife, in-
cluding eagles and eagle parts, and other items
which have become the property of the United States
through abandonment or forfeiture under applicable
laws related to fish, wildlife, or plants.
(2) The Service distributes many items de-
scribed in paragraph (1) for educational and sci-
entific uses, and in addition is responsible for the
collection of dead eagles and for making such eagles
or parts thereof available to Native Americans for
religious purposes.
(3) Some of the items described in paragraph
(1) that are not distributed as described in para-
graph (2) can be disposed of by sale.
(4) Under current law, not all the proceeds of
such sales are available to cover all of the expenses
incurred in such sales and distributions.
(5) Making all proceeds from such sales avail-
able to cover costs incurred in such sales and dis-
tributions will result in more effective implementa-
tion of the laws under which such sales and distribu-
tions are carried out, and will permit the Service to
make more extensive distributions for educational,
scientific, and Native American religious purposes.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to author-
ize the use of proceeds from sales described in subsection
(a)(3) for the purposes described in subsection (a)(5), and
thereby to permit more effective use of such proceeds.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT.
Section 3(c) of the Fish and Wildlife Improvement
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 742l(c)) is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘Notwithstand-
ing’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(2) Any revenues received from the disposition of
items under paragraph (1), and all sums referred to in
the first sentence of each of the provisions of law codified
in sections 1540(d) and 3375(d) of title 16, United States
Code, shall be available for—
‘‘(A) payments under those provisions of law;
and
‘‘(B) payment of costs associated with—
‘‘(i) shipping items referred to in para-
graph (1) to and from storage, sale, or tem-
porary or final disposition, including temporary
or permanent loan;
‘‘(ii) storage of such items, including in-
ventory and security thereof;
‘‘(iii) appraisal of such items;
‘‘(iv) sale or other disposal of such items
pursuant to applicable law, including auctioneer
commissions and related expenses;
‘‘(v) payment of any valid liens or other
encumbrances on such items or other steps re-
quired in order to clear the title to such items;
and
‘‘(vi) processing and shipping of eagles and
other migratory birds and parts thereof for Na-
tive American religious purposes.’’.
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