I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8811 
To reauthorize the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2024 
Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia, Mrs. DINGELL, and 
Mr. THOMPSON of California) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the 
Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, and En-
ergy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reauthorize the America’s Conservation Enhancement 
Act, 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 
‘‘America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization 
Act of 2024’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT, DISEASE, AND PREDATION 
Sec. 101. Losses of livestock due to depredation by federally protected species. 
Sec. 102. Black vulture livestock protection program. 
Sec. 103. Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force. 
Sec. 104. Protection of water, oceans, coasts, and wildlife from invasive species. 
Sec. 105. North American Wetlands Conservation Act. 
Sec. 106. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act. 
Sec. 107. Modification of definition of sport fishing equipment under TSCA. 
Sec. 108. Chesapeake Bay Program. 
Sec. 109. Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998. 
Sec. 110. Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense. 
TITLE II—NATIONAL FISH HABITAT CONSERVATION THROUGH 
PARTNERSHIPS 
Sec. 201. National Fish Habitat Board. 
Sec. 202. Fish Habitat Partnerships. 
Sec. 203. Fish habitat conservation projects. 
Sec. 204. Technical and scientific assistance. 
Sec. 205. Accountability and reporting. 
Sec. 206. Funding. 
Sec. 207. Technical correction. 
TITLE 
I—WILDLIFE 
ENHANCE-
MENT, DISEASE, AND PREDA-
TION 
SEC. 101. LOSSES OF LIVESTOCK DUE TO DEPREDATION BY 
FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES. 
Section 102(d) of the America’s Conservation En-
hancement Act (7 U.S.C. 8355(d)) is amended, in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2030’’. 
SEC. 102. BLACK VULTURE LIVESTOCK PROTECTION PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 103 of the America’s Conservation Enhance-
ment Act (7 U.S.C. 8356) is amended— 
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(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘; 
BLACK
VULTURE
LIVESTOCK
PROTECTION 
PROGRAM’’ after ‘‘COMMON RAVENS’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (a) through (c) 
as paragraphs (1) through (3), respectively, and in-
denting appropriately; 
(3) in each of paragraphs (2) and (3) (as so re-
designated), by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; 
(4) by inserting before paragraph (1) (as so re-
designated) the following: 
‘‘(a) DEPREDATION PERMITS FOR BLACK VULTURES 
AND COMMON RAVENS.—’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) BLACK
VULTURE
LIVESTOCK
PROTECTION 
PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordina-
tion with States, shall carry out, through fiscal year 
2030, a black vulture livestock protection program 
(referred to in this subsection as the ‘program’) that 
allows 1 public entity or Farm Bureau organization 
per State to hold a statewide depredation permit to 
protect commercial agriculture livestock from black 
vulture predation. 
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‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Each public entity or 
Farm Bureau organization that holds a depredation 
permit under the program— 
‘‘(A) shall— 
‘‘(i) demonstrate sufficient experience 
and capacity to provide government regu-
lated services to the public, as determined 
by the Secretary; 
‘‘(ii) submit a complete depredation 
permit application, as determined by the 
Secretary, for review and approval accord-
ing to procedures of the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service; 
‘‘(iii) be responsible for complying 
with, and ensuring subpermittee compli-
ance with, as applicable, all permit condi-
tions; and 
‘‘(iv) be responsible for collecting, 
managing, and reporting required informa-
tion under the permit; and 
‘‘(B) may subpermit to livestock producers 
to take black vultures for the purposes of live-
stock protection. 
‘‘(3) STUDY.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
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Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health In-
spection Service, shall carry out a study on whether 
prescribed take levels of black vultures may be in-
creased for subpermittees within a biologically sus-
tainable take level for the population. 
‘‘(4) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of the America’s Conservation 
Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024, the Sec-
retary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agri-
culture, acting through the Administrator of the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, shall 
submit to the Chair and Ranking Member of the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 
Senate and the Chair and Ranking Member of the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives a report on the status of the pro-
gram, including the results of the study required 
under paragraph (3).’’. 
SEC. 103. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TASK FORCE. 
Section 104(d)(1) of the America’s Conservation En-
hancement Act (16 U.S.C. 667h(d)(1)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2030’’. 
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SEC. 104. PROTECTION OF WATER, OCEANS, COASTS, AND 
WILDLIFE FROM INVASIVE SPECIES. 
Section 10(p) of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination 
Act (16 U.S.C. 666c–1(p)) is amended, in the matter pre-
ceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting 
‘‘2030’’. 
SEC. 105. NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION 
ACT. 
Section 7(c) of the North American Wetlands Con-
servation Act (16 U.S.C. 4406(c)) is amended by striking 
‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2030’’. 
SEC. 106. NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION ES-
TABLISHMENT ACT. 
Section 10 of the National Fish and Wildlife Founda-
tion Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3709) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2030’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and 
cooperative agreements,’’ and inserting ‘‘, coop-
erative agreements, participating agreements, 
and similar instruments used for providing 
partnership funds,’’; 
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(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) 
and (C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respec-
tively; 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) 
the following: 
‘‘(B) 
FUNDING
AGREEMENTS.—Federal 
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities 
may enter into a Federal funding agreement 
with the Foundation for a period of not less 
than 5 years and not more than 10 years.’’; and 
(D) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesig-
nated), by inserting ‘‘, and should when pos-
sible,’’ after ‘‘may’’. 
SEC. 107. MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF SPORT FISH-
ING EQUIPMENT UNDER TSCA. 
Section 108(a) of the America’s Conservation En-
hancement Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 note) is amended by 
striking ‘‘During the 5-year period beginning on the date 
of enactment of this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘During the pe-
riod beginning on the date of enactment of the America’s 
Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024 
and ending on September 30, 2030’’. 
SEC. 108. CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM. 
Section 117(j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1267(j)) is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) for each of fiscal years 2026 through 
2030, $92,000,000.’’. 
SEC. 109. CHESAPEAKE BAY INITIATIVE ACT OF 1998. 
Section 502(c) of the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act 
of 1998 (Public Law 105–312; 112 Stat. 2963; 134 Stat. 
920) is amended by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting 
‘‘2030’’. 
SEC. 110. CHESAPEAKE WATERSHED INVESTMENTS FOR 
LANDSCAPE DEFENSE. 
Section 111(e)(1) of the America’s Conservation En-
hancement Act (33 U.S.C. 1267 note) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2030’’. 
TITLE II—NATIONAL FISH HABI-
TAT 
CONSERVATION 
THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS 
SEC. 201. NATIONAL FISH HABITAT BOARD. 
Section 203 of the America’s Conservation Enhance-
ment Act (16 U.S.C. 8203) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2)— 
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