Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act of 2022
Bill: S.4187 | Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. (D-MD)
Policy area: Animals

Summary:
Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act of 2022
This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and otherwise modifies a grant program that supports conservation projects for neotropical migratory birds. Modifications include (1) increasing the maximum federal share of project costs from 25% to 33.3%, and (2) requiring the Department of the Interior to establish criteria for awarding the grants.

To amend the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act to make 
           improvements to that Act, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Migratory Birds of the Americas 
Conservation Enhancements Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION ACT AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Cost Sharing.--Section 5 of the Neotropical Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6104) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ``25 percent'' and 
        inserting ``33.3 percent''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Criteria.--
            ``(1) In general.--In accordance with paragraph (2), the 
        Secretary shall establish criteria for awarding financial 
        assistance under this section.
            ``(2) Requirement.--The criteria established under 
        paragraph (1) shall provide that project proposals submitted 
        under subsection (c) that have a higher non-Federal share, as 
        compared to other project proposals submitted under that 
        subsection, shall receive additional consideration by the 
        Secretary before determining which project proposals shall 
        receive financial assistance under this section.
            ``(3) Availability.--The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) make the criteria established under paragraph 
                (1) publicly available; and
                    ``(B) include those criteria in--
                            ``(i) each notice of funding opportunity 
                        for the program under this section; and
                            ``(ii) any application instructions 
                        developed by the Secretary for that program.''.
    (b) Reports to Congress.--Section 8 of the Neotropical Migratory 
Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6107) is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``report'' and 
        inserting ``reports'';
            (2) by striking ``Not later than 2 years'' and inserting 
        the following:
    ``(a) Results and Effectiveness of Program.--Not later than 2 
years''; and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (a) (as so designated) 
        the following:
    ``(b) Cost Sharing and Criteria Implementation.--Not later than 3 
years after the date of enactment of the Migratory Birds of the 
Americas Conservation Enhancements Act of 2022, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate 
and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives 
a report that includes an analysis of the implementation by the 
Secretary of subsection (f) of section 5, which shall include an 
analysis of the project proposals selected to receive financial 
assistance using the criteria established under that subsection.
    ``(c) Advisory Group Implementation.--Not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of the Migratory Birds of the Americas 
Conservation Enhancements Act of 2022, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report 
describing the implementation of subsection (b) of section 7 by the 
Secretary, which shall include, if applicable, a description of the 
composition of the advisory group convened under paragraph (1) of that 
subsection.''.
    (c) Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund Administrative 
Expenses.--Section 9(c)(2) of the Neotropical Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6108(c)(2)) is amended by striking ``3 
percent or up to $100,000'' and inserting ``5 percent or up to 
$300,000''.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 10 of the Neotropical 
Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6109) is amended by striking 
subsection (a) and inserting the following:
    ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act--
            ``(1) for fiscal year 2023, $20,000,000;
            ``(2) for fiscal year 2024, $21,250,000;
            ``(3) for fiscal year 2025, $22,500,000;
            ``(4) for fiscal year 2026, $23,750,000; and
            ``(5) for fiscal year 2027, $25,000,000.''.
    (e) Technical Corrections.--
            (1) Section 4 of the Neotropical Migratory Bird 
        Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6103) is amended--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as 
                paragraphs (1) through (4), respectively.
            (2) Section 7(b)(1) of the Neotropical Migratory Bird 
        Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6106(b)(1)) is amended, in the 
        second sentence, by adding a period at the end.
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