Title: Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act of 2017
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act of 2017
This bill amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to make it one of the purposes of the Act to extend financial and technical assistance to the states for the promotion of hunting and recreational shooting.
The bill also prescribes a formula for the allocation of funds apportioned to a state that may be used for any activity or project to recruit or retain hunters and recreational shooters.
Amounts apportioned to the states from any taxes on pistols, revolvers, bows, and arrows may be used for hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment.
The funds apportioned to a state for wildlife restoration management may be used for related public relations.
If a state has not used all of the tax revenues apportioned to it for firearm and bow hunter education and safety program grants, it may use its remaining apportioned funds for the enhancement of hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment.
Up to $5 million of the revenues covered into the wildlife restoration fund in the Treasury from any tax imposed for a fiscal year on the sale of certain bows, arrows, and archery equipment shall be available to the Department of the Interior exclusively for making hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment grants that promote a national hunting and shooting sport recruitment program, including related communication and outreach activities.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1613 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1613

 To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize 
     the funding of wildlife conservation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2017

   Mr. Risch introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize 
     the funding of wildlife conservation, 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 ``Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson 
Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The first section of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 
(16 U.S.C. 669) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``One of 
the purposes of this Act is to extend financial and technical 
assistance to the States for the promotion of hunting and recreational 
shooting.''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 2 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 
U.S.C. 669a) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (8) as 
        paragraphs (4) through (10), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) the term `hunter recruitment and recreational shooter 
        recruitment' means any activity or project to recruit or retain 
        hunters and recreational shooters, including by--
                    ``(A) using social media, marketing, advertising, 
                surveying, television spots, print, and media;
                    ``(B) providing education, mentoring, and field 
                demonstrations;
                    ``(C) enhancing access for hunting and recreational 
                shooting, including through range construction;
                    ``(D) providing education to the public about the 
                role of hunting and recreational shooting in funding 
                wildlife conservation; and
                    ``(E) using any other means to ensure the growth of 
                hunting and recreational shooting, as determined by the 
                Secretary;
            ``(3) the term `fiscal year' means a period of 12 
        consecutive months beginning on October 1 and ending on the 
        succeeding September 30, except that the period for enumeration 
        of paid hunting-license holders means the fiscal year or 
        license year of the State;''.

SEC. 4. ALLOCATION AND APPORTIONMENT OF AVAILABLE AMOUNTS.

    (a) Apportionment to States.--Section 4(b) of the Pittman-Robertson 
Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669c(b)) is amended--
            (1) in the first sentence, by striking ``The Secretary of 
        the Interior'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary'';
            (2) in the second sentence, by striking ``Such 
        apportionments'' and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Adjustments.--The apportionments described in 
        paragraph (1)'';
            (3) by striking the third sentence; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Use of funds.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                amounts apportioned under this subsection may be used 
                for hunter recruitment and recreational shooter 
                recruitment.
                    ``(B) Limitation.--A State may only make an 
                expenditure under subparagraph (A) if the amount of the 
                expenditure during the fiscal year in which the 
                expenditure is made plus the amount of the expenditures 
                for hunter recruitment and recreational shooter 
                recruitment made during the 4 fiscal years preceding 
                that fiscal year is equal to or less than 25 percent of 
                the total amount apportioned to the State under this 
                subsection during that 5-fiscal-year period.''.
    (b) Apportionment of Certain Taxes.--Section 4(c) of the Pittman-
Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669c(c)) is amended--
            (1) in the first sentence--
                    (A) by striking ``One-half'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) Apportionment of certain taxes.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), \1/
                2\''; and
                    (B) by striking ``Provided, That each State'' and 
                inserting the following:
                    ``(B) Condition.--The apportionment made under 
                subparagraph (A) shall be subject to the condition that 
                each State'';
            (2) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by striking 
        ``States:'' and inserting ``States.'';
            (3) in subparagraph (B) (as so designated), by striking 
        ``For the purpose'' and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Population determination.--For the purpose''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Use of funds.--Amounts apportioned under this 
        subsection may be used for hunter recruitment and recreational 
        shooter recruitment.''.

SEC. 5. EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILDLIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.

    Section 8 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 
U.S.C. 669g) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), in the third sentence, by striking 
        ``and public relations''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, by striking 
        ``, as a part of such program''.

SEC. 6. FIREARM AND BOW HUNTER EDUCATION AND SAFETY PROGRAM GRANTS.

    Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration 
Act (16 U.S.C. 669h-1(a)(1)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) the enhancement of hunter recruitment 
                        and recreational shooter recruitment; and''.

SEC. 7. MULTISTATE CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    Section 11 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 
U.S.C. 669h-2) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
                    (A) by striking ``Not more than'' and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(A) In general.--Not more than''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Availability for hunter and recreational 
                shooter grants.--Not more than $5,000,000 of the 
                revenues covered into the fund from any tax imposed 
                under section 4161(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
                1986 for a fiscal year shall be available to the 
                Secretary exclusively for making hunter recruitment and 
                recreational shooter recruitment grants that promote a 
                national hunting and shooting sport recruitment 
                program, including related communication and outreach 
                activities.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(3), in the matter preceding 
        subparagraph (A), by striking ``International'';
            (3) in subsection (c)(2)(A)(i), by inserting ``or to 
        recreational shooting activities'' after ``wildlife''; and
            (4) in subsection (d), by inserting ``or to recreational 
        shooting activities'' after ``wildlife''.
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