Title: Outdoor Economy Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Outdoor Economy Act
This bill establishes the Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee within the Department of the Interior to study and develop recommendations relating to increasing public access to public land, addressing maintenance needs, reducing barriers to service opportunities on public land, strengthening the outdoor recreation economy, and increasing responsible recreation on public land.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2130 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2130

    To establish within the Department of the Interior the Outdoor 
                     Recreation Advisory Committee.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 15, 2017

  Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish within the Department of the Interior the Outdoor 
                     Recreation Advisory Committee.

    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 ``Outdoor Economy Act''.

SEC. 2. OUTDOOR RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established within the Department of 
the Interior a committee, to be known as the ``Outdoor Recreation 
Advisory Committee'' (referred to in this section as the 
``Committee'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Composition.--The Committee shall be composed of 17 
        members, of whom--
                    (A) one shall be the Chief of the Forest Service 
                (or a designee);
                    (B) one shall be the Director of the United States 
                Fish and Wildlife Service (or a designee);
                    (C) one shall be the Director of the Bureau of Land 
                Management (or a designee);
                    (D) one shall be the Director of the National Park 
                Service (or a designee);
                    (E) one shall be the Chief of Engineers (or a 
                designee);
                    (F) one shall be the Commissioner of the Bureau of 
                Reclamation (or a designee); and
                    (G) eleven shall be appointed jointly by the 
                Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
                Interior, with special consideration given to 
                appointees who represent diverse or underrepresented 
                groups in the outdoor recreation economy, of whom one 
                shall be a representative of each of--
                            (i) State fish and wildlife management 
                        agencies;
                            (ii) Tribal governments;
                            (iii) hunting organizations;
                            (iv) angler organizations;
                            (v) motorized recreation organizations;
                            (vi) horsemen organizations;
                            (vii) human-powered transportation 
                        organizations;
                            (viii) organizations that provide outreach 
                        or education to encourage youth participation 
                        in the outdoors, with specific preference given 
                        to organizations that engage economically 
                        disadvantaged or other underserved youth 
                        populations;
                            (ix) veterans service organizations;
                            (x) the outdoor recreation retail industry; 
                        and
                            (xi) conservation organizations.
            (2) Date of appointments.--The appointment of a member of 
        the Committee shall be made not later than 180 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act.
            (3) Term; vacancies.--
                    (A) Term.--A member shall be appointed for the life 
                of the Committee.
                    (B) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Committee--
                            (i) shall not affect the powers of the 
                        Committee; and
                            (ii) shall be filled in the same manner as 
                        the original appointment was made.
            (4) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--The Committee shall 
        select a chairperson and vice chairperson from among the 
        members of the Committee.
    (c) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet at the call of the 
chairperson.
    (d) Duties.--
            (1) Study.--The Committee shall conduct a study and develop 
        recommendations relating to the following:
                    (A) Increasing public access to public land.
                    (B) Identifying and addressing the maintenance 
                needs on public land that most directly impact 
                recreational opportunities.
                    (C) Reducing barriers for underserved communities 
                to engage in outdoor recreation.
                    (D) Promoting new and existing service 
                opportunities on public land for youth and others.
                    (E) Methods to engage the outdoor recreation 
                community to curb the spread of invasive species.
                    (F) Any other strategies to strengthen the outdoor 
                recreation economy and increase responsible recreation 
                on public land.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 
        2 years thereafter, the Committee shall submit to Congress a 
        report that contains--
                    (A) a detailed statement of the findings and 
                conclusions of the Committee under paragraph (1); and
                    (B) recommendations of the Committee for such 
                legislation and administrative actions as the Committee 
                considers to be appropriate.
    (e) Powers.--
            (1) Hearings.--The Committee may hold such hearings, meet 
        and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and 
        receive such evidence as the Committee considers to be 
        advisable to carry out this section.
            (2) Information from federal agencies.--
                    (A) In general.--The Committee may secure directly 
                from a Federal department or agency such information as 
                the Committee considers to be necessary to carry out 
                this section.
                    (B) Provision of information.--On request of the 
                chairperson of the Committee, the head of a Federal 
                department or agency shall provide the information to 
                the Committee.
            (3) Postal services.--The Committee may use the United 
        States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
        as other Federal departments and agencies.
    (f) Committee Personnel Matters.--
            (1) Compensation of members.--
                    (A) Non-federal employees.--A member of the 
                Committee who is not an officer or employee of the 
                Federal Government shall be compensated at a rate equal 
                to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
                prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under 
                section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each 
                day (including travel time) during which the member is 
                engaged in the performance of the duties of the 
                Committee.
                    (B) Federal employees.--A member of the Committee 
                who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government 
                shall serve without compensation in addition to the 
                compensation received for the services of the member as 
                an officer or employee of the Federal Government.
            (2) Travel expenses.--A member of the Committee shall be 
        allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency 
        under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
        Code, while away from the home or regular place of business of 
        the member in the performance of the duties of the Committee.
            (3) Staff.--
                    (A) In general.--The chairperson of the Committee 
                may, without regard to the civil service laws 
                (including regulations), appoint and terminate an 
                executive director and such other additional personnel 
                as are necessary to enable the Committee to perform the 
                duties of the Committee.
                    (B) Confirmation of executive director.--The 
                employment of an executive director shall be subject to 
                confirmation by the Committee.
                    (C) Compensation.--
                            (i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        subparagraph (B), the chairperson of the 
                        Committee may fix the compensation of the 
                        executive director and other personnel without 
                        regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
                        subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United 
                        States Code, relating to classification of 
                        positions and General Schedule pay rates.
                            (ii) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay 
                        for the executive director and other personnel 
                        shall not exceed the rate payable for level V 
                        of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 
                        title 5, United States Code.
            (4) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
        The chairperson of the Committee may procure temporary and 
        intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of 
        title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do 
        not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
        prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 
        5316 of that title.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each fiscal year, 
to remain available until expended.
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