Making Public Land Public Access Act

Bill: 114-s-390
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2015-02-05
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Appropriations

Hunting and fishing

Land transfers

Land use and conservation

Outdoor recreation
Latest action: action_date: 2015-02-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-02-05
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Making Public Land Public Access Act</b> </p> <p>Requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that a specified portion of the Land and Water Conservation Fund is allocated to secure recreational public access to existing federal public land that has significantly restricted access for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes. Requires Interior and USDA to annually develop a priority list for sites for such funds.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 390 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 5, 2015 Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To amend title 54, United States Code, to ensure that amounts in the land and water conservation fund are made available for projects to provide recreational public access, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Making Public Land Public Access Act . 2. Availability of land and Water Conservation Fund for recreational public access projects (a) Availability of funds Section 200303 of title 54, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 200303. Availability of funds for certain projects (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that, of the amounts requested for the fund for each fiscal year, not less than the greater of 1.5 percent of the amounts or $10,000,000 shall be made available for projects identified on the priority list developed under subsection (b). (b) Priority list The Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the head of each affected Federal agency, shall annually develop a priority list for the sites under the jurisdiction of the applicable Secretary. (c) Criteria Projects identified on the priority list developed under subsection (b) shall secure recreational public access to Federal public land in existence as of the date of enactment of this section that has significantly restricted access for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes through rights-of-way or acquisition of land (or any interest in land) from willing sellers. . (b) Conforming amendments (1) Title 54 (A) Table of sections The table of sections affected for title 54 is amended by striking the item relating to section 200303 and inserting the following: 200303. Availability of funds for certain projects. . (B) Availability of deposits Section 200302(c)(3) of title 54, United States Code, is amended by striking Notwithstanding section 200303 of this title, money and inserting Money . (C) Contracts for acquisition of land and water Section 200308 of title 54, United States Code, is amended in the first sentence, by striking by section 200303 of this title . (D) Contracts for options to acquire land and water in System Section 200309 of title 54, United States Code, is amended in the third sentence by striking by section 200303 of this title . (2) Federal land transaction facilitation act Section 206(f)(2) of the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act ( 43 U.S.C. 2305(f)(2) ) is amended by striking section 200303 of title 54 and inserting chapter 2003 of title 54 .