Definition: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Endangered Species Listing and
Delisting Process Reform Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. LISTING PROCESS REFORMS.

(a) Best Scientific and Commercial Data Available.--
(1) In general.--Section 3 of the Endangered Species Act of
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1532) is amended--
(A) by striking the section heading and inserting
the following:

''definitions and general provisions'';

(B) by striking ''For the purposes of this Act--''
and inserting the following:
''(a) Definitions.--In this Act:''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
''(b) General Provisions.--Where this Act requires the Secretary to
use the best scientific and commercial data available, the Secretary
shall obtain and use scientific or commercial data that is empirical or
has been field-tested or peer-reviewed.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--The table of contents in the
first section of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
prec. 1531) is amended by striking the item relating to section
3 and inserting the following:

''Sec. 3. Definitions and general provisions.''.
(b) Finding of Sufficient Biological Information To Support
Recovery Planning.--Section 4(b) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1533(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by adding at the end the
following: ''The Secretary shall determine that a species is an
endangered species or a threatened species only if the
Secretary finds that there is sufficient biological information
to support recovery planning for the species under subsection
(f).''; and
(2) in the first sentence of paragraph (3)(A), by inserting
before the period at the end the following: ''and as to whether
the petition presents sufficient biological information to
support recovery planning for the species under subsection
(f)''.
(c) Petition Process.--Section 4(b)(3) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
''(E) Listing petition information.--In the case of
a petition to add a species to a list published under
subsection (c), a finding that the petition presents
the information described in subparagraph (A) shall not
be made unless the petition provides--
''(i) documentation from a published
scientific source that the fish, wildlife, or
plant that is the subject of the petition is a
species;
''(ii) a description of the available data
on the historical and current range and
distribution of the species, an explanation of
the methodology used to collect the data, and
identification of the location where the data
can be reviewed;
''(iii) an appraisal of the available data
on the status and trends of all extant
populations of the species;
''(iv) an appraisal of the available data
on the threats to the species;
''(v) an identification of the information
contained or referred to in the petition that
has been peer-reviewed or field-tested; and
''(vi) a description of at least 1 study or
credible expert opinion, from a person not
affiliated with the petitioner, to support the
action requested in the petition.
''(F) Notification to states.--
''(i) Petitioned actions.--If a petition is
found to present information described in
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall notify
and provide a copy of the petition to the State
agency of each State in which the species is
believed to occur and solicit the assessment of
the agency, to be submitted to the Secretary
during a comment period ending 90 days after
the date of notification, as to whether the
petitioned action is warranted.
''(ii) Other actions.--If the Secretary has
not received a petition to add a species to a
list published under subsection (c) and the
Secretary is considering proposing to list the
species as an endangered species or a
threatened species under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall notify the State agency of each
State in which the species is believed to occur
and solicit the assessment of the agency, to be
submitted to the Secretary during a comment
period ending 90 days after the date of the
notification, as to whether the listing would
be in accordance with subsection (a).
''(iii) Consideration of state
assessments.--Before publication of a finding
described in subparagraph (A) that a petition
is warranted, the Secretary shall consider any
assessments submitted with respect to the
species within the comment period established
under clause (i) or (ii).''.
(d) Improving Public Hearings in the Listing Process.--
(1) In general.--Section 4(b)(5) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(5)) is amended by striking
subparagraph (E) and inserting the following:
''(E) promptly hold at least 2 hearings in each State in
which the species proposed for determination as an endangered
species or a threatened species is located (including at least
1 hearing in an affected rural area if 1 or more rural areas
within the State are affected by the determination), except
that the Secretary may not be required to hold more than 10
hearings under this subparagraph with respect to the proposed
regulation.''.
(2) Definition of rural area.--Section 3(a) of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1532(a)) (as amended
by subsection (a)(1)(B)) is amended--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (12) through (14)
as paragraphs (11) through (13), respectively; and
(B) by inserting before paragraph (15) the
following:
''(14) Rural area.--The term 'rural area' means a county or
unincorporated area that has no city or town that has a
population of more than 10,000 inhabitants.''.
(3) Conforming amendment.--Section 7(n) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(n)) is amended in the first
sentence by striking '', as defined by section 3(13) of this
Act,''.
(e) Emergency Listing.--Section 4(b)(7) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(7)) is amended by striking ''posing a
significant risk to the well-being'' and inserting ''that poses an
imminent threat to the continued existence''.
(f) Other Listing Reforms.--Section 4(b) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
''(9) Availability of listing data.--
''(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B),
upon publication of a proposed regulation determining
that a species is an endangered species or a threatened
species, the Secretary shall make publicly available--
''(i) all information on which the
determination is based, including all
scientific studies and data underlying the
studies; and
''(ii) all information relating to the
species that the Secretary possesses and that
does not support the determination.
''(B) Limitation.--Subparagraph (A) does not
require disclosure of any information that--
''(i) is not subject to section 552 of
title 5, United States Code (commonly known as
the 'Freedom of Information Act'); or
''(ii) is prohibited from being disclosed
under section 552a of title 5, United States
Code (commonly known as the 'Privacy Act').
''(10) Establishment of criteria for scientific studies to
support listing.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall promulgate
regulations that establish criteria that must be met for
scientific and commercial data to be used as the basis of a
determination under this section that a species is an
endangered species or a threatened species.
''(11) Field data.--
''(A) Requirement.--The Secretary may not determine
that a species is an endangered species or a threatened
species unless the determination is supported by data obtained by
observation of the species in the field.
''(B) Data from landowners.--The Secretary shall--
''(i) accept and acknowledge receipt of
data regarding the status of a species that is
collected by the owner of land through
observation of the species on the land; and
''(ii) include the data in the rulemaking
record compiled for any determination that the
species is an endangered species or a
threatened species.''.

SEC. 3. DEADLINE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RECOVERY PLANS.

Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
1533(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
''(6) Deadline for development of recovery plans.--The
Secretary shall--
''(A) begin developing a recovery plan required for
a species under paragraph (1) on the date of
promulgation of the proposed regulation to implement a
determination under subsection (a)(1) with respect to
the species; and
''(B) issue a recovery plan in final form not later
than the date of promulgation of the final regulation
to implement the determination.''.

SEC. 4. DELISTING.

Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
1533(f)) (as amended by section 3) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
''(7) Effect of fulfillment of recovery plan criteria.--
''(A) Change in status.--If the Secretary finds
that the criteria of a recovery plan have been met for
a change in status of the species covered by the
recovery plan from an endangered species to a
threatened species, or from a threatened species to an
endangered species, the Secretary shall promptly
publish in the Federal Register a notice of the change
in status of the species.
''(B) Removal from listing.--If the Secretary finds
that the criteria of a recovery plan have been met for
the removal of the species covered by the recovery plan
from a list published under subsection (c), the
Secretary shall promptly publish in the Federal
Register a notice of an intent to remove the species
from the list.''.
Output:
Endangered Species Listing and Delisting Process Reform Act of 1999 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to direct the Secretary of the Interior, when required under such Act to use the best scientific and commercial data available in the determination of a species for inclusion on the endangered or threatened list, to use data that is empirical or has been field-tested or peer-reviewed. Allows the Secretary to make such a determination only if there is sufficient biological information to support recovery planning for the species.
Adds certain information required in a petition to add a species to the endangered or threatened list, including documentation of the species, a description of its range, and an appraisal of its status and threats. Requires the Secretary to notify and provide a copy of such petition to the State agency of each State in which the species is believed to occur and to solicit the assessment of such agency as to whether the petitioned action is warranted. Provides authorized actions by the Secretary when considering adding a species to such lists when no petition has been received. Requires the consideration of appropriate State assessments before final publication of a finding that a petition is warranted. Requires the Secretary to hold at least two (currently one) public hearings in each appropriate State before implementation of any final regulation to implement an endangered or threatened determination (but limits to ten the total number of such hearings with respect to each proposed regulation).
Directs the Secretary, upon publication of a proposed regulation determining an endangered or threatened listing, to make publicly available all information on which the determination is based, as well as all information relating to the species that does not support such determination (with an exception for disclosures protected under the Freedom of Information Act or the Privacy Act).
Directs the Secretary to establish criteria that must be met for scientific and commercial data to be used in a determination that a species is endangered or threatened. Requires such data to include field observation of the species involved. Requires the Secretary to accept and use data collected by landowners.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) begin developing a recovery plan for an endangered or threatened species on the date of promulgation of the proposed regulation for such determination; and (2) issue such plan no later than the date of final promulgation of such regulation.
Requires the Secretary, if he finds that the criteria of a recovery plan has been met for a: (1) change of status of an endangered or threatened species, to publish a notice of such change in status; and (2) removal of a species covered by a plan from an endangered or threatened list, to publish a notice of an intent to remove such species from such list.