zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should: (1) reaffirm U.S. support for the peaceful resolution of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the Yellow Sea; (2) condemn the use of force by China in the South China and East China Seas and by China's North Korean ally in the Yellow Sea; (3) call on all parties to these territorial disputes to refrain from threatening force or using force to assert territorial claims; (4) welcome the diplomatic efforts of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and U.S. allies and partners in Taiwan, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to resolve these outstanding disputes; and (5) support U.S. Armed Forces operations in support of freedom of navigation rights in international waters and air space in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the Yellow Sea.

Date: 2012-08-02
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
Global Conservation Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of State to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study of, and report to Congress on, U.S. international conservation programs to determine the extent to which such programs are: (1) advancing conservation in the world's most ecologically and economically important terrestrial and marine ecosystems; (2) addressing natural resource challenges; (3) advancing U.S. foreign policy priorities in areas such as security, democratization, sustainable food production, and clean water; (4) enhancing economic and wildlife conservation benefits derived from properly managed international hunting and angling tourism; and (5) addressing poaching, illegal logging, fishing, and wildlife trafficking. Directs the President: (1) to establish the Interagency Working Group on Global Conservation; and (2) through such Working Group, to establish the International Conservation Strategy to strengthen the capacity of the United States to collaborate with other countries, international organizations, the private sector, and private voluntary organizations to conserve natural resources and enhance biodiversity. Requires the Strategy to provide a comprehensive plan of action that identifies specific and measurable benchmarks, goals, and time frames. Requires the Working Group to ensure that the Strategy is appropriate to local needs and conditions and incorporates the views of partner countries. Establishes the Global Conservation Public Advisory Board to: (1) advise the Working Group on matters related to U.S. international conservation policies and programs and the implementation of the Strategy; and (2) ensure that the best scientific, policy, economic security, and business expertise are reflected in U.S. international conservation strategies and policies. Prohibits any provision in this Act from being construed as restricting, limiting, or otherwise impairing: (1) properly managed recreational hunting and angling, or (2) the ability of any foreign jurisdiction or authority to authorize regulated programs supporting wildlife for local consumption and commercialization. Urges the President to work with foreign assistance donor countries to: (1) develop a comprehensive international conservation assistance strategy consistent with the United States International Conservation Strategy, (2) identify multilateral mechanisms to coordinate international action, and (3) agree on a timetable for achieving the goals of the United States International Conservation Strategy.

Date: 2012-06-28
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Authorizes appropriations to carry out the African Elephant Conservation Act, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, and the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 for FY2014-FY2018.

Date: 2013-01-03
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
Save Endangered Species Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the final rule published on September 2, 2005, which allows for the taking, export or re-import, delivery, receipt, carrying, and transport, shipment, or sale in interstate or foreign commerce, in the course of a commercial activity, of U.S. captive-bred live scimitar-horned oryx, addax, or dama gazelle, including embryos, gametes, and sport-hunted trophies, as long as certain criteria are met, including that the purpose of such activity is associated with the management or transfer of live wildlife or sport hunting in a manner that contributes to increasing or sustaining captive numbers or to potential reintroduction to range countries.

Directs the Secretary to reissue such rule without regard to any other statute or regulation that applies to issuance of such rule. Exempts such reissuance from judicial review.

Date: 2013-02-06
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
International Conservation Corps Act of 2013 - Directs: (1) the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to provide grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations to assign and support volunteers to assist foreign countries in the administration of their natural resources in an environmentally sustainable manner, and (2) the Secretary of State to identify foreign countries for program participation.

Date: 2013-03-14
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
Great Ape Conservation Reauthorization Amendments Act of 2013 - Amends the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to award a multi-year grant to an eligible person to implement a great ape conservation project that the person demonstrates is an effective, long-term conservation strategy for great apes and their habitats.

Requires the Secretary to convene a panel of experts to identify the greatest needs and priorities for the conservation of great apes within a year of this Act's enactment and every five years thereafter (current law authorizes the Secretary to convene a panel to consider the greatest conservation needs every two years). Requires the panel to include representatives from foreign range states with expertise in great ape conservation and to consider relevant great ape conservation plans or strategies, including scientific research and findings related to: (1) conservation needs and priorities of great apes, (2) regional or species-specific action plans or strategies, (3) applicable strategies developed or initiated by the Secretary, and (4) any other applicable conservation plan or strategy.

Authorizes the Secretary to pay expenses of convening and facilitating meetings of the panel.

Authorizes appropriations for the Great Ape Conservation Fund for FY2014-FY2018.

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
Girls Count Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to:

 support programs that will contribute to improved civil registration and vital statistics systems with a focus on birth registration; promote programs that build the capacity of developing countries' national and local legal and policy frameworks to prevent discrimination against girls, and help increase property rights, social security, land tenure, and inheritance rights for women; and assist government ministries of developing countries to ensure that poor girls obtain equitable access to social programs. Directs the Secretary to coordinate with multilateral organizations to work with countries to enact laws that collect data on girls and establish registration and identification laws to ensure that girls participate in the social, economic, legal and political sectors of their countries.

Urges the Secretary and the Administrator to work with U.S., international, and local private sector and civil society organizations to advocate for the registration and documentation of all girls and boys in developing countries to prevent exploitation, violence, and other abuses.

Directs the Secretary and the Administrator to include in reports to Congress information regarding: (1) U.S. foreign and development assistance beneficiaries by age, gender, marital status, location, and school enrollment status; and (2) how U.S. foreign and development assistance benefits girls.

Sunsets this Act five years after its enactment.

Date: 2013-10-30
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
Justice Attributed to Wounded Sharks Act or the JAWS Act - Prohibits federal assistance to a country that does not prohibit: (1) shark finning in its territorial waters; and (2) the importation, sale, possession, or consumption of shark fins obtained by shark finning.

Date: 2014-07-31
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
Targeted Use of Sanctions for Killing Elephants in Their Range Act of 2014 - Amends the African Elephant Conservation Act to make it a policy to prevent additional African elephant ivory from entering global commerce, and to reduce demand for ivory that is driving elephant poaching by limiting natural resources-related trade with countries whose nationals are engaged in illegal ivory trade.

Deems the identification of a country by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Standing Committee as a significant source or transit or destination point for illegal ivory trade to be a certification under the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 authorizing the President to prohibit the importation of such products from the offending country.

Directs the President, within 30 days after receiving a certification, to enter into consultations with the offending country to obtain an agreement that terminates all illegal ivory trade into, out of, or within that country.

Requires the President, if such consultations are not concluded within 90 days or if the country refuses to enter into consultations, to direct the Secretary of Commerce to prohibit the importation into the United States of wildlife, fish, and plant products from that country until the earlier of:

 the finalizing of the agreement, or a CITES Standing Committee finding that the country is no longer a significant source or transit or destination point for illegal ivory trade. Directs the Secretary, within 180 days after the prohibition, to determine whether:

 the prohibition is sufficient to cause the offending country to terminate illegal ivory trade, and that country has retaliated against the United States as a result of that prohibition.

Date: 2014-09-11
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2014 - Reauthorizes the African Elephant Conservation Act (AECA) through FY2019.

Authorizes ivory to be imported or exported under the AECA and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) if: (1) the raw ivory or worked ivory is solely for a museum; (2) it was lawfully importable into the United States on February 24, 2014, regardless of when it was acquired; or (3) the worked ivory was previously lawfully possessed in the United States.

Authorizes the Department of the Interior to station one U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement officer in the primary U.S. diplomatic or consular post in each African country that has a significant population of African elephants to assist local wildlife rangers in protecting the elephants and facilitating the apprehension of individuals who illegally kill them or assist in killing them.

Requires Interior to certify a finding that a county is a significant transit or destination point for illegal ivory trade and report the certification to the President for the purposes of the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967. (The Pelly Amendment authorizes the President to embargo wildlife products when the Interior certifies that a country is engaging in trade or certain actions that diminish the effectiveness of an international agreement for the conservation of endangered or threatened species.)

Authorizes under the AECA and ESA: (1) the possession, sale, delivery, receipt, shipment, or transportation of African elephant ivory that has been lawfully imported or crafted in the United States, and (2) the importation of a sport-hunted African elephant trophy if the country in which the elephant was taken has elephants that are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at the time the trophy is imported.

Date: 2014-12-11
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
Approves, with specified exceptions, the agreement and appendices signed by the United States and the Republic of Palau on September 3, 2010, in connection with the Compact of Free Association between the United States and Palau.

Provides that, if Palau withdraws more than $5 million from the trust fund set up by the Compact in any of FY2011-FY2014, certain amounts will be withheld from Palau until it reimburses the fund for the total amounts withdrawn that exceeded $5 million in any of those fiscal years.

Authorizes appropriations to: (1) subsidize postal services to Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia for FY2014-FY2024, and (2) carry out specified federal responsibilities under the Compact.

Repeals specified offset requirements.

Provides funding through FY2023 for: (1) the trust fund, and (2) economic assistance.

 Provides funding through FY2024 to create an Infrastructure Maintenance Fund for routine and periodic maintenance of major capital improvement projects. (Requires Palau to provide specified quarterly amounts for the Fund.)

Provides funding through FY2016 for infrastructure projects.

Revises passport requirements.

Date: 2013-06-27
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
North Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act - Authorizes the Department of Commerce to promulgate regulations to implement the Convention on the Conservation and Management of the High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean for the United States, which was adopted in Tokyo, Japan, on February 24, 2012. (The Convention establishes a regional fisheries management organization to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fisheries resources while protecting the marine ecosystems in the Convention Area.)

 (Sec. 3) Limits U.S. representation on the North Pacific Fisheries Commission to no more than five commissioners. Requires the President to appoint the representatives to the Commission. Establishes an advisory committee for the Commission.

 Requires Commerce to develop a memorandum of understanding with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to clarify the role of each Council with respect to participating in or working with U.S. delegations to international fishery organizations and making recommendations related to fishery resources in the Convention Area.

 (Sec. 4) Sets forth the Department of State's authority and responsibilities with respect to the Commission, including authorizing the State Department to approve, disapprove, object to, or withdraw objections to bylaws and rules adopted by the Commission.

(Sec. 5) Authorizes Commerce to promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the U.S. international obligations under the North Pacific Fisheries Convention and this Act.

 (Sec. 6) Requires Commerce and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to administer and enforce this Act, except to the extent otherwise provided for in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Gives the district courts of the United States exclusive jurisdiction over any case or controversy arising under this Act.

 (Sec. 7) Sets forth prohibited fishing and shipping acts in the Convention Area.

(Sec. 9) Requires Commerce to ensure participation in the Commission and its subsidiary bodies by the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to the same extent provided to the territories of other nations.

(Sec. 10) Establishes notification requirements for commercial fishing vessels before entering or transiting the exclusive economic zone of the Convention Area, if the vessels do not carry vessel monitoring systems capable of communicating with U.S. enforcement authorities.

(Sec. 11) Authorizes appropriations to Commerce and the State Department to carry out this Act and to pay for the United State's contribution to the Commission.

Requires Commerce or the State Department to provide appropriate assistance to assist developing nations in meeting their obligations under the Convention.

Date: 2014-06-17
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
South Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act - Authorizes Department of Commerce to promulgate regulations to implement the Convention on the Conservation and Management of the High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean, which was adopted at Auckland, New Zealand, on November 14, 2009. (The Convention includes the objectives of ensuring the long term conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources and safeguarding the marine ecosystems in the Convention Area.)

 (Sec. 3) Limits U.S. representation on the South Pacific Fisheries Commission to no more than three commissioners. Requires the President to appoint the representative to the Commission. Establishes an advisory committee for the Commission.

 Requires Commerce to develop a memorandum of understanding with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council to clarify the role of the Council with respect to participating in or working with U.S. delegations to international fishery organizations and making recommendations related to fishery resources in the Convention Area.

 (Sec. 4) Sets forth Department of State's authority and responsibilities with respect to the Commission, including authorizing the State Department to approve, disapprove, object to, or withdraw objections to bylaws and rules adopted by the Commission.

(Sec. 5) Authorizes Commerce to promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the U.S. international obligations under the South Pacific Fisheries Convention and this Act.

 Requires Commerce and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to administer and enforce this Act, except to the extent otherwise provided for in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Gives the district courts of the United States exclusive jurisdiction over any case or controversy arising under this Act.

 (Sec. 7) Sets forth prohibited fishing and shipping acts in the Convention Area. (Sec. 9) Requires Commerce to ensure participation in the Commission and its subsidiary bodies by the by American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to the same extent provided to the territories of other nations.

 (Sec. 10) Establishes notification requirements commercial fishing vessels before entering or transiting the exclusive economic zone of the Convention Area, if the vessels do not carry vessel monitoring systems capable of communicating with U.S. enforcement authorities.

(Sec. 11) Authorizes appropriations to Commerce and the State Department to carry out this Act and to pay for the United State's contribution to the Commission.

Requires Commerce or the State Department to provide appropriate assistance to assist developing nations in meeting their obligations under the Convention.

Date: 2014-06-17
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Amendments Act - (Sec. 9) Reauthorizes and amends the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Act of 1995, which provides for: (1) the implementation of the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, done in Ottawa on October 24, 1978 (1978 Convention); and (2) the management and conservation of fish in the Conservation area (specified waters in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean).

 Provides for the implementation of the Convention on Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, as adopted in Lisbon on September 28, 2007, which amends the 1978 Convention.

Applies this Act to all fish, mollusks, and crustaceans within the Convention, excluding: (1) sedentary species over which coastal states may exercise sovereign rights consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (1982 Convention), and (2) anadromous and catadromous stocks and highly migratory species managed under other international treaties and listed in the 1982 Convention.

Applies this Act to vessels engaged in fishing activities, including fish harvesting vessels, fish processing vessels, vessels engaged in transshipment of fishery resources, and vessels engaged in experimental or exploratory fishing activities.

 (Sec. 10) Repeals provisions requiring the Secretary of Commerce to establish and report on a new quota allocation practice.

Date: 2014-06-17
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2015

This bill reauthorizes the African Elephant Conservation Act, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997, the Great Ape Conservation Fund, and the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund through FY2020.

This bill amends the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000 to authorize Department of the Interior to award a multi-year grant to carry out a project that is an effective, long-term conservation strategy for great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, or gibbons) and their habitats.

Interior is required to convene a panel of experts to identify the greatest needs and priorities for the conservation of great apes within a year of this Act's enactment and every five years thereafter. Current law authorizes Interior to convene a panel to consider the greatest conservation needs every two years. The panel is required to consider relevant great ape conservation plans or strategies.

This bill amends the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 to make a wildlife management authority of a U.S. territory eligible for financial assistance for marine turtle conservation.

Date: 2015-01-13
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2015

This bill reauthorizes the African Elephant Conservation Act (AECA) through FY2020.

Ivory may be imported or exported under the AECA and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) if: (1) the raw ivory or worked ivory is solely for a museum; (2) it was lawfully importable into the United States on February 24, 2014, regardless of when it was acquired; or (3) the worked ivory was previously lawfully possessed in the United States.

The Department of the Interior may station one U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement officer in the primary U.S. diplomatic or consular post in each African country that has significant population of African elephants to assist local wildlife rangers in protecting the elephants and facilitating the apprehension of individuals who illegally kill them or assist in killing them.

Interior must certify a finding that a county is a significant transit or destination point for illegal ivory trade and report the certification to the President for the purposes of the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967. The Pelly Amendment authorizes the President to embargo wildlife products when the Interior certifies that a country is engaging in trade or certain actions that diminishes the effectiveness of an international agreement for the conservation of endangered or threatened species.

This bill authorizes under the AECA and ESA: (1) the possession, sale, delivery, receipt, shipment, or transportation of African elephant ivory that has been lawfully imported or crafted in the United States, and (2) the importation of a sport-hunted African elephant trophy if the country in which the elephant was taken had elephants that are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at the time the trophy was taken.

Date: 2015-02-03
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015

(Sec. 101) This bill amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Coast Guard to enforce specified laws to address illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing. NOAA and other federal and state agencies are given the authority to enforce those laws, including enforcement through vessel forfeiture and civil and criminal penalties.

NOAA may: (1) help other nations combat IUU fishing and achieve sustainable fisheries; (2) disclose information to government agencies, international fisheries management organizations, and foreign governments to enforce or assist in enforcing fisheries policies; and (3) publish a list of vessels and vessel owners engaged in IUU fishing and take action against listed vessels and owners.

This bill subjects a nation to sanctions only if NOAA certifies that the nation is not addressing IUU fishing or activities resulting in bycatch of a protected living marine resource. Currently, such nations are subject to denial of port privileges and other sanctions unless NOAA has certified that they are addressing such activities.

 NOAA must consider the activity of vessels of a nation in the last three years when identifying a nation as having vessels engaged in IUU fishing. Currently, NOAA considers only more recent activity.

(Sec. 112) This bill amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to expand enforcement authority to include violations of a treaty or binding conservation measure.

TITLE II--IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ANTIGUA CONVENTION

Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 2015

(Sec. 202) This bill amends the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 to implement the Convention for the Strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Established by the 1949 Convention Between the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica, also known as the Antigua Convention.

(Sec. 210) The Eastern Pacific Tuna Licensing Act of 1984 is repealed.

TITLE III--AGREEMENT ON PORT STATE MEASURES TO PREVENT, DETER AND ELIMINATE ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING

Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015 (Sec. 302) This bill implements the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing signed by the United States November 22, 2009.

Date: 2015-02-05
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Targeted Use of Sanctions for Killing Elephants and Rhinoceros Act of 2015

This bill amends the African Elephant Conservation Act to make it a policy to prevent additional African elephant ivory from entering global commerce, and to reduce demand for ivory that is driving elephant poaching by limiting natural resources-related trade with countries whose nationals are engaged in illegal ivory trade.

The Department of Commerce shall issue a certification under the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 authorizing the President to prohibit the importation of any products from any country identified by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Standing Committee as a significant source or transit or destination point for illegal ivory trade.

The President, acting through the Department of the Interior, shall enter into consultations with the offending country, within 30 days after receiving a certification, to obtain an agreement under which the country will immediately and significantly reduce, and will commit to terminating, all illegal ivory trade into, out of, or within that country.

If such consultations are not concluded within 90 days or if the country refuses to enter into consultations, the President shall direct the Department of Commerce to prohibit the importation into the United States of wildlife, fish, and plant products from that country until the earlier of:

 the finalizing of the agreement, or the Department finds that the country is no longer a significant source or transit or destination point for illegal ivory trade. Directs the Secretary, within 180 days after the prohibition, to determine whether:

 the prohibition is sufficient to cause the offending country to immediately and significantly reduce, and commit to terminating, illegal ivory trade, and that country has retaliated against the United States as a result of that prohibition. The bill also amends the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act to make the same requirements for U.S. action against the illegal trade in rhinoceros horn.

Date: 2015-04-22
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on April 25, 2016.The summary of that version is repeated here.)

EEZ Transit Zone Clarification and Access Act

(Sec. 2)This bill authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to permit and regulate Atlantic striped bass recreational fishing in the Block Island Sound Transit Zone. The transit zone is the area of federal waters within Block Island Sound, located between areas south of Montauk Point, New York, and Point Judith, Rhode Island.

Date: 2015-07-15
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
North Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act 

This bill authorizes the Department of Commerce to promulgate regulations to implement the Convention on the Conservation and Management of the High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean for the United States, which was adopted in Tokyo, Japan, on February 24, 2012. (The Convention establishes a regional fisheries management organization to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fisheries resources while protecting the marine ecosystems in the Convention Area.)

The United States has to be represented on the North Pacific Fisheries Commission by five commissioners that are selected in accordance with the requirements of the bill.

 Commerce must develop a memorandum of understanding with the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to clarify the role of each Council with respect to participating in or working with U.S. delegations to international fishery organizations and making recommendations related to fishery resources in the Convention Area.

 The Department of State's authority and responsibilities with respect to the Commission is established.

Any regulation promulgated by Commerce to implement a measure adopted by the Commission that would govern a straddling stock under the authority of a Council must be approved by the Council. A straddling stock is a stock of fisheries resources which migrates between, or occurs in, the economic exclusion zone of one or more parties to the Convention and the Convention Area.

 Commerce and the Department of Homeland Security have to administer and enforce the bill, except to the extent otherwise provided for in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

 Certain fishing and shipping acts in the Convention Area are prohibited.

 Commercial fishing vessels must meet certain notification requirements before entering or transiting the exclusive economic zone of the Convention Area, if the vessels do not carry vessel monitoring systems capable of communicating with U.S. enforcement authorities.

Date: 2015-07-28
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Fairness to United States Distant Water Fishermen Act of 2016

This bill prohibits certain economic support funds from being used to provide assistance to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency under the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency.

Certain military education/training funds may not be used to provide assistance to any foreign country that is a party to the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency Convention, signed at Honiara (Solomon Islands) on July 10, 1979.

Date: 2016-02-01
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act

This bill authorizes the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to promulgate regulations to implement and enforce the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, done at Cape Town, South Africa, on February 2, 2001.

This bill authorizes USFWS and NMFS to take action to conserve albatrosses and petrels, including to:

 reestablish albatrosses and petrels; prevent the introduction of, eradicate, or control invasive and nonnative species that have or may have an adverse effect on albatrosses and petrels; conserve, protect, and restore breeding sites; undertake measures for the conservation and protection of albatross and petrel habitat and other marine habitats that provide food for albatrosses and petrels; undertake scientific research to assess the effects of pollutants and marine debris on albatrosses and petrels; develop and implement measures to prevent, minimize, or mitigate the taking or disturbance of albatrosses and petrels in U.S. waters or by U.S. vessels; develop and undertake measures to minimize the bycatch of albatrosses and petrels; and share information on the conservation status of albatrosses and petrels, the threats facing albatrosses and petrels, and any actions taken under this bill. This bill prohibits the taking of an albatross or petrel without a permit, authorization, or exemption. USFWS, in consultation with NMFS, may authorize the taking of an albatross or petrel under exceptional circumstances or incidental to otherwise lawful activities.

This bill gives the USFWS, the NMFS, and the Coast Guard authority to enforce this bill.

This bill authorizes cooperation with other countries to achieve and maintain a favorable conservation status of albatrosses and petrels.

Date: 2016-02-04
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
Protecting Girls' Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act

This bill expresses the sense of Congress that it is critical to ensure that children, particularly girls, displaced by conflicts overseas are able to receive a quality education and that the educational needs of women and girls are considered in implementing U.S. foreign assistance policies and programs.

The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may advance programs that:

 provide safe, quality, primary and secondary education for displaced children; build the capacity of institutions in countries hosting displaced people to prevent displaced children from facing educational discrimination; and help increase the access of displaced children, especially girls, to educational, economic, and entrepreneurial opportunities. The State Department and USAID may:

 coordinate with multilateral organizations to work with foreign governments to implement programs and policies that collect data disaggregated by sex and age on displaced people; and work with domestic and foreign private sector and civil society organizations to promote safe, quality, primary and secondary education for displaced children.

Date: 2016-07-12
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2015

This bill renames the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 as the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2015.

Non-tropical forests and coral reef ecosystems are included within the scope of, and made eligible for benefits under, the Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2015.

The Tropical Forest Facility is renamed the Conservation Facility.

One or more individuals appointed by the U.S. government may serve on oversight bodies for grants from a debt-for-nature swap or debt buyback regardless of whether the United States is a party to any agreement between the eligible purchaser and the government of the beneficiary country.

The Tropical Forest Fund is renamed the Conservation Fund.

A grant of more than $250,000 from a Fund must be approved by the U.S. government and the government of the beneficiary country.

Certain reporting due dates are revised.

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to revise International Monetary Fund criteria for country eligibility.

Date: 2015-02-25
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs
Freedom from Over-Criminalization and Unjust Seizures Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to repeal the prohibition on importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing in interstate or foreign commerce: (1) fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of foreign law; or (2) plants taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of foreign law, without the payment of appropriate royalties, taxes, or stumpage fees required by foreign law, or in violation of any limitation under foreign law that governs the export or transshipment of plants. The possession of those fish, wildlife, or plants within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States is allowed.

 A cap of $200,000 is placed on a civil penalty for a knowing violation of the Act that involves fish, wildlife, or plants with a market value of $350 or more.

The bill also repeals: (1) criminal penalties under the Act; and (2) the authorization to suspend, modify, or cancel specified licenses or permits issued to any person who is convicted of a criminal violation of that Act.

Date: 2015-04-21
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Environmental protection
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Amendments Act 

(Sec. 2) This bill permanently reauthorizes and amends the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Act of 1995, which provides for: (1) the implementation of the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, done in Ottawa on October 24, 1978 (1978 Convention); and (2) the management and conservation of fish in the convention area (specified waters in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean). The Convention on Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, which was adopted in Lisbon on September 28, 2007, is implemented as well. The 2007 Convention amends the 1978 Convention.

(Sec. 8) The bill applies to all fish, mollusks, and crustaceans within the convention area, excluding: (1) sedentary species over which coastal states may exercise sovereign rights consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (1982 Convention), and (2) anadromous and catadromous stocks and highly migratory species managed under other international treaties and listed in the 1982 Convention.

The bill also applies to vessels engaged in fishing activities, including fish harvesting vessels, fish processing vessels, vessels engaged in transshipment of fishery resources, and vessels engaged in experimental or exploratory fishing activities.

 (Sec. 10) The bill repeals provisions requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish and report on a new quota allocation practice.

Date: 2015-05-07
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

South Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act

This bill authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to promulgate regulations to implement U.S. participation in the South Pacific Fisheries Convention. The convention is designed to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources and marine ecosystems in the South Pacific Ocean.

(Sec. 3) The United Statesmust be represented by no more than three commissioners on the Commission of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation.

In addition, a permanent advisory committee is established, which shall be comprised of seven members. Advisory committee members shall represent groups concerned with fishery resources covered by the South Pacific Fisheries Convention.

NOAA must develop a memorandum of understanding with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council describing the role of the council with respect to:

 participation of the United States in consulting with international fishery organizations in the Pacific Ocean, providing recommendations to NOAA and the Department of State regarding domestic and foreign fishing vessels, coordinating with the United States on presentations the council makes to international fishery organizations, and recommending domestic fishing regulations that are consistent with the actions of the international fishery organizations. (Sec. 4)The State Department has the authority to receive and transmit various communications concerning the South Pacific commission, and can approve or disapprove bylaws and rules adopted by the commission.

(Sec. 5) This bill details NOAA's authority in implementing this bill and measures adopted by the commission.

(Sec. 6)NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard are required to administer and enforce this bill.

(Sec. 7)This bill lists 16 fishing and shipping activities that are prohibited in the South Pacific Ocean.

(Sec. 8)NOAA may cooperate with public and private institutions in the United Statesand abroad to carry out this bill. Federal agencies are authorized to cooperate with NOAA in conducting research and providing facilities and personnel to assist the commission.

(Sec. 9)The State Department must ensure that American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands participate with the commission in the same manner as territories of other nations.

(Sec. 10)Operators of commercial fishing vessels that do not carry vessel monitoring systems capable of communicating with U.S. enforcement authorities must:

 notify the U.S. Coast Guard prior to or within a reasonable time after entering the exclusive economic zone of the convention area; ensure that all fishing gear is stowed below deck and not readily available for fishing; and if requested, proceed to a specified location so that a vessel inspection can be conducted.

Date: 2015-05-13
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2015

This bill revises and reauthorizes the African Elephant Conservation Act through FY2020.

Raw or worked ivory may be imported or exported under that Act and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 if: (1) the ivory is for a museum; (2) the ivory was lawfully importable into the United States on February 24, 2014, regardless of when it was acquired; or (3) the worked ivory was previously lawfully possessed in the United States.

This bill authorizes: (1) commerce in African elephant ivory or in products containing African elephant ivory that have been lawfully imported or crafted in the United States; and (2) the importation of a sport-hunted African elephant trophy if the trophy was taken from certain elephants populations that at the time were not necessarily threatened with extinction, but may have become so unless trade was closely controlled. Interior may station one U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement officer in each African country that has a significant population of African elephants to assist local wildlife rangers in protecting the elephants and facilitating the apprehension of individuals who illegally kill them or assist in killing them.

The President may embargo any products from a country if it is a significant transit or destination point for illegal ivory trade.

In providing financial assistance under the African Elephant Conservation Act, Interior must prioritize projects for facilitating the acquisition of equipment and training to wildlife officials in ivory-producing countries to be used in anti-poaching efforts.

Date: 2015-07-15
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: Animals
Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act

This bill directs the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking to:

 identify countries of concern regarding the supply, poaching, or transit of wildlife and wildlife products; collaborate with the national wildlife service of a country of concern to analyze the threats to wildlife in that country, and to prepare a strategic plan with recommendations for addressing wildlife crime; coordinate efforts to implement strategic plans among federal agencies and non-federal partners; and coordinate with stakeholders qualified to provide assistance regarding anti-poaching activities, law enforcement efforts, and strategies to reduce illicit trade and reduce consumer demand for illegally traded wildlife and wildlife products. The Task Force shall terminate five years after enactment of this Act.

The Department of State may provide defense articles, services, and training to security forces of a country of concern to counter wildlife trafficking and poaching.

 The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, with respect to countries of concern, may:

 provide assistance to carry out strategic plan recommendations, including improving the effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement; design and implement programs to increase the investigational capacity of wildlife law enforcement and customs and border security officers and to combat the transnational trade in illegal wildlife; and take actions to strengthen international cooperation and partnerships to combat the global wildlife crime crisis. The State Department may also provide support in countries of concern to the development and replication of community-owned wildlife conservancies and community-based conservation programs.

It is the sense of Congress that the United States should continue to work with foreign countries, including China, Thailand, and Vietnam to combat global wildlife trafficking.

The State Department should implement agreements with China and initiate negotiations with Thailand and Vietnam aimed at reducing demand for ivory and rhinoceros horn (Vietnam), and eliminating illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products.

 It is the sense of Congress that efforts to find funds to carry out this Act should not result in an increase in amounts authorized to be appropriated for a fiscal year to provide additional funds for overseas contingency operations.

Date: 2015-12-10
Topic: International Affairs (Resources Exploitation)
Subject: International affairs