zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Infrastructure Facilitation and Habitat Conservation Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) to establish a program to provide loans and loan guarantees to enable state political subdivisions  to acquire interests in real property pursuant to habitat conservation plans approved by the Secretary of the Interior under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Requires the Secretary to: (1) submit loan applications for the Secretary for Interior's review, which shall include a determination that the subdivision has adopted a complementary plan for sustainable infrastructure development that provides for the mitigation of environmental impacts; and (2) give preference to such subdivisions located in biologically rich regions in which rapid growth and development threaten successful implementation of approved habitat conservation plans.

Date: 2011-04-14
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of polar bear parts taken in a sport hunt in Canada, if legally harvested before: (1) February 18, 1997; or (2) May 15, 2008, from a bear population from which a sport-hunted trophy could be imported before such date. (Polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior on May 14, 2008.)

Date: 2011-05-25
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Community Forestry Conservation Act of 2011 - Provides for the treatment of qualified forest conservation bonds as tax-exempt facility bonds under the Internal Revenue Code. Defines "qualified forest conservation bonds" as bonds issued for certain forestry organizations within 48 months after the enactment of this Act. Requires 95 percent or more of the net proceeds of such bonds to be used for specified forestry project costs, including the acquisition of forest lands subject to a conservation restriction. Exempts from income tax income, gains, and other tax incidents generated by certain harvesting activity on forest lands purchased with qualified forest conservation bonds.

Date: 2011-05-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Taxation
Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act of 2011 - (Sec. 3) Defines "salmon stronghold" as a defined geographical unit meeting biological criteria for abundance, productivity, diversity (genetic and life history), habitat quality, or other biological attributes important to sustaining viable salmon populations throughout their range, as defined by the Salmon Stronghold Partnership Board (the Board) established by this Act. (Sec. 4) Requires the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) to establish the Salmon Stronghold Partnership as a cooperative, incentive-based, public-private partnership working across political boundaries and land ownerships to identify and conserve salmon strongholds. Requires the Board, to the extent possible, to include: (1) representatives of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state; (2) specified federal entities; (3) nongovernmental organizations; (4) representatives from Indian tribes; and (5) a national or regional representative from associated counties. (Sec. 5) Requires the Assistant Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to carry out information and assessment functions associated with salmon strongholds and conservation planning. (Sec. 6) Establishes a salmon stronghold watershed grants and technical assistance program to fund program administration, assist locally with a network of local authorities and private entities, provide financial assistance, accelerate recovery plans for threatened or endangered salmon populations, and other stronghold protection and restoration activities. Sets forth guidelines for program selection, prioritization, and funding to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) or qualified states with a competitive grant process. Limits the federal share of the cost of a project on nonfederal land to 50%. (Sec. 7) Directs federal agencies responsible for managing federal land within a stronghold to cooperate with the Assistant Administrator and the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). (Sec. 8) Authorizes the sharing of status and trends data, innovative conservation strategies, conservation planning methodologies, and other information with North Pacific countries, including Canada, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, and appropriate international entities to promote salmon conservation and habitat. (Sec. 9) Prohibits acquiring private property without the owner's consent. Requires the deed of any real property that the Secretary of the Interior transfers for a conservation project to contain a reversion of title to the United States if the owner fails to manage the property in accordance with this Act. (Sec. 10) Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) enter cooperative agreements, contracts, and grants; (2) accept donations; (3) participate in interagency financing; and (4) provide funds and donated property to federal agencies. (Sec. 12) Requires the Assistant Administrator to submit a report to Congress at least once every three years.

Date: 2011-07-21
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Marine Mammal Protection Amendment Act of 2011 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to increase the maximum penalty for knowingly violating the Act's prohibitions against the taking or importation of marine mammals.

Date: 2011-07-21
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Billfish Conservation Act of 2011 - Prohibits any person from offering billfish or billfish products for sale, selling them, or having custody, control, or possession of them for purposes of offering them for sale or selling them. Treats a violation of this Act as an act prohibited by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Subjects a person to a maximum civil penalty of $100,000 for each violation, with each day of a continuing violation constituting a separate offense. Exempts the state of Hawaii and the Pacific Insular Area, except that billfish may be sold under such exemption only in Hawaii and the Pacific Insular Area. Defines "billfish" as any of the following: (1) blue marlin, (2) striped marlin, (3) black marlin, (4) sailfish, (5) shortbill spearfish, (6) white marlin, (7) roundscale spearfish, (8) Mediterranean spearfish, or (9) longbill spearfish. Excludes swordfish from such definition.

Date: 2011-07-29
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the transport, purchase, or sale of: (1) any pelt of a Southcentral or Southeast Alaskan otter that is taken for subsistence purposes by any Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo who resides in Alaska and who dwells on the coast of the North Pacific Ocean or the Arctic Ocean; or (2) any handicraft, garment, or art produced from such a pelt, regardless of whether it is traditional or contemporary or altered or not altered significantly.

Date: 2011-07-29
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Mesquite Land Conveyances Act of 2011- Amends Public Law 99-548, commonly known as the Mesquite Lands Act of 1986, to require proceeds from sales in the fourth area to be used for the implementation of a multispecies habitat conservation plan for the Virgin River in Clark County, Nevada, including any associated groundwater monitoring plan. Extends, until November 29, 2021, withdrawal and purchase authority with respect to the fifth and sixth areas.

Date: 2011-08-02
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2012 - Reauthorizes and revises the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to appoint 28 directors (currently, 23) who are knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to conservation of fish, wildlife, or other natural resources and represent a balance of expertise in ocean, coastal, freshwater, and terrestrial resource conservation. Removes limitations on the appointment of such Foundation's officers and employees. Requires the Foundation's Executive Director to be appointed by and serve at the direction of the Board as the chief executive officer and to be knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to fish and wildlife conservation. Gives the Foundation the power to receive and administer restitution and community service payments, amounts for mitigation of impacts to natural resources, and other amounts arising from legal, regulatory, or administrative proceedings, subject to the condition that the amounts are received or administered for purposes that further the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, and other natural resources. Repeals provisions authorizing the Foundation to establish a national whale conservation endowment fund. Authorizes appropriations for the Foundation for FY2012-FY2017. Authorizes the Foundation to: (1) assess and collect fees for the management of amounts received from federal agencies, and (2) use such federal funds for matching contributions made by private persons, state and local agencies, and other entities (current law requires such use).

Date: 2011-08-02
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act to maintain through FY2017 the existing percentages of annual Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund appropriations distributed to: (1) the Secretary of the Interior for coastal wetlands distributions, the Clean Vessel Act, boating infrastructure, and national outreach and communications; and (2) the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating for state recreational boating safety programs. Sets forth, through FY2017, separate set-aside amounts for: (1) the Secretary of the Interior for administration expenses of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act; and (2) the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating for national recreational boating safety personnel and activities, the National Boating Safety Advisory Council, and national nonprofit boating safety public service organizations. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend Fund transfer restriction exceptions until March 5, 2017. Revises the formulas for apportioning unobligated amounts among states and paying the costs of administering recreational boating safety programs.

Date: 2011-10-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Prevention of Escapement of Genetically Altered Salmon in the United States Act - Prohibits a person from: (1) shipping, transporting, offering for sale, selling, or purchasing genetically altered salmon or other marine fish, or products containing such fish, in interstate or foreign commerce; or (2) having custody, control, or possession of, with the intent to ship, transport, offer for sale, sell, or purchase such fish or fish products, in interstate or foreign commerce. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to enforce penalties for violations of this Act under specified provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Date: 2011-10-17
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Commerce
Freedom from Over-Criminalization and Unjust Seizures Act of 2012 - 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. Repeals the prohibition on possessing such fish, wildlife, or plants within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Establishes a $200,000 maximum limit on a civil penalty for a knowing violation of such Act that involves fish, wildlife, or plants with a market value of $350 or more. Repeals: (1) criminal penalties under such 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 such Act.

Date: 2012-02-02
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2012 - Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps. Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program. Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state.

Date: 2012-02-06
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Migratory Bird Habitat Investment and Enhancement Act - Amends the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (the Act) to allow the Secretary of the Interior, for each 5-year period beginning in 2013, to set the amount to be collected for each Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp sold under the Act. Prohibits such amount from exceeding $25 for the first 5-year period and $30 for any subsequent period. Requires the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) or the Department of the Interior to collect the amount established for each Stamp sold for a hunting year if the Secretary determines, at any time before February 1 of a calendar year, that all amounts in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund have been obligated for expenditure. Specifies that the amounts described in this Act are the amounts in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund which are available for obligation and attributable to amounts appropriated pursuant to the Act and the sale of stamps under this Act. Permits the Secretary, in consultation with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, to waive requirements under the Act relating to the prohibition on the taking of migratory waterfowl with respect to certain individuals as determined to be appropriate. Instructs the Secretary, in making a determination to waive such requirements, to grant only those waivers that will have a minimal adverse effect on the funds to be deposited into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.

Date: 2012-03-06
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act - Requires the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina to be managed in accordance with the Interim Protected Species Management Strategy/Environmental Assessment issued by the National Park Service (NPS) on June 13, 2007, for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area until the Secretary of the Interior issues a new final rule that meets the additional restrictions specified below. Bars the imposition of any additional restrictions on pedestrian or motorized vehicular access to any part of the Recreation Area for species protection beyond those in the Interim Management Strategy, other than as specifically authorized pursuant to this Act. Allows the Secretary if, based on peer-reviewed science and after public comment, it is determined that additional restrictions on access to a part of the Recreation Area are necessary to protect endangered species, to only restrict pedestrian and vehicular access for recreational activities for the shortest possible time and on the smallest possible portions of such area. Prohibits the final rule titled "Special Regulations, Areas of the National Park System, Cape Hatteras National Seashore--Off-Road Vehicle Management" from having any force or effect. Invalidates the April 30, 2008, consent decree filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina regarding off-road vehicle use at the Seashore.

Date: 2012-04-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2012 - Amends the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2010 to require such stamp to be: (1) made available to the public for an additional four years; and (2) offered in a a choice of five versions depicting an African or Asian elephant, a rhinoceros, a tiger, a marine turtle, and a great ape.

Date: 2012-05-21
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Billfish Conservation Act of 2012 - Prohibits any person from offering billfish or billfish products for sale, selling them, or having custody, control, or possession of them for purposes of offering them for sale or selling them. Treats a violation of this Act as an act prohibited by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Subjects a person to a maximum civil penalty of $100,000 for each violation, with each day of a continuing violation constituting a separate offense. Exempts the state of Hawaii and the Pacific Insular Area, except that billfish may be sold under such exemption only in the United States and the Pacific Insular Area. Defines "billfish" as any of the following: (1) blue marlin, (2) striped marlin, (3) black marlin, (4) sailfish, (5) shortbill spearfish, (6) white marlin, (7) roundscale spearfish, (8) Mediterranean spearfish, or (9) longbill spearfish. Excludes swordfish from such definition.

Date: 2012-07-23
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Billfish Conservation Act of 2012- Prohibits any person from offering billfish or billfish products for sale, selling them, or having custody, control, or possession of them for purposes of offering them for sale or selling them. Treats a violation of this Act as an act prohibited by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Subjects a person to a maximum civil penalty of $100,000 for each violation, with each day of a continuing violation constituting a separate offense. Exempts from such prohibition billfish: (1) caught by U.S. vessels and landed in the state of Hawaii or the Pacific Insular Area (PIA), or (2) landed by foreign vessels in the PIA if the foreign caught billfish is exported to markets outside the United States or retained within the PIA for local consumption. Defines "billfish" as any of the following: (1) blue marlin, (2) striped marlin, (3) black marlin, (4) sailfish, (5) shortbill spearfish, (6) white marlin, (7) roundscale spearfish, (8) Mediterranean spearfish, or (9) longbill spearfish. Excludes swordfish from such definition.

Date: 2012-07-24
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Currituck County, and the state of North Carolina to provide for the management of free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. Requires that such agreement: (1) allow a herd of no more than 130 free-roaming wild horses in and around the Refuge; (2) provide for cost-effective management of such horses; and (3) provide for the introduction of a small number of free-roaming wild horses from the herd at Cape Lookout National Seashore as is necessary to maintain the genetic viability of the herd in and around the Refuge; and (4) specify that the Corolla Wild Horse Fund shall pay certain costs associated with the health, maintenance, removal, and placement of such horses. Bars the Secretary from excluding free-roaming wild horses from any part of the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge unless: (1) it is found that the presence of such horses on a part of the Refuge threatens the survival of an endangered species for which such land is designated as critical habitat, (2) such finding is based on a peer-reviewed scientific assessment, and (3) a period of public notice and comment is provided on such finding. Prohibits the removal of any horse from the Seashore for introduction at the Refuge, except with the approval of the Foundation for Shackleford Horses Inc. and consistent with the memorandum of understanding between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Foundation and the management plan for the Shackleford Banks Horse Herd. Prohibits anything in this Act from creating liability of the United States for any damages caused by the free-roaming wild horses to any person or property.

Date: 2012-07-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior, within 30 days after being served with a complaint in an action alleging a failure to perform an act or duty related to an endangered species or threatened species determination, to publish the complaint. Prohibits the failure of the Secretary to meet such deadline from being the basis for such an action. Sets forth requirements concerning the intervention in such actions by affected parties and referral to a mediation program. Authorizes the court, in issuing any final order in such an action, to award litigation costs to any party. Prohibits the court from: (1) awarding litigation costs in any proposed covered settlement, (2) granting a motion that is based on a proposed covered settlement or other consent decree that includes payment for litigation costs, (3) approving a proposed covered settlement unless each state and county in which the Secretary believes a species occurs approves it, or (4) granting a motion that is based on a proposed covered settlement unless such settlement is approved by each such state and county. Requires the courts to ensure that such a settlement is approved by each such state and county. Requires the Secretary to provide notice of a proposed covered settlement to each such state and county. Authorizes a court to approve such a settlement or grant such a motion if, within 45 days of notification, a: (1) state or county fails to respond, and (2) each state or county that responds approves the covered settlement, or (3) all of the states and counties fail to respond.

Date: 2012-08-02
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, purchasing, breeding, possessing, or owning any prohibited wildlife species (current law prohibits importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing such a species in interstate or foreign commerce). Includes among exemptions to such prohibition the: (1) breeding of such species by authorized persons; and (2) transportation, possession, or ownership of such species by authorized persons. Defines "breeding" as facilitating the reproduction of prohibited wildlife species (any live species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species) for commercial use. Removes from the list of persons authorized to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, breed, possess, own, or purchase such species a person that is licensed or registered, and inspected, by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or any other federal agency with respect to such species. Includes in such list: (1) a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; (2) a wildlife sanctuary that cares for such species, is a tax exempt corporation, does not commercially trade in or propagate such species, does not allow direct contact between the public and animals, and does not allow the transport and display of such species off-site; and (3) a person that is in possession of animals of such species that were born before the date of this Act's enactment and that are registered with APHIS within six months after such regulations are promulgated. Establishes civil and criminal penalties and forfeiture requirements for violations of this Act.

Date: 2012-09-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.)

Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Currituck County, and the state of North Carolina to provide for the management of free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge.

 Requires that such agreement: (1) allow a herd of no more than 130 free-roaming wild horses in and around the Refuge; (2) provide for cost-effective management of such horses; and (3) provide for the introduction of a small number of free-roaming wild horses from the herd at Cape Lookout National Seashore as is necessary to maintain the genetic viability of the herd in and around the Refuge; and (4) specify that the Corolla Wild Horse Fund shall pay certain costs associated with the health, maintenance, removal, and placement of such horses.

Prohibits the removal of any horse from the Seashore for introduction at the Refuge, except with the approval of the Foundation for Shackleford Horses Inc. and consistent with the memorandum of understanding between the National Park Service and the Foundation and the management plan for the Shackleford Banks Horse Herd.

Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed as creating liability of the United States for any damages caused by the free-roaming wild horses to any person or property located inside or outside the boundaries of the Refuge.

Date: 2013-01-03
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act - Declares the policy of the United States concerning protection and preservation of the wilderness ecosystem of the Arctic coastal plain.

 Designates specified lands within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Date: 2013-01-03
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Reauthorizes and revises the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act.

 Increases the number of directors appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Board of Directors. Makes uniform the experience required of each such appointee. Requires the Foundation to have an Executive Director who is appointed by the Board and is knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to fish and wildlife conservation.

Gives the Foundation the power to receive and administer restitution and community service payments, amounts for mitigation of impacts to natural resources, and other amounts arising from legal, regulatory, or administrative proceedings, as long as the funds are used for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, and other natural resources.

Repeals provisions authorizing the Foundation to establish a national whale conservation endowment fund.

Authorizes the Foundation to: (1) assess and collect fees for the management of amounts received from federal agencies; and (2) use such federal funds for matching contributions made by private persons, state and local agencies, and other entities (current law requires such use).

Authorizes the Foundation to perform functions that the National Park Foundation is authorized to conduct, unless exclusive authority is given to the National Park Foundation.

Date: 2013-01-15
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Ensuring Affordable Energy Act - Prohibits any funds appropriated or otherwise available for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from being used to implement or enforce: (1) a cap-and-trade program; or (2) any statutory or regulatory requirement pertaining to emissions of one or more greenhouse gases from stationary sources that is issued or becomes applicable or effective after the date of enactment of this Act.

Defines: (1) "cap-and-trade program" as any regulatory program established after the date of enactment of this Act that provides for the sale, auction, or other distribution of a limited amount of allowances that permit the emission of one or more greenhouse gases; and (2) "greenhouse gas" to include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or any other designated anthropogenic gas.

Date: 2013-02-12
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

National Wildlife Refuge Review Act of 2013 - Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from establishing any new national wildlife refuges, except as expressly authorized by a law enacted after January 3, 2013.

Date: 2013-02-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Upper Mississippi Conservation and River Protection Act of 2013 or the Upper Mississippi CARP Act - Directs the Chief of Engineers to study the feasibility of: (1) temporarily closing the lock at the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam (located on Mississippi River mile 853.9 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) to manage the threat of Asian carp traveling up the Mississippi River in Minnesota, and (2) implementing control measures at such lock and Lock and Dam 1 (located on Mississippi River mile 847.8 in Minneapolis, Minnesota), including permanently closing the locks, modifying lock operations, or using an alternative technology barrier, to manage such threat. Requires the Chief to assess the potential impacts, including environmental and economic impacts: (1) of temporary closure of such lock and of continuing to operate it, and (2) of implementing each of such control measures and of not implementing such measures.

Authorizes the Chief to close such lock upon determining that closure is justified based on the assessment of potential impacts. Requires the Chief to close such lock upon determining that a live adult Asian carp has been captured above Lock and Dam 2 (located on Mississippi River mile 815.2 upstream of Hastings, Minnesota) or that a juvenile Asian carp has been captured above Lock and Dam 4 (located on Mississippi River mile 752.8 in Alma, Wisconsin). Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, upon determining that an Asian carp has been captured at such a location, to transmit to the Chief a petition for closure of such lock. Allows the Chief to reopen the lock upon determining that adequate measures are in place to manage the threat.

Directs the Council on Environmental Quality to incorporate the Upper Mississippi River and tributaries, the Minnesota River, and the St. Croix River into the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework of the Council.

 Expresses the sense of Congress that federal agencies researching Asian carp control technologies should partner with state and local shareholders, giving priority to collaborative partnerships in which such shareholders contribute to the cost of the research.

Date: 2013-02-14
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2013 - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Chesapeake Executive Council, the chief executive of each Chesapeake Bay state, and the Chesapeake Bay Commission, to submit to Congress a financial report containing: (1) an interagency crosscut budget for restoration activities that protect, conserve, or restore living resources, habitat, water resources, or water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; (2) an accounting of funds received and obligated by all federal agencies for restoration activities; (3) an accounting from each state of all funds received and obligated from a federal agency for restoration activities; and (4) a description of each of the proposed federal and state restoration activities. Requires such report to describe only federal or state restoration activities that have funding amounts of at least $100,000 or $50,000, respectively.

Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and update biennially an adaptive management plan for restoration activities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that includes: (1) a definition of specific and measurable objectives to improve water quality, habitat, and fisheries; (2) a process for stakeholder participation; (3) monitoring, modeling, experimentation, and other research and evaluation practices; (4) a process for modification of restoration activities that have not attained or will not attain such objectives; and (5) a process for prioritizing restoration activities and programs to which adaptive management shall be applied. Requires the Administrator to: (1) report annually to Congress on implementation of such plan, and (2) include such plan in the Annual Action Plan and Annual Progress Report.

Requires appointment of an Independent Evaluator for the Chesapeake Bay watershed, who shall review and report to Congress biennially on restoration activities and the use of adaptive management in such activities, from among nominees submitted by the Chesapeake Executive Council.

Date: 2013-02-14
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act of 2013 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) establish the Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Program to provide grants to owners or operators of water systems for programs or projects to increase the resiliency or adaptability of the systems to any ongoing or forecasted changes to the hydrologic conditions of a U.S. region, and (2) give priority to owners or operators of water systems that are at the greatest and most immediate risk of facing significant negative impacts due to changing hydrologic conditions.

Requires the Administrator to ensure that the list of grant applications funded includes a substantial number that propose to utilize innovative approaches that meet at least one of these goals: (1) promote more efficient water use, water conservation, water reuse, or recycling; (2) use decentralized, low-impact development technologies and nonstructural approaches, including practices that use, enhance, or mimic the natural hydrological cycle or protect natural flows; (3) reduce stormwater runoff or flooding by protecting or enhancing natural ecosystem functions; (4) modify, upgrade, enhance, or replace existing water system infrastructure in response to changing hydrologic conditions; (5) improve water quality or quantity for agricultural and municipal uses, including through salinity reduction; and (6) provide multiple benefits, including to water supply enhancement or demand reduction, water quality protection or improvement, increased flood protection, and ecosystem protection or improvement.

Date: 2013-02-15
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Water resources development
Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize specified additional projects, including projects for water conservation and improvement in Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Hudspeth, and El Paso counties, Texas.

Permits each project that the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, conducts or participates in to include: (1) the replacement of irrigation canals and lateral canals with buried pipelines; (2) the impervious lining of irrigation canals and lateral canals; (3) the installation of water level, flow measurement, pump control, and telemetry systems; (4) the renovation and replacement of pumping plants; and (5) other activities that will result in water conservation or an improved water supply.

Date: 2013-02-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Water resources development
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Sikes Act Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Reauthorizes title I of the Sikes Act (conservation programs on military installations) for FY2015-FY2019.

Date: 2013-02-28
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area Act - Establishes the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area within Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Solano, and Yolo Counties in California.

 States that the purpose of the Conservation Area is the conservation, protection, and enhancement of the ecological, scenic, wildlife, recreational, cultural, historical, natural, educational, and scientific resources of the lands included in the Area for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Continues to provide historical and adequate access to private inholdings in the Conservation Area.

Allows only those uses of the Conservation Area that would further the purposes for which it is established.

Requires a comprehensive plan for the protection and management of the federal lands included within the Conservation Area. Requires such plan to: (1) assess the impacts of climate change, (2) include a comprehensive weed management strategy, and (3) include a plan to address the public safety and environmental clean-up issues associated with illegal marijuana production.

Permits grazing in the Conservation Area: (1) to continue, if established before this Act's enactment; (2) if not established before enactment, only to the extent that it is consistent with the purposes of the conservation area; or (3) through issuing annual targeted permits for the control of noxious weeds, fire suppression, or to provide other ecological benefits.

Establishes the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area Advisory Council to advise with respect to the preparation and implementation of the management plan. Requires the appointment of one Council member to represent Native American Tribes.

Date: 2013-03-07
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Joint Ventures for Bird Habitat Conservation Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a Joint Ventures Program to develop a framework for the approval and establishment of Joint Ventures that: (1) provide financial and technical assistance to support regional migratory bird conservation partnerships, (2) develop and implement plans for the protection and enhancement of migratory bird populations, (3) complement and support activities by the Secretary and the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fulfill obligations under specified migratory bird and conservation Acts, and (4) support other specified goals and objectives.

 Authorizes the Director to enter into agreements with eligible partners to establish Joint Ventures to: (1) promote sustainable migratory bird populations and fish and wildlife, (2) encourage stakeholder and government partnerships, and (3) establish science-based migratory bird conservation plans and promote broader landscape-level conservation of fish and wildlife habitat. Specifies that eligible partners include: (1) federal and state agencies; (2) affected regional, local, and tribal governments, private landowners, land managers, and other private stakeholders; (3) certain nongovernmental organizations; and (4) other relevant stakeholders.

 Authorizes the Director to award Joint Venture financial assistance grants.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.)

 Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013 - Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps.

Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program.

Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state.

Date: 2013-03-14
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 17, 2013. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to extend through FY2017 the authorization of appropriations for volunteer services for programs conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), community partnership projects for national wildlife refuges, and refuge education programs.

Date: 2013-03-20
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior, within 30 days after being served with a complaint in an action alleging a failure to perform an act or duty related to an endangered species or threatened species determination, to publish the complaint. Prohibits the failure of the Secretary to meet such deadline from being the basis for such an action. Sets forth requirements concerning the intervention in such actions by affected parties and referral to a mediation program.

Authorizes the court, in issuing any final order in such an action, to award litigation costs to any party. Prohibits the court from: (1) awarding litigation costs in any proposed covered settlement, (2) granting a motion that is based on a proposed covered settlement or other consent decree that includes payment for litigation costs, (3) approving a proposed covered settlement unless each state and county in which the Secretary believes a species occurs approves it, or (4) granting a motion that is based on a proposed covered settlement unless such settlement is approved by each such state and county. Requires the courts to ensure that such a settlement is approved by each such state and county.

Requires the Secretary to provide notice of a proposed covered settlement to each such state and county. Authorizes a court to approve such a settlement or grant such a motion if, within 45 days of notification: (1) a state or county fails to respond, and (2) each state or county that responds approves the covered settlement, or (3) all of the states and counties fail to respond.

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 to provide for its applicability to the United States (currently, the Act applies to foreign countries).

Authorizes appropriations to the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund for FY2014-FY2018. Authorizes an increase in the amount available from the Fund for administrative expenses. Requires not less than 20% of amounts made available from the Fund for any fiscal year to be used for projects relating to the conservation of marine turtles in the United States.

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
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.)

 Wildlife Refuge System Conservation Semipostal Stamp Act of 2013 - Directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to issue and sell, at a premium, a Wildlife Refuge System Conservation Semipostal Stamp. Requires the use of such stamp to be voluntary on the part of postal patrons.

Requires proceeds from the sale of the semipostal stamp to be transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to help fund the maintenance backlog and operational shortfall of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Prohibits such proceeds from being taken into account in any decision relating to the level of appropriations or other federal funding to be furnished to the USFWS or allocated to the System.

Requires the stamp to be made available to the public for at least two years.

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to replace the Designated Qualified Persons program responsible for inspecting horses for soring with a new inspection system. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prescribe regulatory requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events.

Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Authorizes USDA to revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. Requires USDA to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians in issuing the licenses.

Requires USDA to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors.

Directs an inspector to issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of the violations within five days of the citation being issued.

Requires USDA to: (1) publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act; and (2) disqualify a horse that is sore for specified time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance.

Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse.

 Prohibits showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device that causes friction by rotating around a horse's leg or sliding up and down the leg or strikes the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter a horse's gait and is not strictly protective or therapeutic.

Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations.

Authorizes USDA to disqualify a violator from: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted.

 Permits USDA to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

Date: 2013-04-11
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals