zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
More Water for Our Valley Act, 2011 - Deems requirements of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 relating to operations of the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project to be satisfied with regard to the species and their critical habitat covered by the biological opinions for the operations of such Projects issued by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service if: (1) the alternatives described in that portion of the biological opinions entitled "Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives" are implemented, and (2) the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce carry out flow and pumping operation mandates established by this Act with respect to reverse flow in the Old and Middle Rivers between December 1 and June 30, rates of export between April 1 and May 31, and monthly average X2 between September 1 and November 30. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to modify such mandates  upon recommendations of the National Research Council Committee on Sustainable Water and Environmental Management in the California Bay-Delta, if such modifications would: (1) provide greater benefits to the species covered by such biological opinions; and (2) not reduce the water delivery capability of such Projects more than their delivery capability allowed under such mandates. Requires such Secretaries to: (1) establish a fish hatchery program or refuge to preserve and restore the delta smelt in collaboration with the governor of California; (2) implement a habitat program under which each Secretary shall identify, prioritize, and implement key ecosystem restoration and fish passage projects in the ecosystem of, and on tributaries to, the California Bay-Delta to help ensure the viability of at-risk species and  threatened or endangered species; and (3) install the Head of Old River Barrier during the April-May pulse flow, as set forth in California State Water Resources Control Board Water Rights Decision 1641. Preempts any state law that authorizes the imposition of restrictions on the operation of the Projects in a manner that is more restrictive than this Act. Terminates this Act on March 1, 2015.

Date: 2011-03-30
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Water resources development
Amends the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act to authorize the appropriation to the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund of such sums as are necessary to carry out such Act for FY2012-FY2017.

Date: 2011-04-08
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act of 2011 - Prohibits: (1) conducting invasive research on great apes; (2) possessing, maintaining, or housing a great ape for the purpose of conducting invasive research; (3) using federal funds to conduct such research on a great ape or to support an entity conducting or facilitating invasive research on a great ape either within or outside of the United States; (4) knowingly breeding a great ape for the purpose of conducting or facilitating such research; (5) transporting, moving, delivering receiving, leasing, renting, donating, purchasing, selling, or borrowing a great ape in interstate or foreign commerce for conducting or facilitating such research; and (6) transferring federal ownership of a great ape to a non-federal entity unless the entity is a suitable sanctuary. Defines "great ape" as any chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon. Defines "invasive research" as research that may cause death, injury, pain, distress, fear, or trauma to great apes, including drug testing or exposure to a substance or isolation, social deprivation, or other experimental manipulations that may be detrimental to the ape's health or psychological well-being. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to effectuate the permanent retirement of all great apes that are owned by the federal government and that are being maintained in any facility for the purpose of breeding for, holding for, or conducting invasive research. Sets forth civil penalties for violations of this Act. Establishes in the Treasury the Great Ape Sanctuary System Fund to be administered by the Secretary for construction, renovation, and operation of  the sanctuary system for surplus chimpanzees.

Date: 2011-04-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Endangered Species Compliance and Transparency Act of 2011 - Requires the Administrator of each of the Bonneville Power Administration, the Western Area Power Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration, and the Southeastern Power Administration to: (1) include in monthly billing statements sent to customers estimates of each customer's share of such Administration's direct and indirect costs for compliance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and (2) submit an annual report estimating such costs (on a project-by-project basis for the Western Area Power Administration and on a system-wide basis for the other Administrations) to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Date: 2011-05-04
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Great Ape Conservation Reauthorization Amendments Act of 2011 - Amends the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to award a multiyear 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 FY2012-FY2017.

Date: 2011-05-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Expands marine turtle conservation assistance under the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 to include the United States and its territories. Authorizes appropriations to the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund for FY2012-FY2017. 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: 2011-05-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act of 2011 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to allow an agricultural producer, or a hunter with the producer's permission, to take migratory game birds by the aid of baiting, if: (1) the manipulation occurs on the producer's land on which a crop was not harvestable during the current or immediately preceding crop year due to a natural disaster, and (2) a local representative of the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) confirms that the crop has been destroyed and that it would not be economically practicable to harvest the crop.

Date: 2011-05-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Bluefin Tuna Fishermen Employment Preservation Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit treatment of the Bluefin tuna as an endangered or threatened species.

Date: 2011-05-10
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
State Wildlife Management Act of 2011 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) to prohibit any gray wolf from being treated as an endangered species or threatened species or from being subject to such Act if the wolf: (1) is located in any state within the range of the Northern Rocky Mountain distinct population segment or anywhere in Nevada or Colorado and there are at least 450 gray wolves in such segment; (2) is located in any state within the range of the Western Great Lakes distinct population segment and the number of gray wolves within such state's boundaries is at least 1,200 for Minnesota, 150 for Michigan, and 150 for Wisconsin; or (3) is located in Arizona or New Mexico if the combined total number of gray wolves in those states is at least 100. Provides for: (1) state regulation of gray wolves if the population meets or exceeds the applicable number for such state; or (2) treatment as an endangered or threatened species if the number of gray wolves is less than that number until the Secretary determines that the number of gray wolves in such state equals at least that number during two consecutive years. Defines "gray wolf" as any taxonomic group traditionally associated with the gray wolf, including Canus lupus, Canus lupus lycaon, and Canus lupus baileyi, regardless of specific taxonomy of any particular gray wolf variety as a species, subspecies, or other designation.

Date: 2011-05-10
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
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: 2011-05-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Joint Ventures for Bird Habitat Conservation Act of 2011 - 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: 2011-05-13
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: 2011-05-25
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Taxation
Expediting Agriculture Through Science Act or EATS Act - Amends the Plant Protection Act to include biotechnology products among the plant pests that a person may petition the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to have added or removed from regulations allowing such products' importation, entry, exportation, or movement in interstate commerce without a permit. Revises provisions regarding the Secretary's response to such a petition to require the Secretary to: (1) determine whether to approve such petition not later than 180 days after the petition's receipt, with two permitted 30-day extensions; (2) notify the petitioner of such extensions; and (3) provide a denied petitioner with denial information and an opportunity to remedy deficiencies. Deems a petition approved if the Secretary has not made a determination to approve the petition by the end of the 240-day period beginning on the date of the petition's receipt.

Date: 2011-05-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Salmon Solutions and Planning Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for scientific analysis of federal salmon recovery actions, including the impact that removal of the four lower Snake River dams would have on recovery of salmon and steelhead populations and any additional actions that may be necessary to achieve recovery of salmon and steelhead populations. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a peer-reviewed study of the rail, highway, and Columbia River barge infrastructure improvements that would be necessary to ensure a cost-effective and efficient transportation system for shippers who currently use barge transportation between Lewiston, Idaho, and the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers and who would be unable to do so if the four lower Snake River dams were removed; (2) the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to conduct a peer-reviewed study  of the options to replace the power currently generated by such dams if they were removed; (3) the Army Corps of Engineers to analyze riverfront revitalization and restoration opportunities and costs in the event of such removal; and (4) the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct a peer-reviewed analysis of the options and costs regarding any needed modifications to affected irrigation systems, cooling systems, and private wells if the dams were removed. Sets forth the congressional determination that the Secretary of the Army may remove the four lower Snake River dams. Directs the Secretary to reevaluate and update the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Final Lower Snake River Juvenile Salmon Migration Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact Statement (February 2002) pursuant to new information.

Date: 2011-06-03
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act - Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the use or possession of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Imposes on persons who possess or use such traps in the System: (1) for a first offense, a civil fine of up to $500 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used; and (2) for subsequent offenses, a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used, imprisonment for up to 180 days, or both such a civil fine and imprisonment. Makes any body-gripping traps that are possessed or used in violation of this Act, and any wildlife captured by the use of such traps, including the pelts and raw fur, subject to civil forfeiture. Requires persons found to be in violation of such prohibition to pay all associated court costs.

Date: 2011-07-26
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: 2011-07-30
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Amends Public Law 99-548, commonly known as the Mesquite Lands Act of 1986 (the Act), 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, 2020, withdrawal and purchase authority with respect to the fifth and sixth areas. Amends the Act to provide for the conveyance to the city of Mesquite, Nevada, of the approximately 218 acres of land identified as Hiatus on the map entitled "Mesquite Airport Conveyance " and dated January 13, 2012, from among the up to 2,560 acres of public land to be selected by the city from the sixth area. Amends the Act to require, if the public land conveyed to the city of Mesquite from the sixth area is not being used by the city as an airport or for another public purpose, such land to revert to the United States, at the option of the Secretary of the Interior, except that the city shall have an exclusive right to purchase the land. Grants the city of Mesquite, until November 29, 2020, the exclusive right to purchase the parcels of public land from the sixth area that the Secretary did not convey to the city pursuant to the Act. Requires the proceeds from the sale of each parcel to be deposited into the General Treasury.

Date: 2011-08-01
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to exempt from such Act the taking of any grizzly bear by an individual in self-defense, in defense of another individual, or because of a reasonable belief of imminent danger posed by the grizzly bear to any individual.

Date: 2011-09-14
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Protecting Public Safety and Sacred Sites from the Utah Prairie Dog Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to amend the special rule concerning takings of the Utah prarie dog to permit the taking of such prairie dog under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in any airport or cemetery in such prairie dog's range in which a state demonstrates that: (1) the prairie dog's entry or existence causes a threat to public health and safety or to the sanctity of a burial site, and (2) all practicable measures to eliminate that threat have been carried out without success. Defines "practicable measures" as: (1) the construction of fences around such areas, and (2) translocation of the prairie dogs by methods used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Date: 2011-09-20
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
National Wildlife Refuge Review Act of 2011- 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 September 30, 2011.

Date: 2011-09-22
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.) Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the Secretary of the department in which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is operating to issue one-year permits to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission for the lethal taking on the waters of the Columbia River or its tributaries of sea lions that are part of a healthy population that is not listed as an endangered species or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in order to protect endangered and threatened species of salmon and other nonlisted fish species. Authorizes the Secretary to renew such permits. Prohibits such a permit from authorizing the lethal taking of more than 10 sea lions. Limits the cumulative annual taking of sea lions each year under all such permits to 1% of the annual potential biological removal level. Provides that environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) do not apply with respect to this Act and the issuance of any such permits during the five-year period that begins on this Act's enactment. Authorizes the Secretary to suspend the issuance of such permits if, after five years, lethal removal authority is no longer necessary to protect salmonid and other fish species from sea lion predation. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) preventing predation by sea lions, recovery of listed salmonid stocks, and preventing future listings of fish stocks in the Columbia River is a vital priority; (2) permit holders exercising lethal removal authority should be trained in wildlife management; and (3) the government should continue to fund lethal and nonlethal removal measures for preventing such predation.

Date: 2011-09-29
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Cormorant Management and Natural Resources Protection Act - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to delegate the authority of the Secretary of the Interior under such Act with respect to double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) to a state on the date the Secretary approves a cormorant management plan submitted by such state. Requires the Secretary to: (1) approve or disapprove a management plan within 60 days of the plan's submission, (2) approve such plan if it is in accordance with U.S. obligations under treaties and federal law, (3) provide to the relevant governor the reasons for disapproving a plan and an opportunity to revise and resubmit the plan, (4) review each approved state management plan every five years, and (5) revoke such approval and delegation if the plan or the governor's exercise of delegated authority is not in accordance with such Act or any treaty implemented by such Act. Deems a management plan approved if the Secretary doesn't approve or disapprove it within 60 days after submission. Applies an approved management plan in lieu of regulations issued under such Act. Requires the Secretary to conduct educational and informational activities for the owners and operators of aquaculture facilities to improve their efforts to prevent cormorants from consuming aquatic species being reared in such facilities.

Date: 2011-10-03
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
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: 2011-10-06
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Retailers and Entertainers Lacey Implementation and Enforcement Fairness Act or the RELIEF Act - (Sec. 3) Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to: (1) make such Act inapplicable to any plant that was imported into the United States before May 22, 2008, or any finished plant or plant product the assembly and processing of which was completed before such date; (2) limit the application of plant importation declaration requirements to plants that are entered for consumption; and (3) exclude from declaration requirements a plant product that is derived from a tree unless the product is solid wood (requires the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to issue regulations that define the term "solid wood" for such purpose). Provides that: (1) civil forfeiture provisions that prohibit any person from asserting an ownership interest in contraband or other property that it is illegal to possess, or that prohibit the federal government from being required to return contraband or other property that the person from whom the property was seized may not legally possess, shall not apply to plants or plant products; and (2) civil forfeiture provisions of such Act are the sole authority for civil seizure or forfeiture actions alleging, or predicated upon, a violation of such Act. (Sec. 4) Prohibits any person from importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing in interstate or foreign commerce, or any person within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States from possessing, a plant taken, possessed, transported, or sold: (1) without the payment of appropriate royalties, taxes, or stumpage fees required for the plant by any law or regulation of any state or any foreign law that is directed at the protection, conservation, and management of plants; and (2) in violation of any limitation under any law or regulation of any state, or under foreign law, governing the export or transshipment of plants and that is directed at the protection, conservation, and management of plants Limits the application of a civil penalty under such Act for violations of foreign laws to violations of foreign laws that are directed at the protection, conservation, and management of plants. Requires the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce, as program responsibilities are vested pursuant to the provisions of Reorganization Plan Numbered 4 of 1970, to review the implementation of plant declarations with 180 days. Requires the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (currently, the Secretary of Commerce) to report on plant declaration requirements, including an evaluation of the feasibility of creating a publicly available database of laws of foreign countries from which plants are exported.

Date: 2011-10-14
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
State Management of Recovered Wolves Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior to permit any state in which wolves are listed as an endangered or threatened species to conduct lethal and non-lethal control of wolves to protect from wolf depredations if the population of wolves in such state exceeds the goal established by a species recovery plan.

Date: 2011-11-17
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
America's Wildlife Heritage Act - Sets forth requirements concerning the maintenance of viable populations of existing native and desired non-native species within each planning area in the National Forest System's or the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) public lands. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to adopt and implement a strategically targeted monitoring program for determining the status and trends of native and desired non-native species populations on System and BLM lands. Defines: (1) native species to mean species of plants and animals indigenous to a planning area; and (2) desired non-native species to mean those wild species of plants and animals that are not indigenous to a planning area but are valued for their contribution to species diversity or their social, cultural, or economic value. Requires the Secretaries to coordinate the management of planning areas of the System and the BLM with the management of the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Park System, other federal agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, other state agencies responsible for management of natural resources, tribes, local governments, and non-governmental organizations engaged in species conservation.

Date: 2011-11-18
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act - 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, or a great ape.

Date: 2011-11-29
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Wildlife Veterinarians Employment and Training Act or the Wildlife VET Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award grants to wildlife or veterinary institutions to create additional clinical and research positions for wildlife and zoological veterinarians, with preference to institutions that will create positions in areas of need, including wildlife disease research and training, disease surveillance, ecology and wildlife population management, and conservation and management of the health of endangered, threatened, and sensitive species. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) the Wildlife and Zoological Veterinary Workforce Loan Repayment Program to repay educational loans of applicants who have received, in the previous ten years, a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine or a graduate degree in veterinary medicine after receiving such doctoral degree, or who are enrolled in an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine program that leads to such a degree, and who agree to serve for at least four consecutive years at a wildlife or veterinary institution as a wildlife or zoological veterinarian; and (2) the Wildlife and Zoological Veterinary Workforce Scholarship Program to award students enrolled in an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine scholarships for up to four years in exchange for entering a contract to serve for at least four consecutive years as wildlife or zoological veterinarians at wildlife or veterinary institutions beginning no later than four years after graduation. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a pilot program to award competitive grants to accredited schools and colleges of veterinary medicine to develop or improve new or existing curricula that specialize in wildlife or zoological veterinary medicine; and (2) award competitive grants to eligible wildlife or veterinary institutions to establish or expand, for traineeship candidates, training programs (including externship, internship, fellowship, or residency programs) that will enhance the ability of a trainee to practice as a wildlife or zoological veterinarian.

Date: 2012-02-02
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
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: 2012-03-01
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
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: 2012-03-08
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Jonas Salk Elementary Cap Undo Regulatory Environmental Delay or CURED Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue a final decision on whether or not to issue a permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 authorizing the San Diego Unified School District to construct an elementary school in San Diego, California. Deems the permit to have been issued if the Secretary does not make a final decision within 90 days of this Act's enactment.

Date: 2012-03-22
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Clean and Beautiful Communities Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service (NPS), to make grants to facilitate the acquisition by a qualified organization of a qualified real property interest exclusively for conservation purposes to assist in the funding of the transactional and operational costs associated with the purchase and management of preserved land or a qualified real property interest (including easements) that include: (1) stewardship costs, including costs of standards and practices implementation; (2) land purchase transaction costs; (3) costs of preparing for accreditation associated with land management; and (4) costs of due diligence, including appraisal, title, survey, environmental hazard assessment, and recording costs. Makes a person eligible for a grant under this Act only if such person is a tax-exempt charitable organization and is not a state or local government entity. Prohibits a grant from being used to pay consideration for the purchase of any interest in real property. Limits the amount of a grant to not more than $500,000 per year for five years. Prohibits the Secretary from making a grant under this Act in an amount exceeding more than 50% of the costs such grant is made to assist.

Date: 2012-05-08
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Salamander Community Conservation Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to make the Act's provisions regarding the determination of endangered or threatened species inapplicable to: (1) the Austin blind salamander, (2) the Georgetown salamander, (3) the Jollyville Plateau salamander, or (4) the Salado salamander.

Date: 2012-07-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
National Bison Legacy Act - Designates the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States.

Date: 2012-08-02
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe regulatory requirements for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) 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. (The soring of horses refers to the application of blistering agents, burns, lacerations, sharp objects, or other substances or devices to a horse's limb to produce a higher gait by making it painful for the horse to step down.) Replaces the current horse inspector appointment process under which the management of a horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction appoints inspectors with a new process requiring the Secretary to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire such inspectors. Specifies that the term "management" includes sponsoring organizations and event managers. Directs the Secretary to disqualify a horse the Secretary determines is sore for specified minimum time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction or allowing any such activity respecting a horse which is sore by the owner of such horse. Expands a list of activities designated as unlawful conduct under such Act to include a prohibition on showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter the gait of such horses and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Defines "action device" as any boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse in such a manner that it can: (1) rotate around the leg or slide up and down the leg, so as to cause friction; or (2) strike the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties to the United States for certain HPA violations. Expands the categories of activities the Secretary may disqualify a violator of such Act from participating in to include: (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; (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted; or (4) financing the participation of other individuals. Permits the Secretary to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

Date: 2012-09-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
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) that 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: 2012-09-19
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Amends the Highlands Conservation Act to extend, through FY2024, funding for: (1) land conservation partnership projects in the highlands regions of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; and (2) Forest Service and Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs to assist such states, units of local government, and private forest and farm landowners in the conservation of land and natural resources in that region.

Date: 2012-09-21
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Farmers Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to permit the taking of any migratory game bird, including waterfowl, coots, and cranes, on or over land that: (1) is not a baited area; and (2) contains a standing crop (including an aquatic crop), standing, flooded, or manipulated natural vegetation, flooded harvested cropland, or an area on which seed or grain has been scattered solely as the result of a normal agricultural practice.

Date: 2012-12-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act of 2011 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to allow an agricultural producer, or a hunter with the producer's permission, to take migratory game birds by the aid of baiting, if: (1) the manipulation occurs on the producer's land on which a crop was not harvestable during the current or immediately preceding crop year due to a natural disaster, and (2) a local representative of the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) confirms that the crop has been destroyed and that it would not be economically practicable to harvest the crop.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that such Act shall not apply to any gray wolf (canis lupus).

Date: 2011-02-01
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Delisting Gray Wolves to Restore State Management Act of 2011 - Grants the full force and effect of law to the final rule entitled "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Rule To Identify the Northern Rocky Mountain Population of Gray Wolf as a Distinct Population Segment and To Revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife."

Date: 2011-02-10
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act - (Sec. 4) Expands the boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve (the Sanctuary) in Lake Huron to encompass the offshore waters of Presque Isle and Alcona Counties, Michigan, and outward to the international border between the United States and Canada, for the purpose of providing the underwater cultural resources of those areas equal protection to that currently afforded to the Sanctuary. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make minor adjustments to the boundary to facilitate enforcement and clarify the boundary to the public if the resulting boundary is consistent with the purposes of this Act. Requires the resulting area to be managed as part of the National Marine Sanctuary System. (Sec. 5) Sets forth applicable regulations. Directs the Secretary, to the extent practicable, to apply the management plan in effect on the date of enactment of this Act to the added geographic area. (Sec. 6) Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed as increasing, or requiring an increase of, the amount of funds appropriated or authorized for the Sanctuary.

Date: 2011-03-03
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act of 2011 - Prohibits: (1) conducting invasive research on great apes; (2) possessing, maintaining, or housing a great ape for the purpose of conducting invasive research; (3) using federal funds to conduct such research on a great ape or to support an entity conducting or facilitating invasive research on a great ape either within or outside of the United States; (4) knowingly breeding a great ape for the purpose of conducting or facilitating such research; (5) transporting, moving, delivering receiving, leasing, renting, donating, purchasing, selling, or borrowing a great ape in interstate or foreign commerce for conducting or facilitating such research; and (6) transferring federal ownership of a great ape to a non-federal entity unless the entity is a suitable sanctuary. Defines "great ape" as any chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon. Defines "invasive research" as research that may cause death, injury, pain, distress, fear, or trauma to great apes, including drug testing or exposure to a substance or isolation, social deprivation, or other experimental manipulations that may be detrimental to the ape's health or psychological well-being. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to effectuate the permanent retirement of all great apes that are owned by the federal government and that are being maintained in any facility for the purpose of breeding for, holding for, or conducting invasive research. Sets forth civil penalties for violations of this Act. Establishes in the Treasury the Great Ape Sanctuary System Fund to be administered by the Secretary for construction, renovation, and operation of  the sanctuary system for surplus chimpanzees.

Date: 2011-04-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals