zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Children's Head Start Intervention for Life and Development Act

This bill amends the Head Start Act to establish five-year, nonrenewable grants for eligible entities to carry out Head Start programs in communities affected by the pollution of water by lead or a toxic pollutant in an event declared by the President to be an emergency.

In awarding these grants, the Department of Education shall give priority to eligible entities in partnerships with child care providers that are providing child care services at the time of the enactment of this bill.

Date: 2016-02-03
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Recognizing Achievement in Classified School Employees Act

This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award National Classified School Employee Awards to classified public school employees within certain occupational specialties who provide exemplary service to students in prekindergarten through higher education.

ED shall choose an awardee each year, out of nominations received from each state, from one of the following occupational specialties: (1) paraeducator services, (2) clerical and administrative services, (3) transportation services, (4) food and nutrition services, (5) custodial and maintenance services, (6) security services, (7) health and student services, (8) technical services, and (9) skilled trades.

Date: 2016-03-08
Topic: Education (Underprivileged)
Subject: Education
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Date: 2007-01-04
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the African Elephant Conservation Act and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 to: (1) authorize appropriations for FY2007-FY2012 for such Acts; (2) increase the amount that may be used for administrative expenses to carry out such Acts; and (3) repeal provisions requiring the Secretary of the Interior to notify countries regarding the approval of conservation projects for African elephants, rhinoceros, and tigers.

Date: 2007-01-04
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Pacific Salmon Emergency Disaster Assistance Act of 2007 - Appropriates funds for a lump sum payment to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. Requires the Commission to distribute the funds among various entities for assistance for the economic and social effects of the commercial fishery failure designated under specified provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act regarding closures or restrictions on harvesting of Klamath River Fall Chinook salmon.

Date: 2007-01-04
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 to: (1) authorize appropriations for FY2007-FY2012 for such Act; (2) increase the amount that may be used for administrative expenses to carry out such Act; and (3) repeal provisions requiring the Secretary of the Interior to notify countries regarding the approval of conservation projects for Asian elephants.

Date: 2007-01-12
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments of 2008 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to require the collection and updating of existing practices and procedures for rescuing and rehabilitating stranded or entangled (currently, only stranded) marine mammals. Authorizes entanglement response agreements. Deems authorized responders to be government employees for purposes of specified tort claims procedures provisions. Renames the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program as the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Funding Program and revises provisions, including adding providing for stranding events requiring emergency assistance to the program's duties. Authorizes the program to be carried out through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other agreements or arrangements. Authorizes appropriations through FY2010 to carry out the Program. Revises provisions concerning administrative costs and expenses. Establishes in the Treasury the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Emergency Fund to provide for the recovery or treatment of marine mammals, the collection of data from living or dead stranded marine mammals for scientific research regarding marine mammal health, directly related facility operation costs, and stranding events requiring emergency assistance. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) enter into grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other appropriate agreements; and (2) solicit, accept, receive, hold, administer, and use gifts, devises, and bequests. Limits support for a project under the provisions amended by this paragraph to $200,000 per year. (Current law limits support to 100,000 and makes no reference to the limit being per year.) Defines the term "emergency assistance" as: (1) assistance for a stranding event that is not an unusual mortality event, leads to an immediate increase in required costs in excess of regularly scheduled costs, may be cyclical or endemic, and may involve out-of-habitat animals; or (2) is determined by the Secretary to qualify for such assistance. Authorizes appropriations through FY2010 to the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund.

Date: 2007-02-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to repeal the long-term goal of reducing to zero the incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in commercial fishing operations. Makes reduction of such incidental mortality and serious injury (but not to any specified percentage) the long-term goal.

Date: 2007-02-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Declares that nothing in the Act of March 2, 1929, (relating to prohibited acts of killing, wounding, or capturing wild birds and animals and fish in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado) or other applicable law shall be construed as prohibiting the Secretary of the Interior from using the services of qualified individuals, as volunteers or under contract with the Secretary, to assist in the implementation of the Elk and Vegetation Management Plan for the Park by using lethal means to reduce the population of elk within the Park. Instructs the Secretary to consult with the Colorado Division of Wildlife regarding possible participation by it in the implementation of such Plan. Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed as applicable to the taking of wildlife within Rocky Mountain National Park for any purpose other than the implementation of the Elk and Vegetation Management Plan.

Date: 2007-02-16
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act - Declares that it is U.S. policy to protect and preserve living and other resources of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Farallones NMS) and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Cordell Bank NMS) marine environments. Makes certain adjustments to expand the boundaries of the Farallones NMS and the Cordell NMS. Prohibits the issuance of a lease or permit authorizing mineral or hydrocarbon exploration, development, production, or transportation by pipeline within the sanctuaries. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to complete: (1) an interim supplemental management plan for the sanctuaries that focuses on protective resource management in the areas added by this Act; and (2) a revised comprehensive management plan for the sanctuaries. Directs the Secretary to carry out an assessment of necessary revisions to the regulations for the sanctuaries, including considering regulations regarding the deposit or release of introduced species and the alteration of stream and river drainage into the sanctuaries.

Date: 2007-02-16
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2007- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain landowners whose property contains the habitat of an endangered or threatened species and who enter into a habitat protection agreement a tax credit for costs relating to habitat protection easements and restoration. Places limits on the amount of such credit for calendar years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Directs the Comptroller General of the United States to study and report to Congress on the effectiveness of such credit. Allows a tax deduction for expenditures related to recovery plans approved by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Excludes from gross income certain payments under: (1) the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program authorized by the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act; and (2) the Landowner Incentive Program, the State Wildlife Grants Program, and the Private Stewardship Grants Program authorized by the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956.

Date: 2007-03-08
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Taxation
Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2008 - (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance for projects for the conservation of rare felids and rare canids. Authorizes the Secretary to convene an advisory group of individuals representing public and private organizations actively involved in the conservation of felids and canids. Restricts the use of grants for captive breeding or display purposes.(Sec. 5) Establishes in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund as a separate account the Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund.Defines "rare canid" to: (1) mean any of the canid species dhole, gray wolf, Ethiopian wolf, bush dog, African wild dog, maned wolf, and Darwin's fox, including any subspecies or population of such a species; and (2) exclude any subspecies or population that is native to the area comprised of the United States and Canada or the European Union.Defines "rare felid" to: (1) mean any of the felid species lion, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, clouded leopard, cheetah, Iberian lynx, and Borneo bay cat, including any subspecies or population of such a species; and (2) exclude any species, subspecies, or population that is native to the United States and any tiger.Authorizes the Secretary to convene an advisory group, to assist in carrying out this Act, consisting of individuals representing public and private organizations actively involved in felid and canid conservation.(Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary to initiate a study of felid and canid species listed under the IUCN Red List (the Red List of Threatened Species Maintained by the World Conservation Union) that are not rare canids and rare felids (as defined in this Act), to determine: (1) the conservation status of the species in the wild, including identification of those that are critically endangered or endangered; and (2) any such species that should be made eligible for project assistance. Requires a report to Congress.(Sec. 7) Makes ineligible for assistance under this Act any project in a country the government of which the Secretary of State has determined has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism pursuant to provisions of the Export Administration Act of 1979, the Arms Export Control Act, and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.(Sec. 8) Authorizes appropriations.

Date: 2007-03-09
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Legal Timber Protection Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to redefine "plant" to mean any wild member of the plant kingdom, including roots, seeds, parts, and products thereof, excluding any common food crop or cultivar that is a species not listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Redefines "take" under such Act to include the harvesting, cutting, logging, or removing of a plant.Restates and modifies prohibitions under such Act against the sale or possession of plants in violation of state or foreign laws enacted to protect such plants. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to allow public participation in the review of the implementation of plant declaration requirements.

Date: 2007-03-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Salmon Economic Analysis and Planning Act - Requires the Secretary of Commerce to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for scientific analysis of federal salmon protection, restoration, and recovery actions. Requires such analysis to include: (1) the biological effectiveness of current recovery actions for Columbia and Snake River Basin salmon and steelhead populations; (2) a comparison of the effectiveness of salmon recovery actions; and (3) an identification of limiting factors and global climate change on salmon recovery actions.Requires the Comptroller General to study the potential effects and costs of partially and fully removing the four lower Snake River dams, including those on: (1) the economy of surrounding communities; (2) freight transportation; (3) irrigation; (4) energy production; and (5) the extinction of salmon and steelhead populations in the Snake River. Requires the Comptroller General to study the accuracy of the engineering costs associated with dam removal as determined by the February 2002 Army Corps of Engineers Lower Snake River Juvenile Salmon Migration Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact Statement.

Date: 2007-03-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Water resources development
Inhumane Trapping Prevention Act - Makes it unlawful to: (1) import, export, or transport in interstate commerce conventional steel jawed leghold traps and articles of fur derived from animals trapped in such traps; or (2) sell or acquire such a trap transported in violation of such provision. Prescribes criminal penalties for violations. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to reward persons (other than government employees performing official duties) for information leading to a conviction under this Act. Empowers enforcement officials to detain, search, and seize suspected containers or merchandise and any accompanying documents, to make arrests without warrants with probable cause, and to execute warrants. Subjects seized merchandise to forfeiture.

Date: 2007-03-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Pollinator Protection Act - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Agricultural Research Service, for: (1) personnel, facilities improvement, and additional research at Department of Agriculture Apicultural Research Laboratories; (2) research on honey bee physiology, insect pathology, insect chemical ecology, and honey bee toxicology at other Department facilities in New York, Florida, California, and Texas; and (3) research to identify causes and solutions for Colony Collapse Disorder. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary, through the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, for research grants to investigate: (1) honey bee immunology, genomics, biology, ecology, and bioinformatics; (2) pollination biology; and (3) the effects of genetically modified crops, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides on honey bees and other beneficial insects and pollinators.

Date: 2007-03-27
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to issue one-year permits for the lethal taking of California sea lions if the Secretary determines that alternative measures to reduce sea lion predation on threatened or endangered salmonid stocks in the Columbia River do not adequately protect the salmonid stocks from such predation. Limits the cumulative annual taking of California sea lions to one percent of the annual potential biological removal level of such sea lions. Requires the Secretary to determine whether alternative measures to reduce sea lion predation on salmonid stocks will adequately protect such stocks. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) nonlethal means of preventing sea lion predation of salmonid stocks in the Columbia River is preferable to lethal means; (2) permit holders exercising lethal removal authority should be trained in wildlife management; and (3) the federal government should continue to fund, research, and support effective nonlethal alternative measures for preventing such predation.

Date: 2007-03-29
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Species Rescue Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide for expedited consultation and conferencing (within 60 days of the date on which initiated) with respect to impacts on endangered or threatened species of federal agency flood control actions. Directs the Secretary of the Interior or of Commerce, as appropriate, acting through the Fish and Wildlife Service, any other federal land management agency, the National Marine Fisheries Service, or a state conservation agency, to relocate from the flood control levee: (1) any threatened or endangered species of plant or animal that would be taken in the course of the agency action; and (2) any plant or other natural material that the Secretary considers to be suitable habitat, or a component of suitable habitat, for such species and that the Secretary determines would be damaged, destroyed, or removed in the course of the action. Bars the Secretary from requiring a non-federal person (other than a state conservation agency) to carry out any measures to minimize or mitigate impacts of agency flood control actions.

Date: 2007-04-18
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Polar Bear Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit issuing permits for the importation of polar bear parts taken in a sport hunt.

Date: 2007-05-15
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate a national strategy for mitigating the impacts of global warming on wildlife populations and to revise it within five years after its promulgation and not later than every ten years thereafter to reflect new information.Requires the Secretary to establish a science advisory board to: (1) provide scientific and technical advice and recommendations on the impacts of global warming on wildlife and its habitat, areas of habitat of particular importance, and strategies and mechanisms to mitigate such impacts in the management of federal lands and in other federal wildlife conservation programs; (2) advise the National Global Warming and Wildlife Science Center and review the quality of the Center's research programs; and (3) advise the Secretary regarding the best science available.Requires the Secretary to establish the National Global Warming and Wildlife Science Center within the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to: (1) conduct scientific research on national issues related to the impacts of global warming on wildlife and its habitat and mechanisms for adaptation or mitigation of such impacts; and (2) provide scientific support to federal land management agencies and federal wildlife agencies regarding such issues.Authorizes the establishment of a State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior, to provide wildlife conservation grants for the planning, development, and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitat, including species that are not hunted or fished.

Date: 2007-05-16
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Environmental protection
Endangered Species Compliance and Transparency Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrators of the Bonneville Power Administration, the Western Area Power Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration, and the Southeastern Power Administration to provide: (1) estimates of each customer's share of each Administration's direct and indirect costs for compliance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in monthly billing statements; and (2) 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 Resources and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Date: 2007-05-24
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to require that conservation programs, except the farmland protection program, establish a priority and provide incentives for: (1) increasing habitat for native and managed pollinators; and (2) establishing cropping systems, integrated pest management regimes, and other practices to protect native and managed pollinators. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture should: (1) designate pollinator protection as a national priority resource concern for conservation programs administered by the Department of Agriculture; and (2) continue efforts to make nurseries and land managers aware of pollinator-friendly plants.

Date: 2007-06-28
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Captive Primate Safety Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add nonhuman primates (i.e., monkeys, great apes, lemurs, etc.) to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of such species in interstate or foreign commerce. Makes it unlawful for a person to sell or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce (i.e., for pet trade purposes). Sets forth: (1) exceptions to such prohibition; and (2) civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements of this Act.Requires the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with other relevant federal and state agencies, to issue regulations to implement the Captive Wildlife Safety Act.Authorizes additional appropriations to the Secretary for FY2009 to hire additional law enforcement personnel of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to enforce the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981.

Date: 2007-07-10
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Community Forestry Conservation Act of 2007 - 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 36 months after the enactment of this Act. Requires 95% 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: 2007-08-04
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Taxation
Transparent Reporting Under ESA Listing Act or the TRUE Listing Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior to publish, concurrently with the publication of any finding or final regulation relating to a determination of whether a species is an endangered or threatened species or to a designation or revision of critical habitat, a summary statement of the scientific basis for such determination, designation, or revision.Requires such statement to be dated and to include: (1) the scientific rationale for the determination, designation, or revision; and (2) identification of officers or employees who participated in such determination, designation, or revision.Prohibits the Secretary from altering the text of the summary statement after its publication. Authorizes the Secretary to prepare a description of changes to the summary statement in an addendum.

Date: 2007-08-04
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to carry out a recovery program for southern sea otter populations along the coast of California.Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a Southern Sea Otter Health Assessment Plan; (2) collect and analyze tissue samples from southern sea otters; and (3) submit the tissue to the Secretary of Commerce for inclusion in the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank to allow for managed access to such tissues by other researchers.Requires the Secretary to: (1) award competitive grants to support research regarding southern sea otters; and (2) establish and appoint the Southern Sea Otter Recovery Implementation Team to make recommendations on overall implementation of the southern sea otter recovery program and research goals and review the recommendations of a Scientific Advisory Subcommittee. Requires the Subcommittee to evaluate the scientific merit and quality of southern sea otter research proposals submitted for funding and make funding recommendations.

Date: 2007-09-24
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Atlantic Menhaden Conservation Act - Imposes a fishing moratorium regarding Atlantic menhaden that are reduced to meal and oil for the coastal waters of each coastal state north of South Carolina, including Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. Requires studies and reports. Makes it unlawful to engage, or to attempt to engage, in the commercial harvesting, in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), of Atlantic menhaden that are reduced to meal and oil.

Date: 2007-10-16
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act Amendment of 2008 - Amends the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act to increase the number of members of the board of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Date: 2007-10-18
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Migratory Bird Treaty Act Penalty and Enforcement Act of 2007 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to: (1) make a person who intentionally takes any migratory bird by any manner not allowed by such Act guilty of a felony and subject to a fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to one year; and (2) make a person who intentionally commits any other act or omission in violation of such Act guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months.

Date: 2007-11-06
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Wildlife Without Borders Authorization Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a Wildlife Without Borders Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide international wildlife conservation assistance through the initiation, facilitation, and promotion of locally adapted wildlife management and conservation programs in coordination with non-governmental organizations, governments, private businesses, and community leaders. Specifies the species, regional, and global program components that shall be included in the Wildlife Without Borders Program. Permits the Secretary, in the administration of the Wildlife Without Borders Program, to accept donated funds and to use them for capacity building, grants, and other on-the-ground uses carried out under the regional and global program components authorized by this Act.

Date: 2007-12-11
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Captive Wildlife Safety Technical Amendments Act of 2008 - Makes technical and conforming amendments to the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 relating to the enforcement of, and civil and criminal penalties under, the Captive Wildlife Safety Act. Prohibits any person from importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing in interstate or foreign commerce any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species. Authorizes appropriations to carry out captive wildlife offense provisions for FY2009-FY2013.

Date: 2008-01-03
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
National Marine Mammal Research Program Act of 2007 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to require the Marine Mammal Commission to establish the National Marine Mammal Research Program and a National Marine Mammal Research Program Office for the Research Program. Includes in the Program's purposes: (1) undertaking research on marine mammals, the factors that affect their populations and habitats, and related mitigation; and (2) coordinating and strengthening scientific research by developing partnerships among federal agencies, academia, industry, and other members of the oceanographic and marine mammal scientific communities. Authorizes the Commission to enter into contracts, make grants, or enter other arrangements as necessary to carry out the Program. Directs the President to create a National Marine Mammal Research Coordinating Committee, including in its duties: (1) developing a national marine mammal research plan; and (2) seeking to enter into an agreement with the National Research Council to periodically evaluate the scientific content of the plan and the implementation of research conducted under the Program.

Date: 2008-01-23
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Marine Mammal Cooperative Agreements in Alaska Amendments Act of 2008 - 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 enter into cooperative agreements with Alaska Native organizations to conserve and manage (currently, to conserve) any stock of marine mammals. Sets forth allowed contents of agreements and required aspects of harvest management plans. Makes it unlawful for any Alaska Native within the geographic area to which a harvest management plan applies to take, transport, sell, or possess a marine mammal in violation of the provisions of that plan. Modifies the uses of related grants to Alaska Native organizations, including allowing: (1) monitoring marine mammal harvesting for subsistence and handicraft (currently, for subsistence) uses; and (2) participating in marine mammal research conducted by the state of Alaska (currently, by states).

Date: 2008-02-13
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Bear Protection Act of 2008 - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to make it unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce bear viscera. Defines "bear viscera" as the body fluids or internal organs of a bear, including its gallbladder and excluding its blood or brains.Provides that this Act does not affect the regulation by any state of its bear populations or affect the hunting of bears that is lawful under state laws.

Date: 2008-03-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Directs the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, to prescribe regulations to reduce the incidence of vessels colliding with North Atlantic right whales by limiting the speed of vessels. Requires those regulations to incorporate the whale protection measures contained in a specified proposed rule and to provide the same or greater level of protection.

Date: 2008-03-05
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Shark Conservation Act of 2008 - Amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to list a nation in the biennial report on international compliance if the nation's fishing vessels are or have been engaged in fishing activities that target or incidentally catch sharks and the nation has not adopted a shark conservation program that is comparable, taking into account different conditions, to that of the United States, including measures to prohibit removal any of the fins of a shark (including the tail) and discarding the carcass of the shark at sea. Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to make it a prohibited act to: (1) remove any shark fin (including the tail) at sea; (2) have a fin aboard a fishing vessel unless the fin is naturally attached to the carcass; (3) transfer a fin from one vessel to another or receive a fin unless it is naturally attached; or (4) land a fin that is not naturally attached or a carcass without fins naturally attached. Creates a rebuttable presumption that, if any shark fin (including the tail) is aboard a non-fishing vessel without being naturally attached, the fin was transferred in violation.

Date: 2008-04-09
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Directs the Secretary of the Navy to transfer the decommissioned Naval Security Group Activity, Skaggs Island, in Sonoma County, California, to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior to permit such Secretary, acting through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to administer the transferred property as a wildlife refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System.Requires the Secretary of the Navy, before completing the transfer of the property, to demolish and remove all structures on the property identified by the Secretary of the Interior as appropriate for removal to facilitate the conversion of the property into a wildlife refuge. Permits the Secretary of the Navy to accept contributions from the state of California and other entities to help cover the costs of demolishing and removing structures on the property and conducting environmental remediation activities with respect to the property.Requires the Secretary of the Navy to submit reports on the progress made in connection with the remediation and transfer of the property.

Date: 2008-04-17
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Great Ape Protection Act - Prohibits: (1) persons from conducting invasive research on great apes; (2) federal funds from being used to conduct such research; (3) persons from knowingly importing, exporting, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, renting, loaning, purchasing, or selling great apes for such research; and (4) persons from breeding great apes for use in such research.Declares that this Act does not limit or prevent individualized medical care performed on great apes by licensed veterinarians for the benefit of the great apes.Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide for the permanent retirement of all great apes that are owned or under the control of the federal government and that have been used for invasive research. Authorizes the Secretary to provide for the euthanizing of such apes if it is in their best interest as determined by an attending veterinarian and endorsed by a second, unaffiliated veterinarian.Defines "invasive research" to mean experimental research that may cause death, bodily injury, pain, distress, fear, injury, or trauma to great apes. Excludes: (1) close observation of natural or voluntary behavior, provided that it does not require the removal of apes from their social group or environment or require an anesthetic or sedation event to collect data or record observations; or (2) post-mortem examinations of great apes following their natural death.

Date: 2008-04-17
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations establishing a process for assessing the risk of all nonnative wildlife species proposed for importation into the United States, other than those included in a list of approved species issued under this Act. Sets forth factors that must be considered at minimum, including the identity of the organism to the species level, the geographic source, and the likelihood of spread and harm to groups of species or habitats.Provides procedures for issuance and expansion of the approved-for-importation list.Establishes prohibitions on: (1) importation of nonnative species or viable eggs; (2) permit violation; and (3) knowing possession, purchase, sale, barter, release, or breeding (including of prohibited species previously imported legally).Allows the imposition of fees to recover the costs of assessing risks of nonnative wildlife species. Establishes a Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Fund into which such fees will be deposited.

Date: 2008-06-19
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex Establishment Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Refuge Complex) as an urban ecosystem wildlife refuge and to publish notice of its establishment in the Federal Register. Establishes boundaries for the Refuge Complex and authorizes the Secretary to make corrections to its boundaries. Repeals Public Law 92-330 (providing for the establishment of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge) as of the date on which the Secretary publishes notice of the establishment of the Refuge Complex in the Federal Register.

Date: 2008-07-10
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Captive Primate Safety and Disabled Human Assistance Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add nonhuman primates (i.e., monkeys, great apes, lemurs, etc.) to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of such species in interstate or foreign commerce.Makes it unlawful for a person to sell or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce (i.e., for pet trade purposes). Sets forth: (1) exceptions to such prohibition (including for certain charitable organizations that provide service capuchin monkeys to authorized permanently disabled individuals); and (2) civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements of this Act.Requires the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with other relevant federal and state agencies, to issue regulations to implement the Captive Wildlife Safety Act.Authorizes additional appropriations to the Secretary for FY2009 to hire additional law enforcement personnel of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to enforce the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981.

Date: 2008-07-15
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program Technical Corrections Act of 2008 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act with respect to the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program to revise the investment components of the eligibility requirements for participating entities. Requires an entity to make investments that have a fisheries-related purpose or a purpose for which the entity made an investment before March 1, 2006. Limits non-fisheries-related investments to the property or other assets located within the Community Development Quota (CDQ) region in which the entity's eligible villages are located, or within the CDQ region in which another entity's eligible villages are located if an investment is made jointly with, or with the approval of, the other entity.

Date: 2008-07-30
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of polar bear parts (other than internal organs) taken in sport hunts in Canada before May 14, 2008. (Polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior on May 14, 2008.)

Date: 2008-09-18
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Wildlife Penning Prohibition Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add wildlife, other than birds, used or intended to be used in dog training activities (i.e., activities in which coyotes, foxes, or other wildlife species are pursued, harassed, or killed within an enclosure) to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of such species in interstate or foreign commerce. Makes it unlawful for a person to sell or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce (i.e., for pet trade purposes). Sets forth: (1) exceptions to such prohibition; and (2) civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements of this Act.

Date: 2008-09-22
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
National Fish Habitat Conservation Act - Establishes a National Fish Habitat Board to promote, oversee, and coordinate the implementation of this Act and the existing National Fish Habitat Action Plan and to review and recommend fish habitat conservation projects. Authorizes the Board to designate Fish Habitat Conservation Partnerships to coordinate Plan implementation at a regional level and develop and carry out fish habitat conservation projects. Sets forth Partnership approval criteria, including that a Partnership: (1) have representatives of a diverse group of public and private partners that are focused on conservation of aquatic habitats to achieve results across jurisdictional boundaries and public and private lands; and (2) is able to address issues and priorities at a nationally significant scale. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to fund, from amounts appropriated under this Act, up to 50% of the cost of approved fish habitat conservation projects. Requires the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to: (1) create the National Fish Habitat Conservation Partnership Office within such Service; and (2) develop the Office's interagency operational plan and its technical and scientific assistance program. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) enter into a cooperative agreement or contract with a Partnership for fish habitat conservation, restoration, and enhancement projects; and (2) enter into an agreement with a charitable organization to solicit private donations to carry out the this Act.

Date: 2008-09-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Extends the authorizations for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin endangered fish recovery programs in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.Includes within the definition of: (1) "capital projects" rehabilitation and repair of facilities; and (2) "facilities" those for protection of critical habitat and for preventing entrainment of fish in water diversions.

Date: 2008-09-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Restoration of the U.S.-Russia Polar Bear Conservation Fund Act of 2008 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation of polar bear parts (other than internal organs) taken legally by the importation applicant in sport hunts in Canada.

Date: 2008-09-26
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Amends the Wetlands Loan Act to increase and extend funding for conservation of migratory waterfowl and habitat essential to the preservation of such waterfowl for FY2008-FY2017. Requires such appropriated funds to be treated as advances to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund which shall be repaid to the Treasury in annual amounts that are equal to the funds accruing to such Fund that are attributable to the portion of the price of migratory bird hunting stamps sold that year in excess of $15 per stamp. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the funds provided pursuant to this Act should be used for preserving and increasing waterfowl populations in accordance with the goals and objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and should supplement current conservation funding; and (2) this Act should be implemented in a manner that helps private landowners achieve their long-term land use objectives in ways that enhance the conservation of wetlands and wildlife habitat.

Date: 2007-01-11
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals
Endangered Species Reform Act of 2007 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior to use data that are empirical or have been field-tested or peer-reviewed in any case in which such Act requires the Secretary to use the best scientific and commercial data available in the determination of a species for inclusion on the endangered or threatened species list.Requires the Secretary to determine that a species is endangered or threatened only if there is sufficient biological information to support recovery planning for the species. Specifies information required in a petition to add a species to the endangered or threatened list. Requires the Secretary to notify and provide a copy of a petition to the agency of each state in which the species is believed to occur and to solicit the assessment of such agency as to whether the petitioned action is warranted. Directs the Secretary, upon publication of a proposed regulation determining an endangered or threatened listing, to make publicly available all information on which the determination is based, as well as all information relating to the species that does not support such determination (with an exception for disclosures protected under the Freedom of Information Act or the Privacy Act).Requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations that establish criteria that must be met for scientific and commercial data to be used as the basis for a determination that a species is endangered or threatened.

Date: 2007-02-16
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act - Amends the Lacey Act to add specified species of black, bighead, and silver carp to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States.

Date: 2007-03-01
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance for projects for the conservation of rare felids and rare canids. Authorizes the Secretary to convene an advisory group of individuals representing public and private organizations actively involved in the conservation of felids and canids. Restricts the use of grants for captive breeding or display purposes.Establishes in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund as a separate account the Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund.Defines "rare canid" to: (1) mean any canid species, subspecies, or population that is not native to the United States and Canada, and is included in the threatened or endangered lists of the World Conservation Union, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and (2) include such a subspecies or population of dhole, gray wolf, ethiopian wolf, bush dog, or maned wolf.Defines "rare felid" to: (1) mean any felid species, subspecies, or population that is not native to the United States and Canada, and is included in the threatened or endangered lists of the World Conservation Union, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and (2) include such a subspecies or population of lion, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, clouded leopard, cheetah, or iberian lynx. Does not include any tiger.

Date: 2007-03-29
Topic: Environment (Species & Forest)
Subject: Animals