International Conservation Corps Act of 2012

International Conservation Corps Act of 2012 - Directs: (1) the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to provide grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations to assign and support volunteers to assist foreign countries in the administration of their natural resources in an environmentally sustainable manner, and (2) the Secretary of State to identify foreign countries for program participation.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6422 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6422

To establish a program to provide grants to nonprofit organizations to 
 enable such organizations to assign and support volunteers to assist 
 foreign countries in the administration of their natural resources in 
                 an environmentally sustainable manner.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 14, 2012

Mr. Moran (for himself and Mr. Crenshaw) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a program to provide grants to nonprofit organizations to 
 enable such organizations to assign and support volunteers to assist 
 foreign countries in the administration of their natural resources in 
                 an environmentally sustainable manner.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``International Conservation Corps Act 
of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) There is a significant deficit in the capability of 
        many developing countries to manage their natural resources 
        sustainably, which is fundamental to achieving economic 
        development, poverty alleviation, conflict avoidance, good 
        governance, and regional security.
            (2) Developing countries with a great wealth of natural 
        resources are facing a great risk of conflict. Issues that 
        arise in these countries include corruption, disputes over 
        control and distribution of the resources and resulting wealth, 
        fighting over and destruction of resources and resource-rich 
        areas, and human rights abuses.
            (3) Developing countries that successfully manage their 
        natural resource wealth, however, continue to benefit from 
        these resources without resulting conflict.
            (4) It is in the security interest of the United States to 
        share the vast experience and proven methodologies that the 
        United States has achieved over many decades with developing 
        countries struggling to establish their own successful natural 
        resource management programs and policies.
            (5) The many United States senior professionals retiring 
        from both the public and private sector with extensive 
        experience and expertise in the field of natural resource 
        management, acting in a voluntary capacity, presents a unique 
        and important opportunity to help other countries develop the 
        capacity to manage their natural resources sustainably.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, shall establish a program to provide grants to qualifying 
nonprofit organizations to enable such organizations to assign and 
support volunteers to assist foreign countries identified under section 
4 in the administration of their natural resources in an 
environmentally sustainable manner.
    (b) Details of the Program.--The Secretary shall develop and 
implement the program such that it includes providing professional, 
scientific, and technical assistance and training to aid foreign 
countries in their efforts to--
            (1) develop, manage, and protect national parks, natural 
        and cultural heritage sites, and other protected areas;
            (2) protect wildlife; and
            (3) develop capacity to sustainably manage their natural 
        resources.

SEC. 4. IDENTIFICATION OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, shall--
            (1) identify foreign countries as appropriate for 
        participation in the program;
            (2) notify such foreign countries of the program; and
            (3) encourage such foreign countries to seek to participate 
        in the program.

SEC. 5. AWARD OF GRANTS TO QUALIFYING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

    (a) Application.--
            (1) Required information.--To be eligible to receive a 
        grant under the program, a qualifying nonprofit organization 
        shall submit to the Secretary an application including 
        information regarding the expertise, past experience, and 
        demonstrated capacity of the organization, as well as such 
        other information as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Time, form, and manner of application.--The application 
        described in paragraph 1 shall be submitted to the Secretary at 
        such time, and in such form and manner, as the Secretary may 
        require.
            (3) Solicitation of applications.--The Secretary shall 
        solicit from qualifying nonprofit organizations applications 
        for grants in accordance with this section.
    (b) Approval Process.--As soon as is practicable after the date of 
receipt of an application by the Secretary under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall approve or disapprove the application.
    (c) Provision of Grant.--As soon as is practicable after the date 
on which the Secretary approves an application of a qualifying 
nonprofit organization under subsection (b), the Secretary shall 
provide a grant to such organization.

SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.

    Any organization that receives a grant under section 5 shall use 
funds received under such grant to--
            (1) recruit highly skilled and experienced volunteers to 
        participate in the program; and
            (2) place such volunteers with foreign countries 
        participating in the program to work in appropriate projects in 
        the program, subject to section 8.

SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    (a) Submission of Periodic Reports.--At times specified by the 
Secretary, any organization that receives a grant under section 5 shall 
submit to the Secretary periodic reports that include all information 
that the Secretary determines is necessary to evaluate the progress and 
success of projects in the program for the purposes of ensuring 
positive results, assessing problems, and fostering improvements.
    (b) Internet Publication of Reports.--The Secretary shall make 
reports under subsection (a) available to the public through the 
Internet website of the Department of the Interior.

SEC. 8. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE.

    (a) Assignment of Volunteers.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
Act, the assignment of volunteers in appropriate projects in the 
program shall be on such terms and conditions as the Secretary may 
determine.
    (b) Compensation of Volunteers.--Volunteers selected for 
participation in projects in the program shall not be compensated 
except for a stipend to cover travel costs, health and travel insurance 
costs, living costs, and accommodations, awarded in such amounts as the 
Secretary determines to be appropriate.

SEC. 9. FUNDING.

    Of the unobligated amounts available to the Department of the 
Interior for fiscal years 2013 through 2017, notwithstanding any other 
provision of law specifying the purpose for which such amounts are 
provided, $10,000,000 is authorized to be made available to carry out 
this Act for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2017.

SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Program.--The term ``program'' means the program 
        established pursuant to section 3.
            (2) Qualifying nonprofit organization.--The term 
        ``qualifying nonprofit organization'' means an entity described 
        in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
        exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
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