National Bison Legacy Act - Designates the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3248 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3248
To designate the North American bison as the national mammal of the
United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 24, 2012
Mr. Enzi (for himself, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Conrad, Mr.
Hoeven, Mr. Thune, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Moran, Mr.
Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Johanns, and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To designate the North American bison as the national mammal of the
United States.
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 ``National Bison Legacy Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) bison are considered to be a historical symbol of the
United States;
(2) bison were integrally linked with the economic and
spiritual lives of many Indian tribes through trade and sacred
ceremonies;
(3) there are more than 60 Indian tribes participating in
the Intertribal Buffalo Council;
(4) numerous members of Indian tribes--
(A) are involved in bison restoration on tribal
land; and
(B) have a combined herd on more than 1,000,000
acres of tribal land;
(5) the Intertribal Buffalo Council is a tribal
organization incorporated pursuant to section 17 of the Act of
June 18, 1934 (commonly known as ``Indian Reorganization Act'')
(25 U.S.C. 477);
(6) bison play an ecologically important role in modifying
and improving the types of grasses found in landscapes to the
benefit of grassland ecosystems;
(7) a bison has been depicted on the official seal of the
Department of the Interior almost continuously for 94 years;
(8) a bison is portrayed on 2 State flags;
(9) the bison has been adopted by 3 States as the official
mammal of those States;
(10) the buffalo nickel played an important role in
modernizing the currency of the United States;
(11) several sports teams have the bison as a mascot, which
highlights the iconic significance of bison in the United
States;
(12) on December 8, 1905, William Hornaday, Theodore
Roosevelt, and others formed the American Bison Society in
response to the near extinction of bison in the United States;
(13) on October 11, 1907, the American Bison Society sent
15 bison to the first big game refuge in the United States,
which was known as the ``Wichita Reserve Bison Refuge'';
(14) in 2005, the American Bison Society was reestablished,
bringing together bison ranchers, managers from Indian tribes,
Federal and State agencies, conservation organizations, and
natural and social scientists from the United States, Canada,
and Mexico to create a vision for the North American bison in
the 21st century;
(15) bison hold significant economic value for private
producers and rural communities;
(16) as of 2007, the United States had 4,499 bison
producers creating jobs and providing a sustainable and healthy
meat source contributing to the food security of the United
States;
(17) there are bison herds in National Wildlife Refuges and
National Parks; and
(18) members of Indian tribes, bison producers,
conservationists, sportsmen, educators, and other public and
private partners have committed to spearheading a national
celebration of the North American bison, to be held annually on
the first Thursday of November.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN BISON AS THE NATIONAL MAMMAL.
The mammal commonly known as the ``North American bison'' is
designated as the national mammal of the United States.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3638)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
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