(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years.
Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function.
Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2463 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2463
To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to facilitate
the establishment of additional or expanded public target ranges in
certain States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 20, 2013
Mr. Hunter (for himself, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Walz, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr.
Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Latta, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr.
Gosar, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Broun
of Georgia, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Harris, Mr. Palazzo, and Mr.
Wittman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the
Judiciary, 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 amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to facilitate
the establishment of additional or expanded public target ranges in
certain 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 ``Target Practice and Marksmanship
Training Support Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the use of firearms and archery equipment for target
practice and marksmanship training activities on Federal land
is allowed, except to the extent specific portions of that land
have been closed to those activities;
(2) in recent years preceding the date of enactment of this
Act, portions of Federal land have been closed to target
practice and marksmanship training for many reasons;
(3) the availability of public target ranges on non-Federal
land has been declining for a variety of reasons, including
continued population growth and development near former ranges;
(4) providing opportunities for target practice and
marksmanship training at public target ranges on Federal and
non-Federal land can help--
(A) to promote enjoyment of shooting, recreational,
and hunting activities; and
(B) to ensure safe and convenient locations for
those activities;
(5) Federal law in effect on the date of enactment of this
Act, including the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.), provides Federal support for
construction and expansion of public target ranges by making
available to States amounts that may be used for construction,
operation, and maintenance of public target ranges; and
(6) it is in the public interest to provide increased
Federal support to facilitate the construction or expansion of
public target ranges.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to facilitate the
construction and expansion of public target ranges, including ranges on
Federal land managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management.
SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF PUBLIC TARGET RANGE.
In this Act, the term ``public target range'' means a specific
location that--
(1) is identified by a governmental agency for recreational
shooting;
(2) is open to the public;
(3) may be supervised; and
(4) may accommodate archery or rifle, pistol, or shotgun
shooting.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO PITTMAN-ROBERTSON WILDLIFE RESTORATION ACT.
(a) Definitions.--Section 2 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife
Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669a) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (8) as
paragraphs (3) through (9), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) the term `public target range' means a specific
location that--
``(A) is identified by a governmental agency for
recreational shooting;
``(B) is open to the public;
``(C) may be supervised; and
``(D) may accommodate archery or rifle, pistol, or
shotgun shooting;''.
(b) Expenditures for Management of Wildlife Areas and Resources.--
Section 8(b) of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16
U.S.C. 669g(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``(b) Each State'' and inserting the
following:
``(b) Expenditures for Management of Wildlife Areas and
Resources.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2),
each State'';
(2) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by striking
``construction, operation,'' and inserting ``operation'';
(3) in the second sentence, by striking ``The non-Federal
share'' and inserting the following:
``(3) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share'';
(4) in the third sentence, by striking ``The Secretary''
and inserting the following:
``(4) Regulations.--The Secretary''; and
(5) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as designated by
paragraph (1) of this subsection) the following:
``(2) Exception.--Notwithstanding the limitation described
in paragraph (1), a State may pay up to 90 percent of the cost
of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public
target range.''.
(c) Firearm and Bow Hunter Education and Safety Program Grants.--
Section 10 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C.
669h-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Allocation of additional amounts.--Of the amount
apportioned to a State for any fiscal year under section 4(b),
the State may elect to allocate not more than 10 percent, to be
combined with the amount apportioned to the State under
paragraph (1) for that fiscal year, for acquiring land for,
expanding, or constructing a public target range.'';
(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Cost Sharing.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
Federal share of the cost of any activity carried out using a
grant under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the
total cost of the activity.
``(2) Public target range construction or expansion.--The
Federal share of the cost of acquiring land for, expanding, or
constructing a public target range in a State on Federal or
non-Federal land pursuant to this section or section 8(b) shall
not exceed 90 percent of the cost of the activity.''; and
(3) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) by striking ``Amounts made'' and inserting the
following:
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), amounts made''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Exception.--Amounts provided for acquiring
land for, constructing, or expanding a public target
range shall remain available for expenditure and
obligation during the 5-fiscal-year period beginning on
October 1 of the first fiscal year for which the
amounts are made available.''.
SEC. 5. LIMITS ON LIABILITY.
(a) Discretionary Function.--For purposes of chapter 171 of title
28, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Federal Tort
Claims Act''), any action by an agent or employee of the United States
to manage or allow the use of Federal land for purposes of target
practice or marksmanship training by a member of the public shall be
considered to be the exercise or performance of a discretionary
function.
(b) Civil Action or Claims.--Except to the extent provided in
chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, the United States shall
not be subject to any civil action or claim for money damages for any
injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an
activity occurring at a public target range that is--
(1) funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government
pursuant to the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16
U.S.C. 669 et seq.); or
(2) located on Federal land.
SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING COOPERATION.
It is the sense of Congress that, consistent with applicable laws
and regulations, the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of
the Bureau of Land Management should cooperate with State and local
authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other
activities on any Federal land used as a public target range to
encourage continued use of that land for target practice or
marksmanship training.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs Discharged.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 113-250, Part I.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 113-250, Part I.
Committee on Judiciary discharged.
Committee on Judiciary discharged.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 178.