Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on November 17, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to increase the price of duck stamps, which are required to hunt migratory waterfowl, from $15 to $25.

Authorizes the Department of the Interior to reduce the price of stamps for a hunting year if the increase in the stamp price resulted in a reduction in revenues deposited in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.

Establishes a subaccount in the Fund to be used by Interior to acquire easements for the conservation of migratory birds. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer all amounts in excess of $15 from the sale of each stamp to the subaccount.

(Sec. 3) Requires Interior to include in an annual report of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission an assessment of the status of wetlands conservation projects for migratory bird conservation purposes, including an accounting of all expenditures made for acquisition of federal lands and an analysis of whether refuge lands are opened or closed for hunting and fishing.

(Sec. 4) Allows rural Alaska residents to take migratory waterfowl for subsistence uses without a duck stamp.

[113th Congress Public Law 264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 128 STAT. 2939]]

Public Law 113-264
113th Congress

                                 An Act


 
   To amend the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to 
increase in the price of Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps 
 to fund the acquisition of conservation easements for migratory birds, 
     and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 18, 2014 -  [H.R. 5069]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Federal Duck 
Stamp Act of 2014.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 16 USC 718 note.>> SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN PRICE OF MIGRATORY BIRD HUNTING AND 
                    CONSERVATION STAMP TO FUND ACQUISITION OF 
                    CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS.

    The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act is amended--
            (1) in section 2(b) (16 U.S.C. 718b(b))--
                    (A) by striking ``1990, and'' and inserting 
                ``1990,''; and
                    (B) by striking ``for each hunting year thereafter'' 
                and inserting ``for hunting years 1991 through 2013, and 
                $25 for each hunting year thereafter'';
            (2) by adding at the end of section 2 (16 U.S.C. 718b) the 
        following:

    ``(c) Reduction in Price of Stamp.-- <<NOTE: Determination.>> The 
Secretary may reduce the price of each stamp sold under the provisions 
of this section for a hunting year if the Secretary determines that the 
increase in the price of the stamp after hunting year 2013 resulted in a 
reduction in revenues deposited into the fund.''; and
            (3) in section 4 (16 U.S.C. 718d)--
                    (A) in subsection (a)(3), by inserting before the 
                period the following: ``, in which there shall be a 
                subaccount to which the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
                transfer all amounts in excess of $15 that are received 
                from the sale of each stamp sold for each hunting year 
                after hunting year 2013'';
                    (B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``So much'' 
                and inserting ``Except as provided in paragraph (4), so 
                much'';
                    (C) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``paragraph 
                (3)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (3) and (4)''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end of subsection (b) the 
                following:
            ``(4) Conservation easements.--Amounts in the subaccount 
        referred to in subsection (a)(3) shall be used by the Secretary 
        solely to acquire easements in real property in the United 
        States for conservation of migratory birds.''.

[[Page 128 STAT. 2940]]

SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT ON EXPENDITURES.

    Section 4 of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act 
(16 U.S.C. 718d) is further amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by striking so much as precedes ``The Secretary 
                may'' and inserting the following:

    ``(c) Promotion of Stamp Sales.--''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:

    ``(d) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall include in each annual 
report of the Commission under section 3 of the Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715b)--
            ``(1) a description of activities conducted under subsection 
        (c) in the year covered by the report;
            ``(2) an annual assessment of the status of wetlands 
        conservation projects for migratory bird conservation purposes, 
        including a clear and accurate accounting of--
                    ``(A) all expenditures by Federal and State agencies 
                under this section; and
                    ``(B) all expenditures made for fee-simple 
                acquisition of Federal lands in the United States, 
                including the amount paid and acreage of each parcel 
                acquired in each acquisition;
            ``(3) an analysis of the refuge lands opened, and refuge 
        lands closed, for hunting and fishing in the year covered by the 
        report, including--
                    ``(A) identification of the specific areas in each 
                refuge and the reasons for the closure or opening; and
                    ``(B) a detailed description of each closure 
                including detailed justification for such closure;
            ``(4) the total number of acres of refuge land open for 
        hunting and fishing, and the total number of acres of refuge 
        land closed for hunting and fishing, in the year covered by the 
        report; and
            ``(5) a separate report on the hunting and fishing status of 
        those lands added to the system in the year covered by the 
        report.''.
SEC. 4. EXEMPTION FOR TAKINGS BY RURAL ALASKA SUBSISTENCE USERS.

    Section 1(a)(2) of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp 
Act (16 U.S.C. 718a(a)(2)) is amended by striking ``or'' after the 
semicolon at the end of subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the 
end of subparagraph (C) and inserting ``; or'', and by adding at the end 
the following:
                    ``(D) by a rural Alaska resident for subsistence 
                uses (as that term is defined in section 803 of the 
                Alaska

[[Page 128 STAT. 2941]]

                National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 
                3113)).''.

    Approved December 18, 2014.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 5069:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 113-622 (Comm. on Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 160 (2014):
            Nov. 17, considered and passed House.
            Dec. 2, considered and passed Senate.

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