Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act

Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act

This bill revises provisions of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act relating to the funding of wildlife conservation. Specifically, the bill

• adds new definitions, including a definition of hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment;
• apportions to states revenues from taxes on pistols, revolvers, bows, and arrows at a rate not greater than 3% and not less than 1% of such revenues;
• removes the existing prohibition in the Act on public relations to allow spending by states for management of wildlife areas and promotion of hunting and recreational shooting;
• allows the use of grant funds for the enhancement of hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment; and
• expands the Multistate Conservation Grant program by providing $5 million exclusively for making hunter and recreational shooter recruitment project grants that promote a national hunting and shooting sport recruitment program, including related communication and outreach activities.

The Fish and Wildlife Service shall review and evaluate the effects of funds used for hunter and recreational shooter recruitment on funds available for wildlife conservation.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 877 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 877

 To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize 
     the funding of wildlife conservation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 30, 2019

 Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Hudson, and 
Mrs. Dingell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to modernize 
     the funding of wildlife conservation, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson 
Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The first section of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 
(16 U.S.C. 669) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``One of 
the purposes of this Act is to provide financial and technical 
assistance to the States for the promotion of hunting and recreational 
shooting.''.

SEC. 3. 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 (4) through (10), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) for the purposes of determining the number of paid 
        hunting-license holders in a State, the term `fiscal year' 
        means the fiscal year or license year of the State;
            ``(3) the term `hunter recruitment and recreational shooter 
        recruitment' means any activity or project to recruit or retain 
        hunters and recreational shooters, including by--
                    ``(A) outreach and communications as a means--
                            ``(i) to improve communications with 
                        hunters, recreational shooters, and the general 
                        public with respect to hunting and recreational 
                        shooting opportunities;
                            ``(ii) to reduce barriers to participation 
                        in these activities;
                            ``(iii) to advance the adoption of sound 
                        hunting and recreational shooting practices;
                            ``(iv) to promote conservation and the 
                        responsible use of the wildlife resources of 
                        the United States; and
                            ``(v) to further safety in hunting and 
                        recreational shooting;
                    ``(B) providing education, mentoring, and field 
                demonstrations;
                    ``(C) enhancing access for hunting and recreational 
                shooting, including through range construction; and
                    ``(D) providing education to the public about the 
                role of hunting and recreational shooting in funding 
                wildlife conservation;''.

SEC. 4. APPORTIONMENT OF AVAILABLE AMOUNTS.

    (a) Apportionment of Certain Taxes.--The first subsection (c) of 
section 4 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 
669c) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``Apportionment of Revenues From Pistols, 
        Revolvers, Bows, and Arrows.--'' after the enumerator;
            (2) by striking ``One-half'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), \1/2\'';
            (3) by striking ``: Provided, That'' and inserting a 
        period;
            (4) by striking ``each State shall be apportioned not more 
        than 3 per centum and not less than 1 per centum of such 
        revenues'' and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Condition.--The amount apportioned to each State 
        under paragraph (1) shall be not greater than 3 percent and not 
        less than 1 percent of the revenues described in such 
        paragraph'';
            (5) by striking ``For the purpose'' and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(3) Population determination.--For the purpose''; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Use of funds.--In addition to other uses authorized 
        under this Act, amounts apportioned under this subsection may 
        be used for hunter recruitment and recreational shooter 
        recruitment.''.
    (b) Technical Correction.--Section 4 of the Pittman-Robertson 
Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669c) is amended by redesignating 
the second subsection (c) and subsection (d) as subsections (d) and 
(e), respectively.

SEC. 5. EXPENDITURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILDLIFE AREAS AND RESOURCES.

    Section 8 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 
U.S.C. 669g) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), in the third sentence, by striking 
        ``and public relations''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, by striking 
        ``, as a part of such program''.

SEC. 6. FIREARM AND BOW HUNTER EDUCATION AND SAFETY PROGRAM GRANTS.

    Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration 
Act (16 U.S.C. 669h-1(a)(1)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) the enhancement of hunter recruitment 
                        and recreational shooter recruitment; and''.

SEC. 7. MULTISTATE CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 11 of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife 
Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669h-2) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
                    (A) by striking ``Not more than'' and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(A) In general.--Not more than''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Availability for hunter and recreational 
                shooter grants.--Not more than $5,000,000 of the 
                revenues covered into the fund from any tax imposed 
                under section 4161(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
                1986 for a fiscal year shall be available to the 
                Secretary exclusively for making hunter recruitment and 
                recreational shooter recruitment grants that promote a 
                national hunting and shooting sport recruitment 
                program, including related communication and outreach 
                activities.'';
            (2) in the matter preceding subsection (b)(3)(A), by 
        striking ``International'';
            (3) in the matter preceding subsection (c)(2)(A)(i), by 
        striking ``International'';
            (4) in subsection (c)(2)(A)(i), by inserting ``or to 
        recreational shooting activities'' after ``wildlife''; and
            (5) in subsection (d), by inserting ``or to recreational 
        shooting activities'' after ``wildlife''.
    (b) Study.--Not later than 10 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of 
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall--
            (1) review and evaluate the effects of the funds made 
        available under subparagraph (B) of section 11(a)(1) of the 
        Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669h-
        2(a)(1)) (as added by subsection (a)(1)(B)) on funds available 
        for wildlife conservation; and
            (2) submit a report describing the results of the review 
        and evaluation under paragraph (1) to--
                    (A) the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
                of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
                of Representatives.
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