Promoting Resourceful and Effective Deterrents Against Threats Or Risks involving Species Act or the PREDATORS Act
This bill establishes an annual prize competition for a technological advancement that promotes reducing human and predator animal conflict using nonlethal means, including the application and monitoring of tagging technologies.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2194 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2194
To amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and
Recreation Act to establish the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for
reducing human-predator conflict, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 22, 2019
Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Booker)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and
Recreation Act to establish the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for
reducing human-predator conflict, 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 ``Promoting Resourceful and Effective
Deterrents Against Threats Or Risks involving Species Act'' or the
``PREDATORS Act''.
SEC. 2. THEODORE ROOSEVELT GENIUS PRIZE FOR REDUCING HUMAN-PREDATOR
CONFLICT.
(a) In General.--Section 7001(d) of the John D. Dingell, Jr.
Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 742b note;
Public Law 116-9) is amended--
(1) in paragraphs (2)(C)(v), (3)(C)(v), (4)(C)(v),
(5)(C)(v), and (6)(C)(v), by striking ``paragraph (7)(A)'' each
place it appears and inserting ``paragraph (8)(A)'';
(2) in paragraphs (2)(D)(ii), (2)(F)(ii), (3)(D)(ii),
(3)(F)(ii), (4)(D)(ii), (4)(F)(ii), (5)(D)(ii), (5)(F)(ii),
(6)(D)(ii), and (6)(F)(ii) by striking ``paragraph (7)(B)''
each place it appears and inserting ``paragraph (8)(B)'';
(3) in paragraph (6)(C)(iv), in the matter preceding clause
(i), by striking ``subparagraph (C)'' and inserting ``clause
(iii)'';
(4) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8);
(5) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) Theodore roosevelt genius prize for reducing human-
predator conflict.--
``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Board.--The term `Board' means the
Reducing Human-Predator Conflict Technology
Advisory Board established by subparagraph
(C)(i).
``(ii) Prize competition.--The term `prize
competition' means the Theodore Roosevelt
Genius Prize for reducing human-predator
conflict established under subparagraph (B).
``(B) Authority.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of the PREDATORS Act, the Secretary
shall establish under section 24 of the Stevenson-
Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C.
3719) a prize competition, to be known as the `Theodore
Roosevelt Genius Prize for reducing human-predator
conflict'--
``(i) to encourage technological innovation
with the potential to advance the mission of
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
with respect to reducing the frequency of
human-predator conflict using nonlethal means;
and
``(ii) to award 1 or more prizes annually
for a technological advancement that promotes
reducing human-predator conflict using
nonlethal means, which may include the
application and monitoring of tagging
technologies.
``(C) Advisory board.--
``(i) Establishment.--There is established
an advisory board, to be known as the `Reducing
Human-Predator Conflict Technology Advisory
Board'.
``(ii) Composition.--The Board shall be
composed of not fewer than 9 members appointed
by the Secretary, who shall provide expertise
in--
``(I) predator-human interactions;
``(II) the habitats of large
predators;
``(III) biology;
``(IV) technology development;
``(V) engineering;
``(VI) economics;
``(VII) business development and
management; and
``(VIII) any other discipline, as
the Secretary determines to be
necessary to achieve the purposes of
this paragraph.
``(iii) Duties.--Subject to clause (iv),
with respect to the prize competition, the
Board shall--
``(I) select a topic;
``(II) issue a problem statement;
``(III) advise the Secretary
regarding any opportunity for
technological innovation to reduce
human-predator conflict using nonlethal
means; and
``(IV) advise winners of the prize
competition regarding opportunities to
pilot and implement winning
technologies in relevant fields,
including in partnership with
conservation organizations, Federal or
State agencies, federally recognized
Indian Tribes, private entities, and
research institutions with expertise or
interest relating to reducing human-
predator conflict using nonlethal
means.
``(iv) Consultation.--In selecting a topic
and issuing a problem statement for the prize
competition under subclauses (I) and (II) of
clause (iii), respectively, the Board shall
consult widely with Federal and non-Federal
stakeholders, including--
``(I) 1 or more Federal agencies
with jurisdiction over the management
of native wildlife species at risk due
to conflict with human activities;
``(II) 1 or more State agencies
with jurisdiction over the management
of native wildlife species at risk due
to conflict with human activities;
``(III) 1 or more State, regional,
or local wildlife organizations, the
mission of which relates to the
management of native wildlife species
at risk due to conflict with human
activities; and
``(IV) 1 or more wildlife
conservation groups, technology
companies, research institutions,
institutions of higher education,
industry associations, or individual
stakeholders with an interest in the
management of native wildlife species
at risk due to conflict with human
activities.
``(v) Requirements.--The Board shall comply
with all requirements under paragraph (8)(A).
``(D) Agreement with national fish and wildlife
foundation.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall
offer to enter into an agreement under which
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation shall
administer the prize competition.
``(ii) Requirements.--An agreement entered
into under clause (i) shall comply with all
requirements under paragraph (8)(B).
``(E) Judges.--
``(i) Appointment.--The Secretary shall
appoint not fewer than 3 judges who shall,
except as provided in clause (ii), select the 1
or more annual winners of the prize
competition.
``(ii) Determination by secretary.--The
judges appointed under clause (i) shall not
select any annual winner of the prize
competition if the Secretary makes a
determination that, in any fiscal year, none of
the technological advancements entered into the
prize competition merits an award.
``(F) Consultation with noaa.--The Secretary shall
consult with the Secretary of Commerce, acting through
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, in the case of a cash prize
awarded under the prize competition for a technology
that addresses conflict between marine predators under
the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce, acting
through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and humans.
``(G) Report to congress.--Not later than 60 days
after the date on which a cash prize is awarded under
this paragraph, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate
and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives a report on the prize competition that
includes--
``(i) a statement by the Board that
describes the activities carried out by the
Board relating to the duties described in
subparagraph (C)(iii);
``(ii) if the Secretary has entered into an
agreement under subparagraph (D)(i), a
statement by the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation that describes the activities
carried out by the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation relating to the duties described in
paragraph (8)(B); and
``(iii) a statement by 1 or more of the
judges appointed under subparagraph (E) that
explains the basis on which the winner of the
cash prize was selected.
``(H) Termination of authority.--The Board and all
authority provided under this paragraph shall terminate
on December 31, 2023.''; and
(6) in paragraph (8) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding
clause (i), by striking ``or (6)(C)(i)'' and inserting
``(6)(C)(i), or (7)(C)(i)''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by
striking ``or (6)(D)(i)'' and inserting
``(6)(D)(i), or (7)(D)(i)''; and
(ii) in clause (i)(VII), by striking ``and
(6)(E)'' and inserting ``(6)(E), and (7)(E)''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that data
collected from the tagging of predators can inform innovative
management of those predators and innovative education activities to
minimize human-predator conflict.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 116-54.
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