To find out the status of these or any other bills, contact the congressional bill status line at (202) 225-1772. This information is also available on the World Wide Web at http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d105query.html (105th Congress) or http://thomas.loc.gov/d104/d104query.html (104th Congress).
| S. 1557 | H.R. 2162 | H.R. 3113 | H.R. 2351 | S. 1180 | H.R. 2911 | S. 1059 | S. 1150 | |
| H.R. 3232 | H.R. 3946 | S. 2202 | H.R. 2807 | S. 2199 | S. 2172 | H.R. 3911 | S. 1970 | H. CON. RES. 286 |
S. 1557 To end the use of steel jaw leghold traps on animals in the United States.
Introduced November 13, 1997, by Robert Torricelli (D-New Jersey) and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
It is the policy of the United States to end the needless maiming and suffering inflicted upon animals through the use of steel jaw leghold traps by prohibiting the import or export of, and the shipment in interstate commerce of, such traps and of articles of fur from animals that were trapped in such traps.
It is unlawful for any person knowingly: (1) to import, export, ship, or receive in interstate commerce an article of fur if any part of the article of fur is derived from an animal that was trapped in a steel jaw leghold trap; (2) to import, export, deliver, carry, transport, or ship by any means whatever, in interstate commerce, any steel jaw leghold trap; or (3) to sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any steel jaw leghold trap that was delivered, carried, transported, or shipped in contravention of paragraph (2).
The Secretary of the Interior shall pay non-government informers who furnish information which lead to a conviction under this Act, an amount equal to one half of the fine paid pursuant to the conviction. Enforcement authorities may detain, search, and seize suspected merchandise or documents, if there is reasonable cause to suspect a violation to the Act has occurred. Any article of fur or steel jaw leghold trap taken, possessed, sold, purchased, offered for sale or purchase, transported, delivered, is subject to forfeiture. Related bill H.R. 1176.
H.R. 2162 To prohibit the reintroduction of grizzly bears into the Bitterroot Ecosystem in east central Idaho.
Introduced on July 15, 1997, by Helen Chenoweth (R-Idaho) and referred to the Committee on Resources.
“None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Secretary of the Interior (including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service) may be used to develop, implement, or carry out any program for the reintroduction of grizzly bears (Ursus horribilis) into the Bitterroot Ecosystem in east central Idaho.”
H.R. 3113 To reauthorize the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994.
Introduced January 27, 1998, by Don Young (R-Alaska) and referred to the Committee on Resources. On March 19, 1998, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and Report No. 105--455 ordered to be printed. This Act may be cited as the “Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Reauthorization Act of 1998.”
Section 7 of the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 5306) is amended by striking 'fiscal years' and all that follows through '2000' and inserting 'fiscal years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.'
H.R. 2351 To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to ensure the recovery of our Nation's declining biological diversity; to reaffirm and strengthen this Nation's commitment to protect wildlife; to safeguard our children's economic and ecological future; and to provide assurances to local governments, communities, and individuals in their planning and economic development efforts.
Introduced July 31, 1997, by George Miller (D-California) and referred to the Committee on Resources, and the Committee on Ways and Means. This Act may be cited as the “Endangered Species Recovery Act of 1997.”
The Congress finds and declares the following: (1) The American public recognizes the importance of protecting the natural environmental legacy of this Nation. (2) It is only through the protection of all species of plants and animals and the ecosystems upon which they depend that we will conserve a world for our children with the spiritual, medicinal, agricultural, and economic benefits that plants and animals offer. Moreover, we have a moral responsibility not to drive other species to extinction. (3) We are rapidly proceeding in a manner that will deny a world of abundant, varied species to future generations. (4) Although the Endangered Species Act of 1973 has prevented the extinction of many animal, plant, and fish species, many of these species have not fully recovered and the Act must ensure their long--term survival and recovery. (5) Federal agencies and others should act to protect declining species before they need the full application of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. (6) All members of the public have a right to be involved in the decisions made to protect biodiversity. (7) To avoid extinction in the wild, habitats must be conserved by using the best available science. (8) Only by taking actions that implement the existing recovery goal of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 can we ensure that species will eventually be removed from the lists of endangered species and threatened species. (9) We can provide assurances for communities, local governments, and private landowners that will enable them to move forward with planning and economic development efforts while still protecting species.
S. 1180 To reauthorize the Endangered Species Act.
Introduced on September 16, 1997, by Dirk Kempthorne (R-Idaho) and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. This Act may be cited as the “Endangered Species Recovery Act of 1997.”
Contents for this Act include: listing and delisting species; recovery planning; interagency consultation and cooperation; conservation plans; enforcement and education.
H. R. 2911 To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to improve the ability of individuals and local, State, and Federal agencies to prevent natural flood disaster.
Introduced November 7, 1997, by Richard W. Pombo (R-California) and referred to the Committee on Resources.
The purpose of this Act is to assist individuals and local, State, and Federal agencies in complying with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in reconstructing or repairing of flood control levee structures to address imminent threats to public health or safety or catastrophic natural events and in maintaining the structural integrity of those structures.
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: '(5) Consultation and conferencing under paragraphs (2) and (4) is not required for any agency action that: '(A) consists of reconstruction or repair of a Federal or non--Federal levee structure to address a critical, imminent threat to public health or safety; or to address a catastrophic natural event; or consists of maintaining the structural integrity of a Federal or non--Federal levee structure.'
S. 1059 To amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to improve the management of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and for other purposes.
Introduced on July 23, 1997, by John H. Chafee (R-Rhode Island) and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The Congress finds the following: (1) The National Wildlife Refuge System is comprised of over 92,000,000 acres of Federal lands that have been incorporated within 509 individual units located in all 50 States and the territories of the United States. (2) The System was created to conserve fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats and this conservation mission has been facilitated by providing Americans opportunities to participate in compatible wildlife--dependent recreation, including fishing and hunting, on System lands and to better appreciate the value of and need for fish and wildlife conservation. (3) The System serves a pivotal role in the conservation of migratory birds, anadromous and interjurisdictional fish, marine mammals, endangered and threatened species, and the habitats on which these species depend. (4) The System assists in the fulfillment of important international treaty obligations of the United States with regard to fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. (5) The System includes lands purchased not only through the use of tax dollars but also through the proceeds from sales of Duck Stamps and national wildlife refuge entrance fees. It is a System that is financially supported by those benefiting from and utilizing it. (6) When managed in accordance with principles of sound fish and wildlifemanagement and administration, fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, and environmental education in national wildlife refuges have been and are expected to continue to be generally compatible uses. (7) On March 25, 1996, the President issued Executive Order 12996, which recognized 'compatible wildlife--dependent recreational uses involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation as priority public uses of the Refuge System.' (8) Executive Order 12996 is a positive step and serves as the foundation for the permanent statutory changes made by this Act.
S. 1150 To ensure that federally funded agricultural research, extension, and education address high--priority concerns with national or multi state significance, to reform, extend, and eliminate certain agricultural research programs, and for other purposes.
Introduced September 5, 1997, by Richard G. Lugar (R--Indiana) and referred to the Committee on Agriculture. Forwarded to the House of Representatives, on February 24, 1998, and passed with amendments. This Act may be cited as the “Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reauthorization Act of 1997.”
Contents of this Act include sections on the following: priorities and management principles for federally supported and conducted agricultural research, education, and extension; relevance and merit of federally funded agricultural research, extension, and education; evaluation and assessment of agricultural research, extension, and education programs; plans of work to address critical research and extension issues and use of protocols to measure success of plans; plans of work for 1890 land--grant colleges to address critical research and extension issues and use of protocols to measure success of plans; and international research, extension, and teaching.
H.R. 3232 To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to control water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 12, 1998, by George Miller (D-California) and referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. This Act may be cited as the “Farm Sustainability and Animal Feedlot Enforcement Act.”
Congress finds the following: (1) Discharges and runoff from concentrated animal feeding operations are a major source of water pollution in many watersheds; (2) An outbreak of cryptosporidium in Wisconsin, which killed more than 100 people, and outbreaks of Pfiesteria piscicida in the coastal waters of North Carolina and Maryland, which killed millions of fish and sickened dozens of people, have been linked to contaminants associated with animal feeding operations. (3) Current controls on water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations are inadequate to control surface discharges and do not adequately protect ground water. (4) Additional controls on all forms of water pollution resulting from concentrated animal feeding operations are needed to protect the public health, water quality, and fisheries of the United States. (5) Alternatives to animal waste containment lagoons exist, and the use of these alternatives would better protect the public health and the waters of the United States from pollution.
The purposes of this Act are to protect the public health, water quality, and fisheries of the United States by establishing appropriate controls on water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations. Sections included in this Act: permits; classes and numbers of animals; animal waste control; application of waste to land; and animal waste storage.
H. R. 3946 To establish, wherever feasible, guidelines, recommendations, and regulations that promote the regulatory acceptance of new and revised toxicological tests that protect human and animal health and the environment while reducing, refining, or replacing animal tests and ensuring human safety and product effectiveness.
Introduced on May 22, 1998, by Tom Lantos (D-California) and referred to the Committee on Commerce. This act may be cited as the “ICCVAM Authorization Act of 1998.”
SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON THE VALIDATION OF ALTERNATIVE METHODS.
(a) IN GENERAL-- The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (referred to in this Act as “ICCVAM”) shall be sustained as a permanent standing committee and continued to be administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The purposes of ICCVAM shall be to--
(1) increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Federal agency test method review;
(2) eliminate duplicative efforts and share experiences across Federal regulatory agencies;
(3) optimize utilization of scientific expertise outside the Federal Government;
(4) ensure that new test methods meet the needs of Federal agencies; and
(5) reduce, refine, and replace the use of animals in testing.
(b) COMPOSITION-- ICCVAM shall be comprised of a representative from each of the following agencies and organizations:
(1) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2) Consumer Product Safety Commission. (3) Department of Agriculture. (4) Department of Defense. (5) Department of Energy. (6) Department of the Interior. (7) Department of Transportation. (8) Environmental Protection Agency. (9) Food and Drug Administration. (10) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (11) National Institutes of Health. (12) National Cancer Institute. (13) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (14) National Library of Medicine. (15) Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (16) Any other agency that develops, employs, or regulates the use of animals in toxicity testing.
(c) SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE--
(1) ESTABLISHMENT-- In addition, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences shall establish a Scientific Advisory Committee to assist ICCVAM and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The Committee shall be composed of at least one knowledgeable representative having a history of expertise, development, or evaluation in alternatives to animal toxicological tests, from each of the following interests:
(A) The personal care, pharmaceutical, industrial chemicals, agriculture, and any other regulated industry.
(B) A national animal protection organization established under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
(2) MEMBERSHIP-- The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences shall also invite to be members of the Scientific Advisory Committee representatives from other stakeholder organizations such as:
(A) An academic institution.
(B) A State government agency.
(C) An international regulatory body.
(D) A corporation developing or marketing alternative test methodologies including contract laboratories.
(d) DUTIES-- ICCVAM shall carry out the following duties consistent with the protection of public health and the environment and for the purpose of reducing, refining, and replacing the use of animals in acute and chronic toxicological tests:
(1) Review and evaluate existing and new alternative methods, including batteries of tests and test screens, which may be acceptable for specific regulatory uses, including the coordination of technical reviews of proposed new or revised test methods of interagency interest.
(2) Facilitate interagency and international harmonization of acute chronic toxicological test protocols that encourage the reduction, refinement, or replacement of animal tests.
(3) Facilitate, promote, and provide guidance on development of validation criteria and processes for new methods and help promote the acceptance of such methods and awareness of accepted methods by Federal agencies and other stakeholders.
(4) File formal recommendations with each appropriate Federal agency identifying specific agency guidelines, recommendations, or regulations for each new test, battery of tests, test screen, or end point reviewed by ICCVAM that may be appropriate for the reduction, refinement, or replacement of an animal test required or recommended by that Federal agency for compliance with that agency's specific statutes, regulations, or guidelines. Tests may be recommended for a certain class of chemicals within that regulatory framework.
(5) Consider for review and evaluation, petitions received from the public which identify a specific regulation, recommendation, or guideline, and which recommend alternatives and provide scientific evidence of the acceptability of the alternatives for the purpose of carrying out the regulatory mandate in question.
(6) Make final recommendations to agencies and responses from agencies available to the public.
(7) Make an annual report to be made available to the public on its progress to promote the regulatory acceptance of new and revised toxicological tests.
SEC. 3. APPLICATION.
This Act shall not apply to regulations, guidelines, or recommendations related to medical research. The term ‘medical research’ means research, including research performed using biotechnology, related to the causes, diagnosis, treatment, or control of physical or mental impairments of humans or animals. The term does not include the testing of a product to determine its toxicity for the purpose of complying with protocols, recommendations, or guidelines for testing required, recommended, or accepted by a Federal regulatory agency for a product introduced in commerce.
SEC. 4. FEDERAL AGENCY ACTION.
(a) IDENTIFICATION OF TESTS-- Within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, each Federal agency authorized to carry out a regulatory program which requires or recommends acute or chronic toxicological testing shall identify any regulation or industry--wide guideline which specifically, or in practice requires, recommends, or encourages the use of an animal acute or chronic toxicological test and shall forward to ICCVAM a list of these regulations, guidelines, and recommendations along with the test or tests recommended or required.
(b) ALTERNATIVES-- Each Federal agency shall promote and encourage the development and use of alternatives to animal tests, including batteries of tests and test screens, where appropriate, for the purpose of complying with Federal regulations, guidelines, or recommendations, in each instance, and for each chemical class, for which such tests are found to be effective for generating data at least equivalent for hazard identification or dose--response assessment purposes to the method established under the current regulatory scheme.
(c) TEST VALIDATION-- Each Federal agency shall ensure that any new acute or chronic toxicity test, including animal tests and alternatives, is determined to be valid for its proposed use prior to requiring, recommending, or encouraging its application.
(d) REVIEWS-- Each Federal agency shall review any formal recommendations from ICCVAM to promulgate new regulations or draft new guidelines or recommendations to promote the ICCVAM recommendations and notify ICCVAM in writing of its findings within 180 days of receipt of the recommendations.
(e) RECOMMENDATION ADOPTION-- Each Federal agency shall adopt the ICCVAM recommendations unless it determines that--
(1) the alternative is not adequate in terms of biological relevance for the regulatory goal authorized by the agency;
(2) the alternative does not generate data at least equivalent for the appropriate hazard identification or dose--response assessment purpose as the method recommended by the agency;
(3) the agency does not employ, recommend, or require testing for that class of chemical or for the recommended end point; or
(4) each government agency retains fully the prerogative of deciding whether the new test method is acceptable for satisfactorily fulfilling the test needs for their particular agency and its respective congressional mandate.
S. 2202 To amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all dogs and cats used by research facilities are obtained legally.
Introduced June 23, 1998, by Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. This act may be cited as the “Pet Safety and Protection Act of 1998.”
SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF PETS.
(a) RESEARCH FACILITIES-- Section 7 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2137) is amended to read as follows:
SEC. 7. SOURCES OF DOGS AND CATS FOR RESEARCH FACILITIES.
(a) DEFINITION OF PERSON-- In this section, the term person' means any individual, partnership, firm, joint stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, pound, shelter, or other legal entity.
(b) USE OF DOGS AND CATS-- No research facility or Federal research facility may use a dog or cat for research or educational purposes if the dog or cat was obtained from a person other than a person described in subsection (d).
(c) SELLING, DONATING, OR OFFERING DOGS AND CATS-- No person, other than a person described in subsection (d), may sell, donate, or offer a dog or cat to any research facility or Federal research facility.
(d) PERMISSIBLE SOURCES-- A person from whom a research facility or a Federal research facility may obtain a dog or cat for research or educational purposes under subsection (b), and a person who may sell, donate, or offer a dog or cat to a research facility or a Federal research facility under subsection (c), shall be--—
(1) a dealer licensed under section 3 that has bred and raised the dog or cat;
(2) a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that--
(A) is registered with the Department of Agriculture;
(B) is in compliance with section 28(a)(1) and with the requirements for dealers in subsections (b) and (c) of section 28; and
(C) obtained the dog or cat from its legal owner, other than a pound or shelter;
(3) a person that is donating the dog or cat and that--
(A) bred and raised the dog or cat; or
(B) owned the dog or cat for not less than 1 year immediately preceding the donation;
(4) a research facility licensed by the Department of Agriculture; and
(5) a Federal research facility licensed by the Department of Agriculture.
(e) PENALTIES--
(1) IN GENERAL-- A person that violates this section shall pay $1000 for each violation.
(2) ADDITIONAL PENALTY-- A penalty under this subsection shall be in addition to any other applicable penalty and shall be imposed whether or not the Secretary imposes any other penalty.
(f) NO REQUIRED SALE OR DONATION-- Nothing in this section requires a pound or shelter to sell, donate, or offer a dog or cat to a research facility or Federal research facility.'.
(b) FEDERAL RESEARCH FACILITIES-- Section 8 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2138) is amended--—
(1) by striking No department' and inserting Except as provided in section 7, no department';
(2) by striking research or experimentation or'; and
(3) by striking such purposes' and inserting that purpose'.
(c) CERTIFICATION-- Section 28(b)(1) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2158(b)(1)) is amended by striking individual or entity' and inserting research facility or Federal research facility'.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by section 2 take effect 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
H. CON. RES. 286 Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the link between violence against animals and violence against humans and urging greater emphasis upon identifying and treating individuals who are guilty of violence against animals, which is a crime in its own right in all 50 States, in order to prevent violence against humans and urging research to increase understanding of the connection between cruelty to animals and violence against humans.
Introduced June 3, 1998, by Tom Lantos (D-California) and referred to the Committee on Commerce and the Committees on Agriculture and the Judiciary.
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that the Congress: (1) recognizes that individuals who abuse animals are more likely to commit more serious violent crimes against humans; (2) urges social workers, teachers, mental health professionals, and others to be aware of the connection between animal cruelty and human violence and to evaluate carefully and to monitor closely individuals who have a history of abusing animals because this may indicate a propensity to commit violence against other humans; (3) urges appropriate Federal agencies to encourage and support research to increase the understanding of the connection between cruelty to animals and violence against humans in order to utilize instances of animal abuse to identify and intervene with potentially violent individuals, and urges Federal agencies which are undertaking research on violent crime and its causes to incorporate examination of the link between violence against animals and violence against humans; (4) urges local law enforcement officials to treat cases of animal cruelty seriously both because such cruelty is a crime in its own right in all 50 States and because it is a reliable indicator of the potential for domestic and other forms of violence against humans; and (5) commends the fine work of local animal control officials and humane investigators who enforce laws against animal abuse and urges these professionals to work more closely with local law enforcement personnel to identify and prevent potential violence against humans.
H.R. 2807 To amend the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 to prohibit the sale, importation, and exportation of products labeled as containing substances derived from rhinoceros or tiger.
Introduced April 29, 1998, by Jim Saxton (R-New Jersey) and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. This act may be cited as the “Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act.”
Congress finds: (1) The populations of several magnificent and unique endangered species of rhinoceros and tigers, such as the Indian rhinoceros, the Javan rhinoceros, the African black rhinoceros, and all of the tiger subspecies, continue to decline. (2) Growing demand throughout the world for wildlife and wildlife parts and products has created a market in which commercial exploitation has threatened certain rhinoceros and tiger populations. (3) There are insufficient legal mechanisms enabling the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to forcefully interdict products that are labeled as containing substances derived from rhinoceros or tiger species and prosecute the merchandisers for sale or display of those products. (4) Although approximately 77,000 import and export shipments occur annually in the United States, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is able to maintain only 92 wildlife inspectors at 30 ports of entry, including 13 designated ports, to monitor the shipments. (5) Wildlife inspectors are able to physically inspect only an estimated 5 to 10 percent of all import and export shipments, making the rate of detection of contraband wildlife products extremely low. (6) Alternatives are available to the traditional medicinal products that contain substances derived from rhinoceros and tiger species.
(7) Public education initiatives directed toward traditional user groups on the endangered status of rhinoceros and tiger species and on the availability of alternative products in traditional medicine have proven useful in reducing the demand for products labeled as containing substances derived from rhinoceros and tiger species, and should be encouraged.
No person shall sell, import, or export, or attempt to sell, import, or export any product, item, or substance intended for human consumption containing or purporting to contain any substance derived from any species of rhinoceros or tiger.
S. 2199 To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to establish a Marine Mammal Rescue Grant Program, and for other purposes.
Introduced on June 22, 1998, by Robert Torricelli (D-New Jersey) and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Title IV of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1371 et seq.) is amended: (1) by redesignating sections 408 and 409 as sections 409 and 410, respectively; and (2) by inserting after section 407 the following: Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of Commerce, shall conduct a grant program to be known as the Marine Mammal Rescue Grant Program, to provide grants to eligible stranding centers and eligible stranding network participants for the recovery or treatment of marine mammals and the collection of health information relating to marine mammals. The amount of a grant awarded under this section shall not exceed $100,000.
S. 2172 To authorize the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to establish a whale conservation fund, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 16, 1998, Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire) and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. This act may be cited as the “National Whale Conservation Fund Act of 1998.”
Congress finds that: (1) the populations of whales that occur in waters of the United States are resources of substantial ecological, scientific, socioeconomic, and esthetic value; (2) whale populations form a significant component of marine ecosystems; are the subject of intense research; and provide for a multimillion dollar whale watching tourist industry that provides the public an opportunity to enjoy and learn about great whales and the ecosystems of which the whales are a part.
Section 4 of the National Fish and Wildlife Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3703) is amended by adding at the end the following: (f)(1) In carrying out the purposes under section 2(b), the Foundation may establish a national whale conservation endowment fund, to be used by the Foundation to support research, management activities, or educational programs that contribute to the protection, conservation, or recovery of whale populations in waters of the United States.
H.R. 3911 To designate all unreserved and unappropriated California coastal rocks and islands currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Introduced on May 20, 1998, by Sam Farr (D-California) and referred to the Committee on Resources. This act may be cited as the “California Coastal Rocks and Islands Wilderness Act of 1998.”
The Congress finds the following: (1) The California coastal rocks and islands are a critical component of a unique ecosystem of California. (2) The California coastal rocks and islands comprise a narrow flight lane in the Pacific Flyway, providing protected nest sites as well as feeding and perching areas for millions of seabirds. (3) This unique ecosystem is also important for the continued survival of endangered or threatened sea mammals, such as stellar sea lions and elephant seals. (4) Designation of the California coastal rocks and islands as wilderness would add a significant natural component to the National Wilderness Preservation System.
S. 1970 To require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to provide assistance in the conservation of neotropical migratory birds.
Introduced April 22, 1998, by Spencer Abraham (R-Michigan) and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Report number 105--284 issued.
The purposes of this Act are: (1) to assist in the conservation of neotropical migratory birds by supporting neotropical migratory bird conservation programs in Latin America and the Caribbean Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States with a focus on reversing habitat loss and degradation; (2) to promote partnerships between Federal, State, and nongovernmental entities in the United States in the conservation of neotropical migratory birds; (3) to foster active governmental and nongovernmental participation in neotropical migratory bird conservation by cooperating countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean; (4) to promote circumstances under which the conservation of neotropical migratory birds in Latin America and the Caribbean may be carried out entirely by local entities; (5) to provide financial resources for projects that support neotropical migratory bird conservation; and (6) to promote the effective conservation of neotropical migratory birds in the Western Hemisphere through collaboration at all levels of society.
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