Bill Language
NOTE: This only shows Section 320 of HR 4578
The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 4578) ``making appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes'', having met, after full and free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: In lieu of the matter stricken and inserted by said amendment, insert:
That the following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the Department of the Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes, namely:
Sec. 320. Advisory Committee on Forest Counties Payments.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Advisory committee.--The term ``Advisory Committee'' means the Forest Counties Payments Committee established by this section.
(2) Committees of jurisdiction.--The term ``committees of jurisdiction'' means the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Resources, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(3) Eligible county.--The term ``eligible county'' means a county that, for one or more of the fiscal years 1986 through 1999, received--
(A) a payment under title II of the Act of August 28, 1937 (chapter 876; 50 Stat. 875; 43 U.S.C. 1181f), or the Act of May 24, 1939 (chapter 144; 53 Stat. 753; 43 U.S.C. 1181f 1 et seq.); or
(B) a portion of an eligible State's payment, as described in paragraph (4).
(4) Eligible state.--The term ``eligible State'' means a State that, for one or more of the fiscal years 1986 through 1999, received a payment under the sixth paragraph under the heading of ``FOREST SERVICE'' in the Act of May 23, 1908 (35 Stat. 260; 16 U.S.C. 500), or section 13 of the Act of March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 963; 16 U.S.C. 500).
(5) Federal lands.--The term ``Federal lands'' means the following:
(A) Lands within the National Forest System, as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a), exclusive of the National Grasslands and land utilization projects designated as National Grasslands administered pursuant to the Act of July 22, 1937 (7 U.S.C. 1010 1012).
(B) Such portions of the Oregon and California Railroad grant lands revested in the United States by the Act of June 9, 1916 (chapter 137; 39 Stat. 218), and the Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands reconveyed to the United States by the Act of February 26, 1919 (chapter 47; 40 Stat. 1179), as are or may hereafter come under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, which have heretofore or may hereafter be classified as timberlands, and power-site lands valuable for timber, that shall be managed, except as provided in the former section 3 of the Act of August 28, 1937 (50 Stat. 875; 43 U.S.C. 1181c), for permanent forest production.
(6) Sustainable forestry.--The term ``sustainable forestry'' means the practice of meeting the forest resource needs and values of the present without compromising the similar capability of future generations.
(b) Establishment of Advisory Committee.--
(1) Establishment required.--There is hereby established an advisory committee, to be known as the Forest Counties Payments Committee, to develop recommendations, consistent with sustainable forestry, regarding methods to ensure that States and counties in which Federal lands are situated receive adequate Federal payments to be used for the benefit of public education and other public purposes.
(2) Members.--The Advisory Committee shall be composed of the following members:
(A) The Chief of the Forest Service, or a designee of the Chief who has significant expertise in sustainable forestry.
(B) The Director of the Bureau of Land Management, or a designee of the Director who has significant expertise in sustainable forestry.
(C) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, or the Director's designee.
(D) Two members who are elected members of the governing branches of eligible counties; one such member to be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate (in consultation with the chairmen and ranking members of the committees of jurisdiction of the Senate) and one such member to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives (in consultation with the chairmen and ranking members of the committees of jurisdiction of the House of Representatives) within 60 days of the date of the enactment of this Act.
(E) Two members who are elected members of school boards for, superintendents from, or teachers employed by, school districts in eligible counties; one such member to be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate (in consultation with the chairmen and ranking members of the committees of jurisdiction of the Senate) and one such member to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives (in consultation with the chairmen and ranking members of the committees of jurisdiction of the House of Representatives) within 60 days of the date of the enactment of this Act.
(3) Geographic representation.--In making appointments under subparagraphs (D) and (E) of paragraph (2), the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall seek to ensure that the Advisory Committee members are selected from geographically diverse locations.
(4) Organization of advisory committee.--
(A) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Advisory Committee shall be selected from among the members appointed pursuant to subparagraphs (D) and (E) of paragraph (2).
(B) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of the Advisory Committee shall be filled in the same manner as required by paragraph (2). A vacancy shall not impair the authority of the remaining members to perform the functions of the Advisory Committee under this section.
(C) Compensation.--The members of the Advisory Committee who are not officers or employees of the United States, while attending meetings or other events held by the Advisory Committee or at which the members serve as representatives of the Advisory Committee or while otherwise serving at the request of the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee, shall each be entitled to receive compensation at a rate not in excess of the maximum rate of pay for grade GS 15, as provided in the General Schedule, including traveltime, and while away from their homes or regular places of business, shall each be reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, for persons in Government service employed intermittently.
(5) Staff and rules.--
(A) Executive director.--The Advisory Committee shall have an Executive Director, who shall be appointed by the Advisory Committee and serve at the pleasure of the Advisory Committee. The Executive Director shall report to the Advisory Committee and assume such duties as the Advisory Committee may assign. The Executive Director shall be paid at a rate not in excess of the maximum rate of pay for grade GS 15, as provided in the General Schedule.
(B) Other staff.--In addition to authority to appoint personnel subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments to the competitive service, and to pay such personnel in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, the Advisory Committee shall have authority to enter into contracts with private or public organizations which may furnish the Advisory Committee with such administrative and technical personnel as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Advisory Committee under this section. To the extent practicable, such administrative and technical personnel, and other necessary support services, shall be provided for the Advisory Committee by the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.
(C) Committee rules.--The Advisory Committee may establish such procedural and administrative rules as are necessary for the performance of its functions under this section.
(6) Federal agency cooperation.--The heads of the departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the executive branch of the Federal Government shall cooperate with the Advisory Committee in the performance of its functions under this section and should furnish, as practicable, to the Advisory Committee information which the Advisory Committee deems necessary to carry out such functions.
(c) Functions of Advisory Committee.--
(1) Development of recommendations.--
(A) In general.--The Advisory Committee shall develop recommendations for policy or legislative initiatives (or both) regarding alternatives for, or substitutes to, the payments required to be made to eligible States and eligible counties under the provisions of law referred to in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (a) in order to provide a long-term method to generate annual payments to eligible States and eligible counties.
(B) Reporting requirements.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Advisory Committee shall submit to the committees of jurisdiction a final report containing the recommendations developed under this subsection. The Advisory Committee shall submit semiannual progress reports on its activities and expenditures to the committees of jurisdiction until the final report has been submitted.
(2) Guidance for committee.--In developing the recommendations required by paragraph (1), the Advisory Committee shall--
(A) evaluate the method by which payments are made to eligible States and eligible counties under the provisions of law referred to in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (a), and related laws, and the use of such payments;
(B) consider the impact on eligible States and eligible counties of revenues derived from the historic multiple use of the Federal lands.
(C) evaluate the economic, environmental, and social benefits which accrue to counties containing Federal lands, including recreation, natural resources industries, and the value of environmental services that result from Federal lands; and
(D) evaluate the expenditures by counties on activities on Federal lands which are Federal responsibilities.
(3) Monitoring and related reporting activities.--The Advisory Committee shall monitor the payments made to eligible States and eligible counties under the provisions of law referred to in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (a), and related laws, and submit to the committees of jurisdiction an annual report describing the amounts and sources of such payments and containing such comments as the Advisory Committee may have regarding such payments.
(4) Testimony.--The Advisory Committee shall make itself available for testimony or comments on the reports required to be submitted by the Advisory Committee and on any legislation or regulations to implement any recommendations made in such reports in any congressional hearings or any rulemaking or other administrative decision process.
(d) Federal Advisory Committee Act Requirements.--The provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Advisory Committee.
(e) Termination of Advisory Committee.--The Advisory Committee shall terminate three years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(f) Funding Source.--At the request of the Executive Director of the Advisory Committee, the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide funds from any account available to the Secretary, not to exceed $200,000 in fiscal year 2001, for the work of the Advisory Committee necessary to meet the requirements of this section.
