Home > 105th Congressional Bills > H.R. 4417 (ih) To authorize the continuation of the disaster relief program for livestock producers conducted by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 813 of the Agricultural Act of 1970. ...H.R. 4417 (ih) To authorize the continuation of the disaster relief program for livestock producers conducted by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 813 of the Agricultural Act of 1970. ...
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4416
To establish the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 20, 2004
Mr. Ehlers introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee.
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 ``Great Lakes Protection and
Restoration Committee Act''.
SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES PROTECTION AND RESTORATION COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a committee to be known as
the ``Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee'' (hereinafter
referred to in this section as the ``Committee'').
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Committee is to conduct a study
and report on programs established and carried out to achieve
restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors of
Great Lakes States and to make recommendations for prioritization of
such goals, legislation and funding to achieve such goals, and
improvement of coordination among programs and governments with respect
to such goals.
(c) Study and Report.--
(1) Study.--The Committee shall conduct a study, based on
restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors
of Great Lakes States, to identify the best methods by which to
protect and restore the Great Lakes. The study shall include--
(A) an analysis of Federal and State funding for
the 10-year period ending on the date of the enactment
of this Act for programs established and carried out to
achieve the restoration goals, including an assessment
of the success of the programs; and
(B) an analysis of the expected accomplishments of
such programs for the 10-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of this Act based on existing
funding levels for the programs.
(2) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
initial meeting of the Committee under subsection (e)(1), the
Committee shall submit to the President, Congress, and the
Governor of each Great Lakes State, and make available to the
national Government of Canada and the Premiers of the Provinces
of Ontario and Quebec, a report that includes--
(A) the results of the study, including a detailed
statement of the findings and conclusions of the
Committee;
(B) recommendations for the prioritization of the
restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the
Governors of the Great Lakes States;
(C) specific benchmarks for the 10-year period
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act to
measure the achievement of such restoration goals;
(D) recommendations for proposed Federal and State
legislation for obtaining additional authority and
funding as necessary to achieve such restoration goals;
(E) recommendations for methods to improve
coordination among existing Federal, State, local, and
non-governmental programs established to achieve the
restoration goals prepared by the Governors of the
Great Lakes States; and
(F) recommendations for methods to improve
coordination between Federal, State, and local programs
in the United States and the national Government of
Canada and the Governments of the Provinces of Ontario
and Quebec with respect to environmental protection and
restoration activities in the Great Lakes.
(d) Membership.--
(1) Voting members.--The Committee shall be composed of 25
voting members, of whom--
(A) 8 members shall be the Governors of the Great
Lakes States (or designees of the Governors);
(B) 13 members shall be appointed by the President,
of whom--
(i) 1 member shall be a representative of
the Department of the Interior;
(ii) 1 member shall be a representative of
the Corps of Engineers;
(iii) 1 member shall be a representative of
the Great Lakes National Program Office of the
Environmental Protection Agency;
(iv) 1 member shall be a representative of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration;
(v) 1 member shall be a representative of
the Department of Agriculture; and
(vi) 8 members shall be chief executives of
cities, counties, or municipalities in the
Great Lakes Region, of whom 1 member shall be
from each Great Lakes State;
(C) 1 member shall be appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives;
(D) 1 member shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the House of Representatives;
(E) 1 member shall be appointed by the President
pro tempore of the Senate; and
(F) 1 member shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate.
(2) Nonvoting members.--The Committee shall include 10
nonvoting members appointed by the President, of whom--
(A) 2 members shall be representatives of the
environmental community;
(B) 2 members shall be representatives of industry;
(C) 2 members shall be representatives of the
scientific community with expertise on the
environmental conditions of the Great Lakes;
(D) 2 members shall be representatives of Indian
tribes located in the Great Lakes Region;
(E) 1 member shall be a United States Commissioner
of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission appointed under
section 3(a)(1) of the Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956
(16 U.S.C. 932(a)(1)); and
(F) 1 member shall be the Chair of the United
States Section of the International Joint Commission
established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.
(3) Nonvoting observers.--The Committee may include
nonvoting observers, including--
(A) the Premiers of the Canadian Provinces of
Ontario and Quebec;
(B) a representative of the national Government of
Canada; and
(C) a representative of the Department of State.
(4) Date of appointment.--The appointment of each member of
the Committee shall be made not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(5) Term.--A member shall be appointed for the life of the
Committee.
(6) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Committee--
(A) shall not affect the powers of the Committee;
and
(B) shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointment was made.
(7) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--The Committee shall
select a Chairperson from among the members of the Committee
described in paragraph (1)(A) and a Vice Chairperson from among
the members of the Committee appointed under clauses (i)
through (v) of paragraph (1)(B).
(8) Compensation.--Members of the Committee shall serve
without pay.
(9) Travel expenses.--A member of the Committee shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title
5, United States Code.
(e) Meetings.--
(1) Initial.--Not later than 30 days after the date on
which all members of the Committee have been appointed, the
Committee shall hold the initial meeting of the Committee.
(2) Subsequent.--The Committee shall meet at the call of
the Chairperson.
(3) Quorum.--A majority of the voting members of the
Committee described in subsection (d)(1) shall constitute a
quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
(f) Powers.--
(1) Hearings.--The Committee may hold hearings, meet and
act, take testimony, and receive evidence as the Committee
considers advisable to carry out this Act.
(2) Information from federal agencies.--
(A) In general.--The Committee may secure directly
from a Federal agency such information as the Committee
considers necessary to carry out this Act.
(B) Provision of information.--On request of the
Chairperson of the Committee, the head of the agency
shall provide the information to the Committee.
(3) Postal services.--The Committee may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions
as other agencies of the Federal Government.
(4) Gifts.--The Committee may accept, use, and dispose of
gifts or donations of services or property.
(g) Staff.--
(1) Appointment.--
(A) Executive director.--The Committee may appoint
and terminate an executive director.
(B) Other staff.--The Chairperson of the Committee
may appoint and terminate such other additional
personnel as are necessary to enable the Committee to
perform the duties of the Committee.
(2) Compensation.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the Chairperson of the Committee may fix the
compensation of the executive director and other
personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter
51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United
States Code, relating to classification of positions
and General Schedule pay rates.
(B) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay for the
executive director and other personnel shall not exceed
the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule
under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(3) Detail of federal government employees.--
(A) In general.--An employee of the Federal
Government may be detailed to the Committee without
reimbursement.
(B) Civil service status.--The detail of the
employee shall be without interruption or loss of civil
service status or privilege.
(4) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The Chairperson of the Committee may procure temporary and
intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of
title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do
not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay
prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section
5316 of that title.
(h) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate 90 days after the
date on which the Committee submits the report of the Committee under
subsection (c)(2).
(i) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Great lakes.--The term ``Great Lakes'' means Lake Erie,
Lake Huron (including Lake Saint Clair), Lake Michigan, Lake
Ontario, Lake Superior, and the connecting channels of those
lakes, including the Saint Mary's River, the Saint Clair River,
the Detroit River, and the Saint Lawrence River to the Canadian
border.
(2) Great lakes state.--The term ``Great Lakes State''
means each of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan,
Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
(3) Great lakes region.--The term ``Great Lakes region''
means the region comprised of the Great Lakes States.
(4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under paragraph (1) are
authorized to remain available until the date of termination of
the Committee under subsection (h).
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