,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #dff #aacth         
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4 #ahfe    
,report ,no4 #aac-baj ,,in ,,the        
,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states   
,december #ai1 #bjac,mr4 ,begich 7for   
himself1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,baucus1 and 
,mr4 ,tester7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,environment and   
,public ,works  ,july #ae1              
#bjad,reported by ,mrs4 ,boxer1 with an 
amendment,omit the part struck through  
and insert the part printed in italic   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the prices set for 
,federal ,migratory ,bird ,hunting and  
,conservation ,stamps and make limited  
waivers of stamp requirements for       
certain users4  #a4 ,short title ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,migratory     
,bird ,habitat ,investment and          
,enhancement ,act 4  #b4 ,findings      
,congress finds that-- 7#a7 ,federal    
,migratory ,bird ,hunting and           
,conservation ,stamps 7commonly known as
 duck stamps7 were created in #aicd as  

,federal licenses required for hunting  
migratory waterfowl2  7#b7 7,a7 duck    
stamps are a vital tool for wetland     
conservation2  7,b7 #ih percent of the  
receipts from duck stamp sales are used 
to acquire important migratory bird     
breeding1 migration1 and wintering      
habitat1 which are added to the         
,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system2 and
  7,c7 those benefits extend to all     
wildlife1 not just ducks2  7#c7 since   
its inception1 the ,federal duck stamp  
program has-- 7,a7 generated more than  
#gej1jjj1jjj2  7,b7 preserved more than 
#e1jjj1jjj acres of wetland and wildlife
 habitat2 and  7,c7 is considered among 
the most successful conservation        
programs ever initiated2  7#d7 7,a7     
since #aicd1 when duck stamps cost #a1  
the price has been increased #g times to
 the price in effect on the date of     
enactment of this ,act of #ae1 which    
took effect in #aiia2 and  7,b7 the     
price of the duck stamp has not         
increased since #aiia1 the longest      

single period without an increase in    
program history2 and  7#e7 with the     
price unchanged during the #bj-year     
period preceding the date of enactment  
of this ,act1 duck stamps have lost #dj 
percent of their value based on the     
consumer price index1 while the ,united 
,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service    
reports the price of land in targeted   
wetland areas has tripled from an       
average of #cjf to #a1jia per acre4  #c4
 ,cost of stamps ,section #b of the     
,migratory ,bird ,hunting and           
,conservation ,stamp ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4
 #gah;b7 is amended by striking         
subsection 7b7 and inserting the        
following3  7b7 ,cost of stamps  7#a7   
,in general ,for the #e-;calendar-year  
period beginning with calendar year     
#bjad1 and for each #e-;calendar-year   
period thereafter1 the ,secretary1 in   
consultation with the ,migratory ,bird  
,conservation ,commission1 shall        
establish the amount to be collected    
under paragraph 7#b7 for each stamp sold

 under this section1 provided that the  
amount shall not exceed #be for the     
initial #e-;calendar-year period and not
 exceed #cj for theany subsequent       
#e-;calendar-year period4  7#b7         
,collection of amounts ,the ,united     
,states ,postal ,service1 the           
,department of the ,interior1 or any    
other agent approved by the ,department 
of the ,interior1 shall collect the     
amount established under paragraph 7#a7 
for each stamp sold under this section  
for a hunting year if the ,secretary    
determines1 at any time before ,february
 #a of the calendar year during which   
the hunting year begins1 that all       
amounts described in paragraph 7#c7 have
 been obligated for expenditure4  7#c7  
,amounts ,the amounts described in this 
paragraph are amounts in the ,migratory 
,bird ,conservation ,fund available for 
obligation and attributable to-- 7,a7   
amounts appropriated pursuant to this   
,act for the fiscal year ending in the  
immediately preceding calendar year2 and

  7,b7 the sale of stamps under this    
section during that fiscal year4  4  #d4
 ,waivers ,section #a7;a7 of the        
,migratory ,bird ,hunting and           
,conservation ,stamp ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4
 #gah;a7a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in        
paragraph 7#a71 by inserting and        
subsection 7d7 after paragraph 7#b72 and
  7#b7 by adding at the end the         
following3  7d7 ,waivers  7#a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary1 in consultation
 with the ,migratory ,bird ,conservation
 ,commission1 may waive requirements    
under this section for such individuals 
as the ,secretary1 in consultation with 
the ,migratory ,bird ,conservation      
,commission1 determines to be           
appropriate4  7#b7 ,limitation ,in      
making the determination described in   
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall    
grant only those waivers the ,secretary 
determines will have a minimal adverse  
effect on funds to be deposited in the  
,migratory ,bird ,conservation ,fund    
established under section #d7;a77#c74  4

  ,july #ae1 #bjad,reported with an     
amendment