,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bidb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bc1 #bjah
 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to amend the ,migratory ,bird  
,treaty ,act to establish ,january #ca  
of each year as the ,federal closing    
date for duck hunting season and to     
establish special duck hunting days for 
youths1 veterans1 and active military   
personnel1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,migratory ,bird ,framework and    
,hunting ,opportunities for ,veterans   
,act4  #b4 ,federal closing date for    
hunting of ducks1 mergansers1 and coots 
,section #c of the ,migratory ,bird     
,treaty ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #gjd7 is    
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7c7 ,federal closing date   
for hunting of ducks1 mergansers1 and   
coots  7#a7 ,in general ,in promulgating

 regulations under subsection 7a7       
relating to a framework for migratory   
bird hunting1 except as provided in     
paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary shall    
establish ,january #ca of each year as  
the ,federal closing date of the hunting
 season for ducks1 mergansers1 and      
coots4  7#b7 ,special duck hunting days 
for youths1 veterans1 and active        
military personnel ,notwithstanding the 
closing date under paragraph 7#a71 the  
,secretary shall allow youths1 veterans 
7as defined in section #aja of title    
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code71 and members
 of the ,armed ,forces on active duty1  
including members of the ,national      
,guard and ,reserves on active duty     
7other than for training71 to hunt      
ducks1 mergansers1 and coots during the 
first weekend in ,february of each year4
  7#c7 ,prohibition ,with respect to    
ducks1 mergansers1 and coots1 the       
,secretary shall not decrease the length
 of the hunting season or bag limit1 as 
compared to the length of the hunting   

season and bag limit for the #bjag-bjah 
hunting season1 in--  7,a7 the ,atlantic
 flyway2  7,b7 the ,mississippi flyway2 
7,c7 the ,central flyway2 or  7,d7 the  
,pacific flyway4  7#d7 ,regulations     
7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #fj    
days after the date of enactment of this
 subsection1 the ,secretary shall       
promulgate regulations in accordance    
with this subsection4  7,b7 #bjah-bjai  
migratory bird hunting season ,the      
,secretary shall modify the proposed    
rule entitled ,migratory ,bird ,hunting2
 ,proposed ,frameworks for ,migratory   
,bird ,hunting ,regulations 7#hc ,fed4  
,reg4 #difd 7,february #b1 #bjah77 if1  
before the date of enactment of this    
subsection-- 7i7 the proposed rule has  
been finalized2 and  7ii7 the #bjah-bjai
 duck hunting season has not commenced  
in-- 7,i7 the ,atlantic flyway2  7,,ii7 
the ,mississippi flyway2  7,,iii7 the   
,central flyway2 or  7,,iv7 the ,pacific
 flyway4  4