,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #aegb ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #f1 #bjai,mr4 ,quigley 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,rooney of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,eshoo1 ,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,ms4 ,judy ,chu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,casten of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,de,saulnier1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,stefanik1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,mr4 ,cooper1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,mr4 ,malinowski1 ,mr4 ,schneider1 ,ms4 ,gabbard1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 and ,mr4 ,case7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,natural ,resources1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to promote botanical research and botanical sciences capacity1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,botanical ,sciences and ,native ,plant ,materials ,research1 ,restoration1 and ,promotion ,act4 #b4 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title4 ,sec4 #b4 ,table of contents4 ,sec4 #c4 ,definitions4 ,title ,i--,promoting ,botanical ,research and ,botanical ,sciences ,capacity ,sec4 #aja4 ,department of the ,interior botanical research4 ,sec4 #ajb4 ,staff enhancement4 ,title ,,ii--,generating ,demand for ,native ,plant ,materials ,sec4 #bja4 ,policy for use of locally adapted native plant materials4 ,title ,,iii--,authorization of ,federal native plant materials related activities ,sec4 #cja4 ,interagency plant materials efforts4 ,sec4 #cjb4 ,bureau of ,land ,management plant conservation program4 ,sec4 #cjc4 ,national ,fish and ,wildlife ,foundation plant conservation programs4 #c4 ,definitions ,as used in this ,act1 the following terms have the following meanings3 7#a7 ,invasive plant species ,the term invasive plant species means a plant species that is nonnative with respect to an ecosystem and whose introduction into that ecosystem will cause1 or is likely to cause1 economic harm1 environmental harm1 or harm to human1 animal1 or plant health4 7#b7 ,locally adapted ,the term locally adapted1 with respect to plants1 means plants that originate from an area that is geographically proximate to a planting area and that are environmentally adapted to1 and likely to succeed in becoming established and persisting within1 such area4 7#c7 ,native plant species ,the term native plant species means indigenous terrestrial and aquatic plant species that evolved naturally in a defined native ecosystem4 7#d7 ,nonnative plant species ,the term nonnative plant species means a plant that has been introduced by humans to a location outside its native or natural range and may1 depending on relevant facts and circumstances1 include a species introduced from another continent1 ecosystem1 seed zone1 or habitat within an ecosystem4 7#e7 ,plant materials ,the term plant materials includes1 with respect to a native plant species or a nonnative plant species1 such a plant or its seeds1 eggs1 spores1 or other biological material capable of propagating that species4 ,i ,promoting ,botanical ,research and ,botanical ,sciences ,capacity #aja4 ,department of the ,interior botanical research 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of the ,interior1 acting through the ,bureau of ,land ,management1 ,united ,states ,geological ,survey1 ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service1 ,national ,park ,service1 and such other agencies and instrumentalities as the ,secretary determines appropriate1 shall support a robust program of intramural and extramural botanical science research as relevant and appropriate to support the ,department's land management responsibilities4 7b7 ,areas of emphasis ,research conducted pursuant to this section shall include a focus on the following topics3 7#a7 ,effective approaches to restoring habitat damaged by wildfires that incorporate the use of appropriate plant materials4 7#b7 ,effective methods for developing and using locally adapted native plant materials in land management activities4 7#c7 ,effective mitigation strategies for combating invasive plant species4 7#d7 ,mitigation strategies related to the impacts of long- and medium-term environmental changes such as changes in moisture levels1 temperature1 landscape fragmentation1 nonnative animal and plant species1 and human activity4 7#e7 ,methods to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species4 7c7 ,extramural research ,as determined appropriate by the ,secretary1 research conducted under this section may be carried out through competitively awarded grants or contracts1 or cooperative agreements1 awarded in accordance with all applicable requirements governing such activities4 7d7 ,authorization of ,appropriations ,to carry out the purposes of this section1 there are authorized to be appropriated #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj1 and such sums as may be necessary for subsequent fiscal years4 #ajb4 ,staff enhancement 7a7 ,in general ,for the purpose of improving the ,department's land management capabilities1 the ,secretary of the ,interior is authorized to augment the expertise of the ,department of the ,interior in the botanical sciences by-- 7#a7 hiring additional personnel with expertise in the botanical sciences2 and 7#b7 establishing a loan forgiveness program to facilitate the hiring of such personnel4 7b7 ,authorization 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose1 by not later than ,september #cj1 #bjbj1 the ,secretary shall hire not more than #bj full-time ,botanical ,science ,personnel to support the ,department's land management responsibilities4 ,the ,secretary shall determine the appropriate placement of such personnel within the appropriate agencies of the ,department with major land management responsibilities4 ,the ,secretary may waive any limitation on the number of full-time equivalent personnel assigned to the ,department and its constituent agencies in order to carry out the purposes of this section4 7#b7 ,treatment2 hiring requirements ,personnel hired pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall be-- 7,a7 in addition to any positions authorized before the date of the enactment of this ,act and any existing vacancies within the ,department on such date2 7,b7 part of the ,competitive ,service2 and 7,c7 hired in compliance with all applicable provisions of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 7c7 ,loan repayment program 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall establish a program to provide educational loan repayment to qualifying individuals who agree to a term of employment with the ,department as ,botanical ,science ,personnel4 7#b7 ,eligibility ,to be eligible to participate in the loan repayment program under this subsection1 an individual shall-- 7,a7 either-- 7i7 have a degree in botanical sciences2 7ii7 be enrolled in an approved graduate training program in botanical sciences2 or 7iii7 be enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited educational institution1 and in the final year of a course of a study or program1 offered by such institution and approved by the ,secretary1 leading to a degree in botanical sciences2 and 7,b7 submit to the ,secretary an application for a contract described in paragraph 7#d74 7#c7 ,information to be included with ,application and contract forms ,in disseminating application forms and contract forms to individuals desiring to participate in the loan repayment program1 the ,secretary shall include with such forms a fair summary of the rights and liabilities of an individual whose application is approved 7and whose contract is accepted74 ,such information shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average individual applying to participate in the loan repayment program4 7#d7 ,contracts 7,a7 ,in general ,an individual becomes a participant in the loan repayment program only upon the ,secretary and the individual entering into a written contract whereby-- 7i7 the ,secretary agrees to pay on behalf of the individual loans in accordance with paragraph 7#e71 subject to the availability of appropriated funds2 and 7ii7 the individual agrees to-- 7,i7 accept loan payments on behalf of the individual2 and 7,,ii7 if applicable1 maintain enrollment and acceptable academic standing in a course of study or training described in paragraph 7#b7 and serve for a time period equal to #b years or such longer period as the individual may agree to as a botanical scientist employed by the ,department4 7,b7 ,other terms and conditions ,such contracts shall include all other necessary and appropriate terms and conditions to clarify the rights1 obligations1 and liabilities of the parties4 7#e7 ,repayment 7,a7 ,in general ,a loan repayment provided for an individual under a written contract under the repayment program authorized by this subsection shall consist of payment on behalf of the individual of the principal1 interest1 and related expenses on government and commercial loans received by the individual regarding the undergraduate or graduate education of the individual 7or both71 which loans were made for tuition1 other reasonable educational expenses1 or reasonable living expenses1 as determined by the ,secretary4 7,b7 ,amounts ,for each year of obligated service that an individual contracts to serve1 the ,secretary may pay up to #ej1jjj 7plus1 beginning with fiscal year #bjbj1 an amount determined by the ,secretary on an annual basis to reflect inflation7 on behalf of the individual for loans described in this paragraph4 ,in making a determination of the amount to pay for a year of such service by an individual1 the ,secretary may enter into an agreement with the holder of any such loan for which payments are made to establish a schedule for the making of such payments4 7#f7 ,employment ceiling ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 individuals who have entered into written contracts with the ,secretary under this section1 while undergoing academic or other training1 shall not be counted against any employment ceiling affecting the ,department4 7d7 ,definition ,for the purposes of this section1 the term ,botanical ,science ,personnel means individuals with post-secondary education in the field of botany1 including plant ecologists and individuals with a bachelor's degree in plant biology4 7e7 ,authorization of ,appropriations ,to carry out the purposes of this section1 there are authorized to be appropriated-- 7#a7 for fiscal year #bjbj-- 7,a7 #c1jjj1jjj for subsection 7b72 and 7,b7 #a1jjj1jjj for subsection 7c72 and 7#b7 for each fiscal year after fiscal year #bjbj1 such sums as may be necessary4 ,,ii ,generating ,demand for ,native ,plant ,materials #bja4 ,policy for use of locally adapted native plant materials 7a7 ,policy ,in undertaking a land management activity on ,federal lands under the jurisdiction of the ,department of ,agriculture or the ,department of the ,interior1 including maintenance and restoration in response to degradation caused by human activity or natural events 7such as fire1 flood1 or infestation71 it is the policy of the ,united ,states that preference shall be made to the extent practicable for the use of locally adapted native plant materials4 7b7 ,implementation ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 acting through the ,chief of the ,forest ,service1 and the ,secretary of the ,interior1 acting through the heads of land management agencies of the ,department of the ,interior1 shall-- 7#a7 implement the policy established by subsection 7a7 through appropriate administrative actions2 and 7#b7 specifically identify situations in which the use of nonnative plant materials may be warranted1 including situations in which-- 7,a7 emergency conditions require the protection of basic resource values2 7,b7 an interim1 non-persistent measure is needed to aid in the reestablishment of native plant species2 7,c7 native plant materials are not reasonably available2 or 7,d7 the plant community subject to the land management activity has been permanently altered4 7c7 ,dissemination of recommendations for other federal agencies with substantial land use responsibilities ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 acting through the ,chief of the ,forest ,service1 and the ,secretary of the ,interior1 acting through the heads of land management agencies of the ,department of the ,interior1 shall develop recommended activities for the ,departments of ,defense1 the ,department of ,transportation1 and the ,commissioner of the ,public ,buildings ,service to undertake in order to incorporate to the extent practicable the use of locally adapted native plant materials in restoration and management of public lands and buildings funded by1 or under the jurisdiction of1 such agencies4 ,,iii ,authorization of ,federal native plant materials related activities #cja4 ,interagency plant materials efforts 7a7 ,activities ,the heads of the agencies shall collaborate1 as appropriate1 regarding land use responsibility to undertake the following activities related to native plant materials3 7#a7 ,identify seed needs and ensure the reliable availability of genetically appropriate seed4 7#b7 ,conduct research to develop genetically appropriate seed and to improve technology for seed production and ecological restoration4 7#c7 ,support land managers' ability to make timely and informed seeding decisions for ecological restoration4 7#d7 ,efforts to enhance1 protect1 and restore plant materials necessary to support pollinators and dispersers4 7#e7 ,efforts to coordinate activities aimed at sustaining and restoring public lands through the use of techniques and materials that promote to the extent practicable the use of locally adapted native plant materials4 7b7 ,agencies ,for the purposes of this section1 the term agencies means the following3 7#a7 ,in the ,department of the ,interior1 the following3 7,a7 ,the ,bureau of ,indian ,affairs4 7,b7 ,the ,bureau of ,land ,management4 7,c7 ,the ,national ,park ,service4 7,d7 ,the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service4 7,e7 ,the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey4 7#b7 ,in the ,department of ,agriculture1 the following3 7,a7 ,the ,agricultural ,research ,service4 7,b7 ,the ,forest ,service4 7,c7 ,the ,national ,institute of ,food and ,agriculture4 7,d7 ,the ,natural ,resources ,conservation ,service4 #cjb4 ,bureau of ,land ,management plant conservation program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,bureau of ,land ,management is authorized to undertake activities to develop and use native plant materials4 7b7 ,activities ,the following activities are within the scope of this authority3 7#a7 ,identifying1 evaluating1 and protecting rare plants on public lands4 7#b7 ,understanding the effects of human activity on native plant species and communities on public lands4 7#c7 ,supporting efforts to develop genetically appropriate native plant materials for restoring and maintaining habitat for animal and plant species1 including sage grouse1 and monitoring the effectiveness of such materials4 7#d7 ,ensuring that the needs of the agency for native plant materials are met4 7#e7 ,developing seed transfer zones and guidelines4 7#f7 ,supporting public-private partnerships to catalogue and store plant materials4 7#g7 ,coordinating a national network of seed storage warehouses4 7#h7 ,implementing habitat conservation and restoration on a landscape scale4 7#i7 ,supporting public-private efforts1 and volunteer efforts to support plant conservation4 7c7 ,authorization of ,appropriations ,to carry out the purposes of this section1 there are authorized to be appropriated-- 7#a7 for fiscal year #bjbj1 #ce1jjj1jjj2 and 7#b7 for each fiscal year after fiscal year #bjbj1 such sums as may be necessary4 #cjc4 ,national ,fish and ,wildlife ,foundation plant conservation programs ,the ,national ,fish and ,wildlife ,foundation shall-- 7#a7 ensure that a robust program of activities specifically focused on the conservation and protection of native plants is incorporated into its existing programs and activities2 and 7#b7 provide a report to ,congress on its implementation of this section4