,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aifd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #h1 #bjba,mr4 ,bennet 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,mr4 ,hickenlooper1 ,mr4 ,risch1 and ,mr4 ,crapo7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,omnibus ,parks and ,public ,lands ,management ,act of #aiif to provide for the establishment of a ,ski ,area ,fee ,retention ,account1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,ski ,hill ,resources for ,economic ,development ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,establishment of ,ski ,area ,fee ,retention ,account 7a7 ,in general ,section #gja of division ,i of the ,omnibus ,parks and ,public ,lands ,management ,act of #aiif 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #dig;c7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7k7 ,ski area fee retention account 7#a7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,account ,the term ,account means the ,ski ,area ,fee ,retention ,account established under paragraph 7#b74 7,b7 ,covered unit ,the term covered unit means a unit of the ,national ,forest ,system that collects a rental charge4 7,c7 ,program ,the term ,program means the ,forest ,service ,ski ,area ,program4 7,d7 ,region ,the term region means a region of the ,forest ,service4 7,e7 ,rental charge ,the term rental charge means a permit rental charge that is charged under subsection 7a74 7,f7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,agriculture4 7#b7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall establish in the ,treasury a special account1 to be known as the ,ski ,area ,fee ,retention ,account1 into which there shall be deposited-- 7,a7 in the case of a covered unit at which #ae1jjj1jjj or more is collected by the covered unit from rental charges in a fiscal year1 an amount equal to #fj percent of the rental charges collected at the covered unit in the fiscal year2 or 7,b7 in the case of any other covered unit1 an amount equal to #ge percent of the rental charges collected at the covered unit in a fiscal year4 7#c7 ,availability ,subject to paragraph 7#e71 any amounts deposited in the ,account under paragraph 7#b7 shall be available to the ,secretary for use in accordance with paragraph 7#d71 without further appropriation1 and shall remain available until expended4 7#d7 ,use and distribution of amounts in the ,account 7,a7 ,distribution of percentage amounts ,except as provided in subparagraphs 7,b71 7,c71 7,d71 7,f71 and 7,g71 #ge percent of the amounts deposited in the ,account from a covered unit at which the rental charges were collected in the preceding fiscal year shall be available for expenditure in accordance with subparagraph 7,e7 at that covered unit4 7,b7 ,reduction of percentage amount ,subject to subparagraph 7,c71 the ,secretary may reduce the percentage of amounts available to a covered unit under subparagraph 7,a7 if the ,secretary determines that the amounts will exceed the reasonable needs of the covered unit for the purposes described in subparagraph 7,e7 in the fiscal year4 7,c7 ,limitation ,the ,secretary may not reduce1 pursuant to subparagraph 7,b71 the percentage of amounts available under subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 in the case of a covered unit described in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 to less than #be percent of the amount of rental charges deposited in the ,account from the covered unit in a fiscal year2 or 7ii7 in the case of any other covered unit1 to less than #dj percent of the amount of rental charges deposited in the ,account from the covered unit in a fiscal year4 7,d7 ,distribution of reduction amounts ,the ,secretary may make any amounts in the ,account remaining as a result of any reduction in the percentage of amounts under subparagraph 7,b7 available to other covered units or the regions in which the covered units are located for the purposes described in subparagraph 7,e71 taking into consideration the following factors3 7i7 ,any backlog in ski area permit and ,program administration in the covered units1 including-- 7,i7 the number of proposals for ski area improvement projects2 and 7,,ii7 the processing of proposals for ski area improvement projects4 7ii7 ,any need for services1 training1 staffing1 or the streamlining of programs in the other covered units or the region in which the covered units are located that would improve the administration of the ,program4 7iii7 ,any need for wildfire preparedness1 planning1 and coordination in and around ski areas4 7,e7 ,authorized expenditures ,amounts distributed from the ,account to a covered unit under this subsection may be used for-- 7i7 ski area special use permit and ,program administration in the covered unit1 including-- 7,i7 the processing of proposals for ski area improvement projects2 and 7,,ii7 staffing and contracting for that processing and related services in the covered unit or in the applicable region2 7ii7 staff training for processing of ski area applications and administering ski area permits in the covered unit or the region in which the covered unit is located2 7iii7 interpretation activities1 visitor information1 visitor services1 and signage in the covered unit to enhance the ski area visitor experience on ,national ,forest ,system land2 and 7iv7 wildfire preparedness1 planning1 and coordination in and around ski areas in the covered unit or in the applicable region4 7,f7 ,expenditure for other purposes ,if any amounts remain in the ,account after all necessary ,program expenditures have been made under subparagraph 7,d71 the ,secretary may use the amounts for other purposes in accordance with subparagraph 7,g74 7,g7 ,other recreation permit administration1 visitor services1 and other purposes ,in addition to any amounts remaining in the ,account described in subparagraph 7,f71 #be percent of the amounts deposited in the ,account from a covered unit in which the rental charges were collected shall remain available for expenditure at that covered unit or the region in which the covered unit is located for-- 7i7 administering non-ski area ,forest ,service recreation special use permits2 7ii7 avalanche information and education activities carried out by the ,secretary or nonprofit partners2 7iii7 recreation management1 maintenance1 and services2 and 7iv7 administration of leases under-- 7,i7 the ,forest ,service ,facility ,realignment and ,enhancement ,act of #bjje 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ehj;d note2 ,public ,law #aji-ed72 and 7,,ii7 section #hfbc of the ,agriculture ,improvement ,act of #bjah 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ehj;d note2 ,public ,law #aae-ccd74 7,h7 ,limitation ,amounts in the ,account may not be used for-- 7i7 the conduct of wildfire suppression outside ski area permit boundaries2 or 7ii7 the acquisition of land for inclusion in the ,national ,forest ,system4 7#e7 ,savings provisions 7,a7 ,in general ,nothing in this subsection affects the applicability of section #g of the ,act of ,april #bd1 #aiej 7commonly known as the ,granger-,thye ,act7 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ehj;d71 to ski areas on ,national ,forest ,system land4 7,b7 ,supplemental funding ,rental charges retained and expended under this subsection shall supplement 7and not supplant7 appropriated funding for the operation and maintenance of each covered unit4 7,c7 ,cost recovery ,nothing in this subsection affects any cost recovery under any other provision of law for processing applications for or monitoring compliance with ski area permits or other recreation special use permits4 4 7b7 ,effective date ,this section 7including the amendments made by this section7 shall take effect on the date that is #fj days after the date of enactment of this ,act4 7c7 ,implementation ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall not be required to issue regulations or policy guidance to implement this section 7including the amendments made by this section74