,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fe  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of    
,,representatives  ,january #c1         
#bjbe,mr4 ,biggs of ,arizona 7for       
himself and ,mr4 ,gosar7 introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,endangered    
,species ,act of #aigc to further       
restrict the ,secretary of the ,interior
 from designating certain lands used for
 national defense-related purposes as   
critical habitat for any species under  
that ,act and to broaden exclusions and 
exemptions from that ,act for such      
defense-related purposes4  #a4 ,short   
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,armed ,forces ,endangered ,species     
,exemption ,act4  #b4 ,exclusion of     
military institutions as critical       
habitat ,section #d7;a77#c77;,b7 of the 
,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af 
,u4,s4,c4 #aecc7;a77#c77;,b77 is amended
 to read as follows3  7i7 ,the          
,secretary shall not designate as       

critical habitat-- 7,i7 any military    
installation or a ,state-owned ,national
 ,guard installation1 or any portion    
thereof1 as such terms are defined in   
section #ajj of the ,sikes ,act 7#af    
,u4,s4,c4 #fgj72 or  7,,ii7 any other   
lands1 waters1 or geographical area not 
described in clause 7i7 that is         
otherwise designated for use by the     
,secretary of ,defense including by any 
contractor of the ,department of        
,defense1 if the ,secretary of ,defense 
determines in writing and submitted to  
the ,secretary of the ,interior that    
such area is necessary for military     
training1 weapons testing1 or any other 
reason determined appropriate by such   
,secretary of ,defense4  7ii7 ,the      
,secretary of ,defense shall not be     
required to consult with the ,secretary 
of the ,interior1 under section         
#g7;a77#b7 of this ,act with respect to 
agency action1 regardless of whether the
 area described in clause 7i7 is subject
 to an integrated natural resources     

management plan prepared under section  
#aja of the ,sikes ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4  
#fgj;a74  4  #c4 ,additional exclusions 
and exemptions from ,endangered ,species
 ,act of #aigc for defense-related      
operations ,section #aj of the          
,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af 
,u4,s4,c4 #aeci7 is amended by adding at
 the end the following3  7k7 ,exclusion 
for national defense-,related operations
  7#a7 ,exclusions ,the prohibitions    
under section #i shall not apply with   
respect to-- 7,a7 the taking of any     
endangered species or threatened        
species1 or the importation or          
exportation of any such species taken as
 prohibited by such section1 by military
 personnel engaged in a national        
defense-related operation2  7,b7        
damaging or destroying any threatened or
 endangered species1 or removing1       
cutting1 digging up1 damaging1 or       
destroying any such species1 by military
 personnel engaged in a national        
defense-related operation2 or  7,c7 an  

injury to or mortality of a threatened  
or endangered species that results from1
 but is not the purpose of1 a national  
defense-related operation1  regardless  
of whether the operation is conducted on
 a military installation or other area  
described in section #d7;a77#c77;,b77i74
  7#b7 ,definitions ,for the purposes of
 this subsection-- 7,a7 the term        
national defense-related operation      
means-- 7i7 research1 development1      
testing1 and evaluation of military     
munitions1 other ordnance1 and weapons  
systems2  7ii7 the training of members  
of the ,armed ,forces in the use and    
handling of military munitions1 other   
ordnance1 and weapons systems2  7iii7   
general training and military           
preparedness2 or  7iv7 any action or    
duty that the ,secretary of ,defense    
deems necessary to support the          
,department of ,defense in its mission2 
and  7,b7 the term military personnel   
means-- 7i7 a member of the ,armed      
,forces2 and  7ii7 a civilian employee  

or contractor 7including a subcontractor
 at any tier7 of the-- 7,i7 ,department 
of ,defense 7including a nonappropriated
 fund instrumentality of the            
,department72 or  7,,ii7 any other      
,federal agency1 or any provisional     
authority1 to the extent such employment
 relates to supporting the mission of   
the ,department of ,defense overseas4  4