S.Amdt. 1027

1. Adds SEC. 12___. PROTECTION OF HONEY BEES AND OTHER POLLINATORS at the end of subtitle C of title XII

   Adds a section

   In S. 954 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2019.

   Inserted: SEC. 12___. PROTECTION OF HONEY BEES AND OTHER POLLINATORS.

   Inserted: (a) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall carry out such activities as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to protect and ensure the long-term viability of populations of honey bees, wild bees, and other beneficial insects of agricultural crops, horticultural plants, wild plants, and other plants, including--

   Inserted: (1) providing formal guidance relating to proposed agency actions that may threaten pollinator health or jeopardize the long-term viability of populations of pollinators;

   Inserted: (2) making use of the best available peer-reviewed science regarding environmental and chemical stressors on pollinator health; and

   Inserted: (3) regularly monitoring and reporting on the health and population status of managed and native pollinators including bees, birds, bats, and other species.

   Inserted: (b) Interagency Task Force on Bee Health and Commercial Beekeeping.--

   Inserted: (1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an interagency task force--

   Inserted: (A) to coordinate Federal efforts carried out on or after the date of enactment of this Act to address the serious worldwide decline in bee health, especially honey bees and declining native bees; and

   Inserted: (B) to assess Federal efforts to mitigate pollinator losses and threats to the United States commercial beekeeping industry.

   Inserted: (2) Membership.--The task force established under this subsection shall be comprised of officials from--

   Inserted: (A) the Department of Agriculture;

   Inserted: (B) the Department of the Interior;

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   Inserted: (C) the Environmental Protection Agency;

   Inserted: (D) the Food and Drug Administration; and

   Inserted: (E) the Department of Commerce.

   Inserted: (3) Consultation.--The members of the task force established under this subsection shall consult with beekeeper, conservation, scientist, and agricultural stakeholders.

   Inserted: (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the task force established under subsection (b) shall submit to Congress a report that summarizes--

   Inserted: (1) Federal activities carried out pursuant to section 1672(h) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(h)) or any other provision of law (including regulations) to address bee decline; and

   Inserted: (2) international efforts to address the decline of managed honeybees and native pollinators.

   Inserted: (d) Pollinator Research Lab Feasibility Study.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, shall conduct feasibility studies regarding--

   Inserted: (A) establishing a new bee research laboratory; and

   Inserted: (B) modernizing existing honey bee research laboratories identified by the Agricultural Research Service in the capital investment strategy document dated 2012.

   Inserted: (2) Consultation.--In conducting the feasibility studies under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with--

   Inserted: (A) beekeeper, native bee, agricultural, research institution, and bee conservation stakeholders regarding new research laboratory needs under paragraph (1)(A); and

   Inserted: (B) commercial beekeepers regarding modernizing existing honey bee laboratories under paragraph (1)(B).

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle C of title XII, add the following:

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As printed