S. 485Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Stewardship End Result Contracting Improvement Act of 2017

Sponsored by Jeff FlakeSen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Introduced March 1, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 1:10 PM UTC

TheStewardship End Result Contracting Improvement Act of 2017 amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act to give the Forest Service clearer authority to set and manage cancellation costs for large stewardship contracts. It requires the agency to notify Congress and the Office of Management and Budget when a multiyear contract’s cancellation ceiling exceeds $25 million, and it directs how any excess funds from these contracts can be used. The changes affect the Forest Service’s chief, the director of the U.S. Forest Service, and the federal budgeting and oversight committees that oversee forest stewardship projects.

Key Provisions

  • Adds a new “cancellation ceilings” provision allowing the Forest Service chief and director to set aside funds for potential contract termination costs, with a reporting trigger for ceilings over $25 million.
  • Requires a written notice to Senate and House committees and a copy to OMB at least 30 days (notice) and 14 days (transmission) before entering such contracts, detailing the ceiling amounts, reasons, and financial risk assessment.
  • Allows any excess value from stewardship contracts to first cover outstanding liabilities from cancelled agreements, and if none exist, to be applied to other authorized stewardship projects.
  • Updates the list of congressional committees that receive reports on these contracts to include the Energy and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry committees in the Senate and the Natural Resources and Agriculture committees in the House.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

March 1, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 1, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

March 1, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 1, 2017

II

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 485

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 1, 2017

Mr. Flake (for himself, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. McCain, Mr. Risch, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Heller, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Daines, Mr. Tester, and Mr. Bennet) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to provide cancellation ceilings for stewardship end result contracting projects, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Stewardship End Result Contracting Improvement Act of 2017.

2.

Stewardship end result contracting projects

(a)

Cancellation ceilings

Section 604(d) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(d)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), and (7) as paragraphs (6), (7), and (8), respectively;

(2)

by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:

(5)

Cancellation ceilings

(A)

In general

The Chief and the Director may obligate funds to cover any potential cancellation or termination costs for an agreement or contract under subsection (b) in stages that are economically or programmatically viable.

(B)

Notice

(i)

Submission to congress

Not later than 30 days before entering into a multiyear agreement or contract under subsection (b) that includes a cancellation ceiling in excess of $25,000,000, but does not include proposed funding for the costs of cancelling the agreement or contract up to the cancellation ceiling established in the agreement or contract, the Chief and the Director shall submit to the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committees on Natural Resources and Agriculture of the House of Representatives a written notice that includes—

(I)
(aa)

the cancellation ceiling amounts proposed for each program year in the agreement or contract; and

(bb)

the reasons for the cancellation ceiling amounts proposed under item (aa);

(II)

the extent to which the costs of contract cancellation are not included in the budget for the agreement or contract; and

(III)

a financial risk assessment of not including budgeting for the costs of agreement or contract cancellation.

(ii)

Transmittal to OMB

At least 14 days before the date on which the Chief and Director enter into an agreement or contract under subsection (b), the Chief and Director shall transmit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a copy of the written notice submitted under clause (i).

; and

(3)

in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), by striking , the Chief may and inserting and section 2(a)(1) of the Act of July 31, 1947 (commonly known as the Materials Act of 1947) (30 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)), the Chief and the Director may.

(b)

Excess offset value

Section 604(g)(2) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(g)(2)) is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following:

(A)

use the excess to satisfy any outstanding liabilities for cancelled agreements or contracts; or

(B)

if there are no outstanding liabilities under subparagraph (A), apply the excess to other authorized stewardship projects.

.

(c)

Reporting

Section 604(i) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(i)) is amended by striking Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and inserting Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committees on Natural Resources and Agriculture of the House of Representatives.