§742l. Enforcement authority for the protection of fish and wildlife resources

(a) Law enforcement training program

(1) In order to provide for and encourage training, research, and development for the purpose of improving fish and wildlife law enforcement and developing new methods for the prevention, detection, and reduction of violation of fish and wildlife laws, and the apprehension of violators of such laws, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce may each-

(A) establish and conduct national training programs to provide, at the request of any State, training for State fish and wildlife law enforcement personnel;

(B) develop new or improved approaches, techniques, systems, equipment, and service to improve and strengthen fish and wildlife law enforcement; and

(C) assist in conducting, at the request of any appropriate State official, local or regional training programs for the training of State fish and wildlife law enforcement personnel.

Such training programs shall be conducted to the maximum extent practicable through established programs.

(2) There are authorized to be appropriated beginning with fiscal year 1980 such funds as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of subsection (b), and the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce may each require reimbursement from the States for expenditures made pursuant to subsections (b)(1)(A) and (C).

(b) Law enforcement cooperative agreement

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce may each utilize by agreement, with or without reimbursement, the personnel, services and facilities of any other Federal or State agency to the extent he deems it necessary and appropriate for effective enforcement of any Federal or State laws on lands, waters, or interests therein under his jurisdiction which are administered or managed for fish and wildlife purposes and for enforcement of any laws administered by him relating to fish and wildlife. Persons so designated by either Secretary, who are not employees of another Federal agency-

(1) shall not be deemed a Federal employee and shall not be subject to the provisions of law relating to Federal employment, including those relating to hours of work, competitive examination, rates of compensation, and Federal employee benefits, but may be considered eligible for compensation for work injuries under subchapter III of chapter 81 of title 5;

(2) shall be considered to be investigative or law enforcement officers of the United States for the purposes of the tort claim provisions of title 28;

(3) may, to the extent specified by either Secretary, search, seize, arrest, and exercise any other law enforcement functions or authorities under Federal laws relating to fish and wildlife, where such authorities are made applicable by this or any other law to employees, officers, or other persons designated or employed by either Secretary; and

(4) shall be considered to be officers or employees of the Department of the Interior or the Department of Commerce, as the case may be, within the meaning of sections 111 and 1114 of title 18.

(c) Disposal of abandoned or forfeited property

(1) In general

Subject to paragraph (2), notwithstanding any other provision of law, all fish, wildlife, plants, or any other items abandoned or forfeited to the United States under any laws administered by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce relating to fish, wildlife, or plants, shall be disposed of by either Secretary in such a manner as he deems appropriate (including, but not limited to, loan, gift, sale, or destruction).

(2) Prohibition on sale of certain items

In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce may not sell any species of fish, wildlife, or plant, or derivative thereof, for which the sale is prohibited by another Federal law.

(3) Use of revenues

The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce may each expend any revenues received from the disposal of items under paragraph (1), and all sums referred to in the first sentence of section 1540(d) of this title and the first sentence of section 3375(d) of this title-

(A) to make payments in accordance with those sections; and

(B) to pay costs associated with-

(i) shipping items referred to in paragraph (1) to and from the place of storage, sale, or temporary or final disposal, including temporary or permanent loan;

(ii) storage of the items, including inventory of, and security for, the items;

(iii) appraisal of the items;

(iv) sale or other disposal of the items in accordance with applicable law, including auctioneer commissions and related expenses;

(v) payment of any valid liens or other encumbrances on the items and payment for other measures required to clear title to the items; and

(vi) in the case of the Secretary of the Interior only, processing and shipping of eagles and other migratory birds, and parts of migratory birds, for Native American religious purposes.

(d) Disclaimer

Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate any law enforcement agreement or delegation made by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce with respect to fish and wildlife matters prior to November 8, 1978.

(e) to (j) Omitted

(k) Law enforcement operations

With respect to any undercover or other enforcement operation which is necessary for the detection and prosecution of violations of any laws administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service relating to fish, wildlife, or plants, the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce may, notwithstanding any other provision of law-

(1) direct the advance of funds which may be deposited in commercial banks or other financial institutions;

(2) use appropriations for payment for information, rewards, or evidence concerning violations, without reference to any rewards to which such persons may otherwise be entitled by law, and any moneys subsequently recovered shall be reimbursed to the current appropriation; and

(3) use appropriations to establish or acquire proprietary corporations or business entities as part of an undercover operation, operate such corporations or business entities on a commercial basis, lease space and make other necessary expenditures, and use the proceeds from such undercover operations to offset necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in such operations: Provided, That at the conclusion of each such operation the proceeds shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts.

( Pub. L. 95–616, §3 (less (e)–(j)), Nov. 8, 1978, 92 Stat. 3110 ; Pub. L. 97–396, §7, Dec. 31, 1982, 96 Stat. 2006 ; Pub. L. 105–328, §3, Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 3058 .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This section, referred to in subsec. (d), means section 3 of Pub. L. 95–616, which in addition to enacting this section, enacted section 712 of this title and amended sections 460k–3, 668dd, 690e, 706, and 718f of this title and sections 1114 and 3112 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Codification

Section is comprised of subsecs. (a) to (d) and (k) of section 3 of Pub. L. 95–616, as amended. For classification of subsecs. (e) through (j) of section 3, see References in Text note above and Tables.

Amendments

1998-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–328 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and inserted heading, substituted "Subject to paragraph (2), notwithstanding" for "Notwithstanding", and added pars. (2) and (3).

1982-Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 97–396 added subsec. (k).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Congressional Findings and Purposes

Pub. L. 105–328, §2, Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 3057 , provided that:

"(a) Findings.-Congress finds that-

"(1) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (referred to in this Act [amending this section and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 742a of this title] as the 'Service')-

"(A) is responsible for storage and disposal of items derived from fish, wildlife, and plants, including eagles and eagle parts, and other items that have become the property of the United States through abandonment or forfeiture under applicable laws relating to fish, wildlife, or plants;

"(B) distributes many of those items for educational and scientific uses and for religious purposes of Native Americans; and

"(C) unless otherwise prohibited by law, may dispose of some of those items by sale, except items derived from endangered or threatened species, marine mammals, and migratory birds;

"(2) under law in effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 1998], the revenue from sale of abandoned items is not available to the Service, although approximately 90 percent of the items in possession of the Service have been abandoned; and

"(3) making revenue from the sale of abandoned items available to the Service will enable the Service-

"(A) to cover costs incurred in shipping, storing, and disposing of items derived from fish, wildlife, and plants; and

"(B) to make more extensive distributions of those items for educational, scientific, and Native American religious purposes.

"(b) Purposes.-The purposes of this Act are to make proceeds from sales of abandoned items derived from fish, wildlife, and plants available to the Service and to authorize the use of those proceeds to cover costs incurred in shipping, storing, and disposing of those items."