text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Community Recreation and 
  Conservation Endowment Act of 1997''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
  
      (a) Congress finds that:
              (1) The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 
          enbodied a visionary concept--that a portion of the proceeds 
          from Outer Continental Shelf mineral leasing revenues and the 
          depletion of a nonrenewable natural resource should result in a 
          legacy of public places accessible for public recreation and 
          benefit from resources belongings to all people, of all 
          generations, and the enhancement of the most precious and most 
          renewable natural resource of any nation, healthy and active 
          citizens.
              (2) The States and local governments were to occupy a 
          pivotal role in accomplishing the purposes of the Land and 
          Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 and the Act originally 
          provided an equitable portion of funds to the States, and 
          through them, to local governments.
              (3) However, because of competition for limited federal 
          monies and the need for an annual appropriation, this original 
          intention has been abandoned and, in recent years, the States 
          have not received an equitable proportion of funds.
              (4) Nonetheless, with population growth and urban sprawl, 
          the demand for recreation areas and open spaces, at the state 
          and local level, remains a high priority for our citizens.
              (5) A new vision is called for--a vision that encompasses a 
          multi-level national network of parks, recreation areas, open 
          space preserves and greenways that reaches across the country 
          to touch all communities. National parks are not enough; the 
          federal government alone cannot accomplish this. A bold 
          national vision, backed by realistic national funding support, 
          to stimulate state, local and private sector, as well as 
          federal efforts, is the only way to effectively address our 
          ongoing recreation and open space conservation needs.
              (6) On June 19, 1997, the United States Supreme Court held 
          in United States v. Alaska (No. 84 original) that the United 
          States retains title to lands underlying the tidal waters off 
          the State of Alaska's North Slope.
              (7) As a result of the Supreme Court decision, 
          approximately $1,600,000,000 in escrowed oil and gas lease sale 
          revenues are to be received by the United States. These funds 
          are double the amount included by the Congressional Budget 
          Office in revenue estimates for the concurrent resolution on 
          the budget.
              (8) By placing these escrowed funds in an interest bearing 
          account a permanent source of monies for state and local 
          recreation and conservation acquisition, planning and 
          development can be established.
      (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to revitalize state, local 
  and private commitments envisioned in the Land and Water Conservation 
  Fund Act of 1965 by creating a new Community Recreation and 
  Conservation Endowment with the escrowed oil and gas lease sale 
  revenues received by the United States pursuant to the Supreme Court 
  decision in United States v. Alaska to provide funding for state, local 
  and urban recreation and conservation needs.
  
  SEC 3. COMMUNITY RECREATION AND CONSERVATION ENDOWMENT.
  
      Section 6 of the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 
  460l-8) is amended by inserting the following new subsection at the 
  beginning:
      ``(a) Community Recreation and Conservation Endowment.--
              ``(1) Special account.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
          of law, all escrowed oil and gas revenues and interest received 
          by the United States pursuant to the June 19, 1997 Supreme 
          Court decision in United States v. Alaska shall be deposited in 
          a special account in the Treasury of the United States, to be 
          known as the `Community Recreation and Conservation Endowment 
          Account', for use pursuant to the provisions of this section.
              ``(2) Investment of special account.--All funds deposited 
          as principal in the Community Recreation and Conservation 
          Endowment Account shall earn interest in the amount determined 
  by the Secretary of the Treasury. Such interest shall be added to the 
  principal of the account and be expended according to the provisions of 
  this section.
              ``(3) Expenditure of special account.--Interest on the 
          Community Recreation and Conservation Endowment Account shall 
          be available without further appropriation at the beginning of 
          each fiscal year for expenditure by the Secretary of the 
          Interior (hereinafter referred to as the `Secretary') for 
          purposes of providing monies to the states according to the 
          provisions of this section.''.
  
  SEC. 4. GENERAL AUTHORITY.
  
      Section 6 of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 
  U.S.C. 460l-8) is amended--
              (1) by redesignating subsections (a) through (h) as 
          subsections (b) through (i) respectively;
              (2) by striking the first sentence of subsection (b) (as so 
          redesignated) and replacing with ``The Secretary is authorized 
          to provide financial assistance to the States from interest 
          earned on the Community Recreation and Conservation 
          Endowment.''; and
              (3) by adding the following new sentence at the end of 
          subsection (b) (as so redesignated): ``Absent some compelling 
          and annually documented reason to the contrary acceptable to 
          the Secretary, each State (other than an area treated as a 
          State under section 6(c)(6)) shall make available as grants to 
          local governments and other qualified recipients, at least one-
          half of the average annual State apportionment, or an 
          equivalent amount made available from other sources.''.
  
  SEC. 5. APPORTIONMENT.
  
      Section 6(c) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (16 U.S.C. 
  460l-8(c)) (as so redesignated) is amended--
              (1) by striking the first sentence of subsection (c) and 
          paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) and inserting the following:
      ``(c) Apportionment Among States; Notification.--Interest earned on 
  the Community Recreation and Conservation Endowment shall be 
  apportioned annually among the several States by the Secretary, whose 
  determination shall be final, in accordance with the following formula:
              ``(1) Sixty percent shall be apportioned equally among the 
          several States.
              ``(2) Twenty percent shall be apportioned on the basis of 
          the proportion which the population of each State bears to the 
          total population of the United States.
              ``(3) Twenty percent shall be apportioned on the basis of 
          the urban population in each State (as defined by Metropolitan 
          Statistical Areas).
              ``(4) The total allocation to an individual State under 
          paragraphs (1) through (3) shall not exceed 10 percent of the 
          total amount allocated to the several States in any one 
          year.''; and
              (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection 
          (c) (as so redesignated) as paragraphs (5) and (6) 
          respectively.
  
  SEC. 6. FUNDS FOR INDIAN TRIBES.
  
      Section 6(c)(6) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 
  (16 U.S.C. 460l-8(c)(6)) (as so redesignated) is amended--
              (1) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(6)''; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
              ``(B) For the purposes of paragraph (1), all federally 
          recognized Indian tribes and Alaska Native Village Corporations 
          (as defined in section 3(j) of the Alaska Native Claims 
          Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602(j)) shall be treated 
          collectively as one State, and shall receive shares of the 
          apportionment under paragraph (1) in accordance with a 
          competitive grant program established by the Secretary by rule. 
          Such rule shall ensure that in each fiscal year no single tribe 
          or Village Corporation receives more than 10 percent of the 
          total amount made available to all tribes and Village 
          Corporations pursuant to the apportionment under paragraph (1). 
          Funds received by an Indian tribe or Village Corporation under 
          this subparagraph may be expended only for the purposes 
          specified in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (b). Receipt 
          in any given year of an apportionment under this section shall 
          not prevent an Indian tribe or Village Corporation from 
          receiving grants for other purposes under than regular 
          apportionment of the State in which it is located.''.
  
  SEC. 7. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
  
      Section 5 of the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 
  460l-7) is amended by striking ``Not less than 40 per centum of such 
  appropriations shall be available for Federal purposes.''.
target: Community Recreation and Conservation Endowment Act of 1997 - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to require all escrowed oil and gas revenues and interest received by the United States pursuant to the June 19, 1997, Supreme Court decision in United States v. Alaska to be deposited in a special Treasury account known as the Community Recreation and Conservation Endowment Account. 
  Authorizes financial assistance to States from interest earned on the Account.  Requires States to make at least one-half of the average annual apportionment of assistance available to local governments and other qualified recipients.  Provides for annual apportionment of such interest among the States and revises the existing apportionment formula. 
  Treats Indian tribes and Alaska Native village corporations collectively as one State for assistance purposes and apportions interest in accordance with a competitive grant program, such that no tribe or corporation receives more than ten percent of the total amount made available to all tribes and corporations.  Permits such funds to be expended only for outdoor recreation planning or development.  Provides that receipt of such funds shall not prevent a tribe or corporation from receiving grants for other purposes under the regular apportionment of the State in which it is located. 
  Removes a requirement that at least 40 percent of appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund be available for Federal purposes.
feat_title: Community Recreation and Conservation Endowment Act of 1997