text: SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
              (1) the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this Act 
          as the ``Secretary'') administers the 191,000,000-acre National 
          Forest System for multiple uses in accordance with Federal law;
              (2) where suitable, one of the recognized multiple uses for 
          National Forest System land is grazing by livestock;
              (3) the Secretary authorizes grazing through the issuance 
          of term grazing permits that have terms of not to exceed 10 
          years and that include terms and conditions necessary for the 
          proper administration of National Forest System land and 
          resources;
              (4) as of the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
          has issued approximately 9,000 term grazing permits authorizing 
          grazing on approximately 90,000,000 acres of National Forest 
          System land;
              (5) of the approximately 9,000 term grazing permits issued 
          by the Secretary, approximately one-half have expired or will 
          expire by the end of 1996;
              (6) if the holder of an expiring term grazing permit has 
          complied with the terms and conditions of the permit and 
          remains eligible and qualified, that individual is considered 
          to be a preferred applicant for a new term grazing permit in 
          the event that the Secretary determines that grazing remains an 
          appropriate use of the affected National Forest System land;
              (7) in addition to the approximately 9,000 term grazing 
          permits issued by the Secretary, it is estimated that as many 
          as 1,600 term grazing permits may be waived by permit holders 
          to the Secretary in favor of a purchaser of the permit holder's 
          permitted livestock or base property by the end of 1996;
              (8) to issue new term grazing permits, the Secretary must 
          comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
          U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other laws;
              (9) for a large percentage of the grazing permits that will 
          expire or be waived to the Secretary by the end of 1996, the 
          Secretary has devised a strategy that will result in compliance 
          with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and other 
          applicable laws (including regulations) in a timely and 
          efficient manner and enable the Secretary to issue new term 
          grazing permits, where appropriate;
              (10) for a small percentage to the grazing permits that 
          will expire or be waived to the Secretary by the end of 1996, 
          the strategy will not provide for the timely issuance of new 
          term grazing permits; and
              (11) in cases in which ranching operations involve the use 
          of a term grazing permit issued by the Secretary, it is 
          essential for new term grazing permits to be issued in a timely 
          manner for financial and other reasons.
      (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to ensure that graving 
  continues without interruption on National Forest System land in a 
  manner that provides long-term protection of the environment and 
  improvement of National Forest System rangeland resources while also 
  providing short-term certainty to holders of expiring term grazing 
  permits and purchasers of a permit holder's permitted livestock or base 
  property.
  
  SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Expiring term grazing permit.--The term ``expiring term 
          grazing permit'' means a term grazing permit--
                      (A) that expires in 1995 or 1996; or
                      (B) that expired in 1994 and was not replaced with 
                  a new term grazing permit solely because the analysis 
                  required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 
                  1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other applicable laws 
                  has not been completed.
              (2) Final agency action.--The term ``final agency action'' 
          means agency action with respect to which all available 
          administrative remedies have been exhausted.
              (3) Term grazing permit.--The term ``term grazing permit'' 
          means a term'' grazing permit'' or grazing agreement issued by 
          the Secretary under section 402 of the Federal Land Policy and 
          Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1752), section 19 of the Act 
          entitled ``An Act to facilitate and simplify the work of the 
          Forest Service, and for other purposes'', approved April 24, 
          1950 (commonly known as the ``Granger-Thye Act'') (16 U.S.C. 
          580l), or other law.
  
  SEC. 3. ISSUANCE OF NEW TERM GRAZING PERMITS.
  
      (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary shall 
  issue a new term grazing permit without regard to whether the analysis 
  required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
  4321 et seq.) and other applicable laws has been completed, or final 
  agency action respecting the analysis has been taken--
              (1) to the holder of an expiring term grazing permit; or
              (2) to the purchaser of a term grazing permit holder's 
          permitted livestock or base property if--
                      (A) between January 1, 1995, and December 1, 1996, 
                  the holder has waived the term grazing permit to the 
                  Secretary pursuant to section 222.3(c)(1)(iv) of title 
                  36, Code of Federal Regulations; and
                      (B) the purchaser of the term grazing permit 
                  holder's permitted livestock or base property is 
                  eligible and qualified to hold a term grazing permit.
      (b) Terms and Conditions.--Except as provided in subsection (c)--
              (1) a new term grazing permit under subsection (a)(1) shall 
          contain the same terms and conditions as the expired term 
          grazing permit; and
              (2) a new term grazing permit under subsection (a)(2) shall 
          contain the same terms and conditions as the waived permit.
      (c) Duration.--
              (1) In general.--A new term grazing permit under subsection 
          (a) shall expire on the earlier of--
                      (A) the date that is 3 years after the date on 
                  which it is issued; or
                      (B) the date on which final agency action is taken 
                  with respect to the analysis required by the National 
                  Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
                  seq.) and other applicable laws.
              (2) Final action in less than 3 years.--If final agency 
          action is taken with respect to the analysis required by the 
          National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
          seq.) and other applicable laws before the date that is 3 years 
          after the date on which a new term grazing permit is issued 
          under subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
                      (A) cancel the new term grazing permit; and
                      (B) if appropriate, issue a term grazing permit for 
                  a term not to exceed 10 years under terms and 
                  conditions as are necessary for the proper 
                  administration of National Forest System rangeland 
                  resources.
      (d) Date of Issuance.--
              (1) Expiration on or before date of enactment.--In the case 
          of an expiring term grazing permit that has expired on or 
          before the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
          issue a new term grazing permit under subsection (a)(1) not 
          later than 15 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
              (2) Expiration after date of enactment.--In the case of an 
          expiring term grazing permit that expires after the date of 
          enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a new term 
          grazing permit under subsection (a)(1) on expiration of the 
          expiring term grazing permit.
              (3) Waived permits.--In the case of a term grazing permit 
          waived to the Secretary pursuant to section 222.3(c)(1)(iv) of 
          title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, between January 1, 1995, 
          and December 31, 1996, the Secretary shall issue a new term 
          grazing permit under subsection (a)(2) not later than 60 days 
          after the date on which the holder waives a term grazing permit 
          to the Secretary.
  
  SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL AND JUDICIAL REVIEW.
  
      The issuance of a new term grazing permit under section 3(a) shall 
  not be subject to administrative appeal or judicial review.
  
  SEC. 5. REPEAL.
  
      This Act is repealed effective as of January 1, 2001.
target: Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to issue new term grazing permits for National Forest System lands to replace previously issued expired or expiring permits.
feat_title: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to issue new term permits for grazing on National Forest System lands, to replace previously issued term grazing permits that have expired, soon will expire, or are waived to the Secretary, and for other purposes.