H.R. 6734 would extend the authorization of appropriations ($2 million a year) for volunteer services, community partnerships, and wildlife refuge education programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) through 2026. As a result, the bill also would extend the authorization for USFWS to enter into cooperative agreements with nonprofit groups, academic institutions, and state or local agencies to help finance projects that would benefit wildlife refuges. The current authorization expires at the end of 2022.
CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted by the end of calendar year 2022 and that the authorized amounts will be provided in each fiscal year. Based on historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $7 million over the 2023-2027 period, and $1 million after 2027, assuming appropriation of the specified amounts.
The costs of this legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
