House plans bill to encourage shooting ranges on federal land, boost access for Customs officials

House Republicans are looking to pass legislation as early as next week that combines 14 land-use bills into one, including legislation that encourages more shooting and archery ranges on federal land and another that would ensure Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials can access all land on the border.

The House has passed dozens of land-use bills throughout the 112th Congress, almost all of which have been non-controversial and able to pass under a suspension of House rules. But Republicans have packaged 14 of these together and are looking to approve that package, H.R. 2578, under regular order.

One of the bills included in that bill is H.R. 3065, the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act, from Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.). That language includes a finding that the use of firearms and archery equipment should be allowed on federal land, but that the government has been closing land to target practice facilities.

The bill also includes H.R. 1505, the National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act, from Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah). Bishop and other Republicans have argued on the floor that CBP officials are often prevented from enforcing border laws because they cannot access certain land due to environmental restrictions.

His language says the secretary of the Interior and the secretary of Agriculture "shall not impede, prohibit, or restrict activities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture to achieve operational control of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 over the international land borders of the United States."

The House Rules Committee has set a Monday deadline for amendments to the bill, a usual sign that floor action could occur as early as next week.

The vehicle for the package is H.R. 2578, which would amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act for a segment of the Lower Mercer River in California. Other bills included on that bill are:

• H.R. 460, the Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act

• H.R. 1408, the Southeast Alaska Native Land Entitlement Finalization and Jobs Protection Act

• H.R. 3100, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Boundary Expansion Act

• H.R. 1545, the Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act

• H.R. 2352, the North Cascades National Park Access

• H.R. 3069, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act

• H.R. 3685, the Reauthorization of Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act

• H.R. 4039, the Yerington Land Conveyance and Sustainable Development Act

• H.R. 4094, the Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act

• H.R. 4234, the Grazing Improvement Act

• H.R. 258, the Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act

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