Description:
H.R. 2494 would authorize the Administration to promote the efforts of foreign governments and regional entities in countering wildlife trafficking, in particular by providing technical assistance and support to park rangers and law enforcement officers. In total, and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2494 would cost $6 million over the 2017-2021 period.
Pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply because enacting H.R. 2494 would not affect direct spending or revenues. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2494 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
In 2014, the President issued a national strategy for combating wildlife trafficking. Several federal agencies, including the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are members of the task force responsible for implementing that strategy. According to the Department of State, many of the bill’s requirements to support international enforcement efforts align with agencies’ existing responsibilities. However, the requirements to provide annual strategic assessments of the task force’s work and to report annually on countries that are major sources, transit points, or consumers of trafficked products would impose additional costs. CBO estimates that implementing those requirements would cost less than $500,000 each year and a total of $1 million over the 2017-2021 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
