March 13, 2025
Mr. Lee (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Sheehy, and Mr. Barrasso) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to provide that the President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, the Chief of the Forest Service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Forest Service Accountability Act
.
Sec. 2. Chief of the Forest Service
Subtitle E of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6961) is amended by adding at the end the following:
246. Chief of the Forest Service
(a) Appointment by the President; Senate advice and consent
The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, the Chief of the Forest Service.
(b) Qualifications
An individual appointed under subsection (a) shall have substantial experience and demonstrated competence in forest and natural resources management.
(c) Committee referral
(1) In general
Any nomination of an individual to be the Chief of the Forest Service submitted to the Senate for confirmation, and referred to a committee, shall be referred jointly to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.
(2) Rules of Senate
Paragraph (1) is enacted—
(A)
as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate, and as such is deemed a part of the rules of the Senate and supersedes other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent with such rules; and
(B)
with full recognition of the constitutional right of the Senate to change the rules at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of the Senate.
(d) Application to incumbent
Notwithstanding any service by an individual serving in the position of Chief of the Forest Service on the date of enactment of this section, the President shall submit to the Senate a nomination for an individual to be the Chief of the Forest Service not later than 30 days after that date of enactment.