7 U.S.C. § 8506 — Role of brown tree snake Technical Working Group

(a) Purpose: The Technical Working Group^* makes sure that federal, state, territorial, and local agencies work together against the brown tree snake^* in a way that is coordinated, effective, complementary, and cost-effective.

(b) Specific duties and activities: The Group must (1) evaluate government programs and policies that might spread the brown tree snake into the United States or the Freely Associated States^*, and recommend ways to reduce that risk; (2) recommend and monitor programs to reduce and eventually wipe out the brown tree snake in Guam and any other place in the United States where it has taken hold; and (3) revise the Brown Tree Snake Control Plan, first published in June 1996, which coordinates government efforts to control, block, eradicate, or study the snake.

(c) Reporting requirement: If Congress provides money for it, the Group must write a report covering: (1) progress toward large-scale reduction or elimination of the snake in Guam and other infested sites; the steps needed to stop this snake or other foreign snakes from reaching Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaii, American Samoa, and the Freely Associated States; research that could improve control, blocking, and eradication efforts; and the programs governments have funded, are running, or are planning for control, blocking, research, and eradication. The report must also (2) rank government efforts as high, medium, or low priority in four areas — control, blocking, research, and eradication — and (3) assess current funding gaps and future funding needs, plus any regulations that get in the way of these efforts. (4) If Congress has provided money for it, the Group must send this report to Congress within one year of October 30, 2004.

(d) Meetings: The Group must meet at least once a year.

(e) Inclusion of Guam: The responsible Secretaries^* must make sure Guam's government is properly represented in the Group.

(f) Support: As much as practical, the Secretaries must give the Group enough resources to run efficiently, and may assign staff to help it do its work.

(g) Authorization of appropriations: Congress may provide up to $450,000 to each Secretary, for each year from 2006 through 2010, to carry out this section.