---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 715a"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "715a"
heading: "Migratory Bird Conservation Commission; creation; composition; duties; approval of areas of land and water recommended for purchase or rental"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/715a"
units:
  - "Chapter 7 — Protection of Migratory Game and Insectivorous Birds"
  - "Subchapter III — Migratory Bird Conservation"
---

# §715a. Migratory Bird Conservation Commission; creation; composition; duties; approval of areas of land and water recommended for purchase or rental


A [commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) to be known as the Migratory Bird Conservation [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), consisting of the [Secretary](/usc/16/718j.md?p=b-3) of the Interior, as chairman, the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of the Environmental Protection Agency, the [Secretary](/usc/16/718j.md?p=b-3) of Agriculture and two Members of the Senate, to be selected by the President of the Senate, and two Members of the House of Representatives to be selected by the Speaker, is created and authorized to consider and pass upon any [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) of land, water, or land and water that may be recommended by the [Secretary](/usc/16/718j.md?p=b-3) of the Interior for purchase or rental under this subchapter, and to fix the price or prices at which such [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) may be purchased or rented; and no purchase or rental shall be made of any such [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) until it has been duly approved for purchase or rental by said [commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c). Any Member of the House of Representatives who is a member of the [commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), if reelected to the succeeding Congress, may serve on the [commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) notwithstanding the expiration of a Congress. Any vacancy on the [commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The ranking officer of the branch or department of a [State](/usc/16/718j.md?p=b-4) to which is committed the administration of its game laws, or his authorized representative, and in a [State](/usc/16/718j.md?p=b-4) having no such branch or department, the governor thereof, or his authorized representative, shall be a member ex officio of said [commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) for the purpose of considering and voting on all questions relating to the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1), under this subchapter, of [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) in his [State](/usc/16/718j.md?p=b-4). For purposes of this subchapter, the purchase or rental of any [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) of land, water, or land and water includes the purchase or rental of any interest in any such [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) of land, water, or land and water.


## Source credit

(Feb. 18, 1929, ch. 257, § 2, 45 Stat. 1222; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, § 4(f), (h), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1433; Pub. L. 90–261, Mar. 2, 1968, 82 Stat. 39; Pub. L. 94–215, § 4, Feb. 17, 1976, 90 Stat. 190; Pub. L. 101–233, § 13, Dec. 13, 1989, 103 Stat. 1977.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1989—Pub. L. 101–233 substituted “Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency” for “Secretary of Transportation”.

1976—Pub. L. 94–215 inserted provision including in the purchase or rental of any area of land, water, or land and water the purchase or rental of any interest in any such area of land, water, or land and water.

1968—Pub. L. 90–261 substituted the Secretary of Transportation for the Secretary of Commerce in the membership of the Commission.

### Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, transferred functions of Secretary of Agriculture relating to conservation of wildlife, game, and migratory birds to Secretary of the Interior, and provided that Secretary of the Interior should be chairman of Migratory Bird Conservation Commission and that Secretary of Agriculture should be a member thereof.