[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3817 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3817
To allow coastal States to participate in regional ocean partnerships
with one or more other coastal States that share a common ocean or
coastal area with the coastal State to conserve living resources,
expand and protect valuable habitats, enhance coastal resilience, and
address such other issues related to the shared ocean or coastal area
as are determined to be a shared, regional priority by those States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 2021
Mr. Crist (for himself, Mr. Palazzo, Mr. Lowenthal, and Mr. Smith of
New Jersey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To allow coastal States to participate in regional ocean partnerships
with one or more other coastal States that share a common ocean or
coastal area with the coastal State to conserve living resources,
expand and protect valuable habitats, enhance coastal resilience, and
address such other issues related to the shared ocean or coastal area
as are determined to be a shared, regional priority by those States.
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 ``Regional Ocean Partnership Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS; PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The ocean and coastal waters of the United States are
foundational to the economy, security, global competitiveness,
and well-being of the United States and continuously serve the
people of the United States and other countries as an important
source of food, energy, economic productivity, recreation,
culture, beauty, and enjoyment.
(2) Over many years, the resource productivity and water
quality of the ocean and coastal areas of the United States
have been diminished by pollution, increasing population
demands, economic development, and natural and man-made hazard
events, both acute and chronic.
(3) Ocean and coastal areas of the United States are
managed by State and Federal resource agencies and regulated on
an interstate and regional scale by various overlapping Federal
authorities, thereby creating a significant need for interstate
coordination to enhance regional priorities, including the
ecological and economic health of those areas.
(4) Tribes and Indigenous communities have unique expertise
and knowledge important for the stewardship of our ocean and
coastal waters.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States should seek to support interstate
coordination of shared regional priorities relating to the
management, conservation, resilience, and restoration of ocean
and coastal areas to maximize efficiencies through
collaborative regional efforts by regional ocean partnerships,
in consultation with Federal and State agencies, Tribal
governments, and local authorities;
(2) such efforts would enhance existing and effective State
coastal management efforts based on shared regional priorities;
and
(3) regional ocean partnerships should either directly
include representation from Tribal governments or have
dedicated consultation with such governments.
(c) Purposes.--The purposes of this subtitle are as follows:
(1) To complement and expand cooperative voluntary efforts
intended to manage and restore ocean and coastal areas spanning
across multiple State boundaries.
(2) To expand Federal support for monitoring, data
management, and restoration activities in ocean and coastal
areas.
(3) To commit the United States to a comprehensive
cooperative program to achieve improved water quality in, and
improvements in the productivity of living resources of, all
coastal ecosystems.
(4) To authorize regional ocean partnerships as
intergovernmental coordinators for shared interstate and
regional priorities relating to the collaborative management of
the large marine ecosystems, thereby reducing duplication of
efforts and maximizing opportunities to leverage support in the
ocean and coastal regions.
(5) To empower States and Tribes to take a lead role in
managing oceans and coasts.
(6) To incorporate Tribal interests in the management of
our oceans and coasts and provide funding to support Tribal and
Indigenous ocean and coastal resiliency activities in
coordination with regional ocean partnerships.
(7) To enable regional ocean partnerships, or designated
fiscal management entities of such partnerships, to receive
Federal funding to conduct the scientific research,
conservation and restoration activities, and priority
coordination on shared regional priorities necessary to achieve
the purposes described in paragraphs (1) through (4).
SEC. 3. REGIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIPS.
(a) Definitions.--In this Act--
(1) the term ``coastal State'' has the meaning given that
term in section 304 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972
(16 U.S.C. 1453); and
(2) the term ``Indian Tribe'' has the meaning given such
term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(b) Regional Ocean Partnerships.--
(1) In general.--A coastal State may participate in a
regional ocean partnership with one or more other coastal
States that share a common ocean or coastal area with the
coastal State, without regard to whether the coastal States are
contiguous.
(2) Application.--The Governor of a coastal State, or the
Governors of a group of coastal states may apply to the
Secretary of Commerce on behalf of a partnership of such
States, for the partnership to receive designation as a
regional ocean partnership if the partnership--
(A) meets the requirements under paragraph (3); and
(B) submits an application for such designation in
such manner, in such form, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require.
(3) Requirements.--A partnership is eligible for
designation as a regional ocean partnership by the Secretary
under paragraph (2) if the partnership--
(A) is established to coordinate the interstate
management of coastal resources;
(B) focuses on the environmental issues affecting
the ocean and coastal areas of the members
participating in the partnership;
(C) complements existing State coastal and ocean
management efforts on an interstate scale, focusing on
shared regional priorities;
(D) does not have a regulatory function; and
(E) is not duplicative of an existing regional
ocean partnership designated under paragraph (4), as
determined by the Secretary.
(4) Designation of certain entities as regional ocean
partnerships.--Notwithstanding paragraph (2) or (3), the
following entities are designated as regional ocean
partnerships:
(A) The Gulf of Mexico Alliance, comprised of the
States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Texas.
(B) The Northeast Regional Ocean Council, comprised
of the States of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
(C) The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean,
comprised of the States of New York, New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
(D) The West Coast Ocean Alliance, comprised of the
States of California, Oregon, and Washington and the
coastal Indian Tribes therein.
(c) Governing Bodies of Regional Ocean Partnerships.--
(1) In general.--A regional ocean partnership designated
under subsection (b) shall be governed by a governing body.
(2) Membership.--A governing body described in paragraph
(1)--
(A) shall be comprised, at a minimum, of voting
members from each coastal State participating in the
regional ocean partnership, designated by the Governor
of the coastal State; and
(B) may include such other members as the
partnership considers appropriate.
(d) Functions.--A regional ocean partnership designated under
subsection (b) may perform the following functions:
(1) Promote coordination of the actions of the agencies of
coastal states participating in the partnership with the
actions of the appropriate officials of Federal agencies and
State and Tribal governments in developing strategies--
(A) to conserve living resources, expand and
protect valuable habitats, enhance coastal resilience,
and address such other issues related to the shared
ocean or coastal area as are determined to be a shared,
regional priority by those States; and
(B) to manage regional data portals and develop
associated data products for purposes that support the
priorities of the partnership.
(2) In cooperation with appropriate Federal and State
agencies, Tribal governments, and local authorities, develop
and implement specific action plans to carry out coordination
goals.
(3) Coordinate and implement priority plans and projects,
and facilitate science, research, modeling, monitoring, data
collection, management and sharing, and other activities that
support the goals of the partnership through the provision of
grants and contracts under subsection (f).
(4) Engage, coordinate, and collaborate with relevant
governmental entities and stakeholders to address ocean and
coastal related matters that require interagency or
intergovernmental solutions.
(5) Implement engagement programs for public information,
education, and participation to foster stewardship of the
resources of the ocean and coastal areas, as relevant.
(6) Develop and make available, through publications,
technical assistance, and other appropriate means, information
pertaining to cross-jurisdictional issues being addressed
through the coordinated activities of the partnership.
(7) Serve as a liaison with, and provide information to,
international and foreign counterparts, as appropriate on
priority issues for the partnership.
(e) Consultation and Engagement.--A regional ocean partnership
designated under subsection (b) shall maintain mechanisms for
consultation with Federal and Tribal governments as well as engagement
with nongovernmental entities, including academic organizations,
nonprofit organizations, and businesses.
(f) Grants and Contracts.--
(1) In general.--A regional ocean partnership designated
under subsection (b) may, in coordination with existing Federal
and State management programs, from amounts made available to
the partnership by the Administrator or the head of another
Federal agency--
(A) provide grants to eligible persons described in
paragraph (2) for the purposes described in paragraph
(3); and
(B) enter into contracts with such persons for such
purposes.
(2) Eligible persons.--The eligible persons described in
this paragraph (1)(A) are the following:
(A) Indian Tribes.
(B) State and local governments.
(C) Nongovernmental organizations.
(D) Institutions of higher education.
(E) Individuals.
(F) Private entities.
(3) Purposes.--The purposes described in paragraph (1)(A)
include any of the following:
(A) Monitoring the water quality and living
resources of multi-State ocean and coastal ecosystems
and to coastal communities.
(B) Conducting research and development with
respect to human-induced environmental changes to--
(i) ocean and coastal ecosystems; and
(ii) coastal communities.
(C) Developing and executing cooperative strategies
that--
(i) address regional data issues identified
by the partnership; and
(ii) will result in more effective
management of common ocean and coastal areas.
(g) Reports and Assessments.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter until
2040, the Administrator, in coordination with the regional
ocean partnerships designated under subsection (b), shall--
(A) assess the effectiveness of the partnerships in
supporting regional priorities relating to the
management of common ocean and coastal areas; and
(B) submit to Congress a report on that assessment.
(2) Report requirements.--The report required under
paragraph (1)(B) shall include the following:
(A) An assessment of the overall status of the work
of the regional ocean partnerships designated under
subsection (b).
(B) An assessment of the effectiveness of the
strategies that the regional ocean partnerships are
supporting or implementing and the extent to which the
priority needs of the regions covered by such
partnerships are being met through such strategies.
(C) Such recommendations as the Administrator may
have for the improvement of efforts of the regional
ocean partnerships to support the purposes of this Act.
(D) An assessment of how the efforts of the
regional ocean partnerships support or enhance Federal
and State efforts in line with the purposes of this
Act.
(E) Recommendations for improvements to the
collective strategies that support the purposes of this
Act in coordination and consultation with all relevant
Federal, State, and Tribal entities.
(h) Availability of Federal Funds.--In addition to amounts made
available to regional ocean partnerships designated under subsection
(b) by the Administrator under this section, the head of any other
Federal agency may provide grants to, enter into contracts with, or
otherwise provide funding to such partnerships.
(i) Authorities.--Nothing in this section establishes any new legal
or regulatory authority of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration or of the regional ocean partnerships designated under
subsection (b), other than--
(1) the authority of the Administrator to provide amounts
to the partnerships; and
(2) the authority of the partnerships to provide grants and
enter into contracts under subsection (e).
(j) Funding.--
(1) Regional ocean partnerships.--There are authorized to
be appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration the following amounts for regional ocean
partnerships designated under subsection (b) or designated
fiscal management entities of such partnerships to carry out
activities of the partnerships under this Act:
(A) $10,100,000 for fiscal year 2022.
(B) $10,202,000 for fiscal year 2023.
(C) $10,306,040 for fiscal year 2024.
(D) $10,412,160 for fiscal year 2025.
(E) $10,520,404 for fiscal year 2026.
(2) Distribution of amounts.--Amounts made available under
paragraph (1) shall be divided evenly among the regional ocean
partnerships designated under subsection (b).
(3) Tribal consultation.--There are authorized to be
appropriated $1,000,000 for each fiscal year 2021 through 2025
to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for
Indian Tribes and Indigenous communities to be distributed for
purposes of participation in or engagement with the regional
ocean partnerships.
<all>