June 5, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 94 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
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COASTAL COMMUNITIES OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ACT OF 2019; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 94
(House of Representatives - June 05, 2019)
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[Pages H4325-H4327] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] COASTAL COMMUNITIES OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ACT OF 2019 Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1716) to direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to conduct coastal community vulnerability assessments related to ocean acidification, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1716 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 ``Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2019''. SEC. 2. STATE AND UNITED STATES DEFINED. Section 12403 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3702) is amended-- (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: ``(3) State.--The term `State' means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory or possession of the United States.''; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(5) United states.--The term `United States' means the States, collectively.''. SEC. 3. COASTAL COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT. (a) In General.--Section 12406 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3705) is amended-- (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (d); and (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: ``(b) Community Vulnerability Assessment.-- ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, through the program established under subsection (a), shall conduct an ocean acidification coastal community vulnerability assessment, and issue a corresponding public report, which shall be updated at least once every 7 years. ``(2) Requirements.--The assessment conducted under paragraph (1) shall-- ``(A) identify the United States coastal communities, including island communities, low-population rural communities, and subsistence communities, that are most dependent on coastal and ocean resources that may be impacted by ocean acidification; ``(B) assess the nature of the social and economic vulnerabilities of those communities, including the economic impact on local or regional commercial fisheries and recreational opportunities; ``(C) identify the ocean acidification impacts that might harm those communities, including impacts from changes in ocean and coastal marine resources that are not managed by the Federal Government; ``(D) identify key knowledge gaps where research could be devoted to better understand the possible impacts of ocean acidification on those communities, the risks and threats facing those communities, and possible adaptation strategies for those communities; and ``(E) be conducted in collaboration with experts, indigenous knowledge groups, and stakeholders who are familiar with the unique economic, social, ecological, geographic, and resource concerns of coastal communities in the United States, including representatives of-- ``(i) the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Office for Coastal Management of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; ``(ii) National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System regional information coordination entities established under section 12304(c)(4) of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3603(c)(4)); ``(iii) regional ocean acidification networks; and ``(iv) State sea grant programs (as defined in section 203 of the National Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1122)). ``(c) Support for State and Local Vulnerability Assessments and Strategic Research Planning.--In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall [[Page H4326]] collaborate with State, local, and tribal government entities that are conducting or have completed vulnerability assessments, strategic research planning, or other similar activities related to ocean acidification and its impacts on coastal communities, for the purpose of-- ``(1) determining whether such activities can be used as a model for other communities; and ``(2) identifying opportunities for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other relevant Federal agencies to support such activities.''. (b) Ongoing Input Mechanism.--Section 12404(b)(5) of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3703(b)(5)) is amended-- (1) by striking ``including information'' and inserting the following: ``including-- ``(A) information''; (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(B) an ongoing mechanism that allows affected industry members, coastal stakeholders, non-Federal resource managers, community acidification networks, indigenous knowledge groups, and scientific experts not employed by the Federal Government to provide input on research, data, and monitoring that is necessary to support on-the-ground management, decisionmaking, and adaptation related to ocean acidification and its impacts.''. (c) Strategic Research Plan.--Section 12405 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3704) is amended-- (1) in subsection (b)-- (A) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' after the semicolon; (B) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(10) make recommendations for research that should be conducted, including in the social sciences and economics, to address the key knowledge gaps identified in the community vulnerability assessment report conducted under section 12406(b).''; and (2) in subsection (e), by inserting ``, tribal governments, indigenous knowledge groups,'' after ``industry''. (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 12409(a) of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3708(a)) is amended to read as follows: ``(a) NOAA.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out the purposes of this subtitle $2,700,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.''. (e) Report on Support for State and Local Vulnerability Assessments and Strategic Research Planning.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support State, local, and tribal community vulnerability assessments, strategic research and planning, and monitoring needs, pursuant to section 12406(c) of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (as added by subsection (a) of this section). The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas. General Leave Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 1716, the bill under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Texas? There was no objection. {time} 0930 Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1716, the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2019, which is sponsored by the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree). The bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, to conduct vulnerability assessments to study socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification on coastal communities across the country. As more coastal regions across the U.S. are negatively impacted by ocean acidification, it is critical that we work to understand these impacts and to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies. These strategies can help these communities adequately prepare and respond to a more acidic coastal environment. In order to be successful, these assessments must involve all coastal communities in the U.S., which this bill does by including indigenous groups and Tribal governments. The bill also includes language that ensures that all U.S. territories, which are highly reliant on coastal and marine resources, can also take advantage of NOAA's coastal vulnerability assessments. This will allow these island communities to protect their vibrant coastal economies in the face of an acidifying ocean. The vulnerability assessments in this bill also include the economic impacts on commercial fisheries and outdoor recreation. These industries are significant contributors to many coastal economies, and it is important that they are part of the discussion when developing strategies to deal with ocean acidification. I am glad that this bill passed out of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in a bipartisan fashion, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation to better prepare our coastal communities and economies against the growing threat of ocean acidification. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1716, the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2019. This bill simply directs the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a vulnerability assessment of the impacts of ocean acidification on coastal communities. This assessment would identify those communities most likely to be affected by ocean acidification in the coming years. Once these communities are identified, the assessment would examine the economic impacts of ocean acidification on these communities by directing Federal agencies to coordinate with local officials, community stakeholders, and local businesses. Once the assessment is complete, a corresponding report will be made publicly available and would be revised every 7 years. Our Nation's coastal communities are dependent on the health of our oceans. A 2014 NOAA study found there were 149,000 ocean-dependent businesses in the United States that employ more than 3 million people in industries such as seafood and tourism. Ocean acidification is a threat to the health and vitality of these communities, and this legislation is an important step to assist those communities most directly impacted by this phenomenon. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree). Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson), the committee chairwoman, for yielding me the time and for supporting this bill, as well as the ranking member from Oklahoma, both of whom have shown a true willingness to address the impact of climate change and the impact that it has had on our oceans. The increased carbon absorbed by our oceans has presented a crisis that has touched coastal communities in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as the connected water bodies in between. That is why it is encouraging to see the health of our oceans finally receive the attention from this Chamber that they have long deserved, with the four bipartisan bills before us today. Despite congressional inaction, the Federal Government has done its best to address ocean acidification through existing programs and budgets. I would particularly like to recognize the work of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, better known as NOAA, which has never shirked its responsibility to safeguard our seas in the face of climate change, even though the agency did not receive additional resources to meet this complex challenge. It is due to NOAA's research that we know that our oceans have increased in acidity by approximately 30 percent since the industrial revolution and could experience increases up to 150 percent by the end of the century. Let's be clear. That data isn't just frightening on an environmental level. It also spells disaster for our economy. America's coastal communities produce 45 percent of the Nation's gross domestic product, and nearly 3 million American jobs are directly dependent on the resources of our oceans and the Great Lakes. If we let this [[Page H4327]] problem intensify, the financial implications will ripple across all of our communities. I remember hearing about the issue of ocean acidification taking hold in Maine during the summer of 2012. Maine had experienced a big spike in ocean temperatures that summer. Triggerfish, seahorses, and a lot of invasive species started showing up that year. A little fishery for squid popped up in Penobscot Bay. Black sea bass, which are common south of Cape Cod, migrated north and became a major predator of small crustaceans, such as baby lobsters. In a State renowned for its lobster, you can imagine that the impacts on our economy were significant. Meanwhile, our clammers and shellfish growers have reported similar impacts. Bill Mook, an oyster farmer on Maine's Damariscotta River, told me that he has had to adjust operations to mitigate for ocean acidification and worries how future oyster production will be affected. According to a recent study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the Gulf of Maine is more susceptible to pressures of ocean acidification than any other region on the East Coast. These are only a few of the reasons why I introduced the bipartisan Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act, which is one of the four bills under consideration today. My bill would direct NOAA to study the socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification on coastal communities nationwide and, better yet, finally provide the agency with the additional authorized funding needed to do this essential research. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the four bipartisan bills before the House today, including my own. It is critical that we protect our coastal economies and our oceans so that they are here for the next generation. Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici). Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding time and for her support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Congresswoman Pingree's Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, which would direct NOAA to conduct a vulnerability assessment to identify communities that are dependent on coastal and ocean resources that may be affected by ocean acidification. The Pacific Coast is more vulnerable to ocean acidification than other coastal regions, and it can be used as a testing ground for different strategies and models to manage and adapt to ocean acidification. But ocean acidification is fundamentally a global phenomenon. We must strengthen our understanding of the socioeconomic effects of ocean acidification on a range of geographically diverse coastal communities. Importantly, this bill directs NOAA to work with States, like my home State of Oregon, that are already developing ocean acidification response plans. I thank members of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee for including my amendment during the full markup to authorize $2.7 million annually for fiscal years 2020 through 2024. I hope that my COAST Research Act will complement this bill and address some of the gaps in our understanding of the socioeconomic effects of ocean acidification. But there must be a separate authorization for vulnerability studies. Finally, and importantly, I thank all the staff who worked on not only this bill but also the COAST Research Act and the other two ocean acidification bills, especially, in my office, Maxine Sugarman, but all the staff on both sides of the aisle in our offices and the hardworking committee staff. Finally, I thank Congresswoman Pingree for her continued leadership on protecting the health of oceans and improving research on ocean acidification. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I, too, advocate support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1716, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________
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