What This Bill Does
This bill requires the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to create a grant program that gives money and technical assistance to organizations for coastal habitat restoration and climate change adaptation projects. The program aims to help restore coastal ecosystems, remove marine debris, and protect coastal communities from flooding and storms.
Who It Affects
The bill affects nonprofits, for-profit businesses, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribal governments, and territorial governments that want to apply for grants. It also impacts commercial fishermen, for-hire fishermen, and oyster farmers who may be employed through these restoration projects.
Key Provisions
* The Administrator must create a grant program and develop criteria in consultation with offices including the Office of Habitat Conservation, the Office for Coastal Management, the Office of Response and Restoration, and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (Sec. 2(c))
* Projects must focus on restoring marine, estuarine, coastal, or Great Lake habitats, including habitats for threatened or endangered species, removal of marine debris like abandoned fishing gear, or benefits to shellfish, fish, coral reefs, or blue carbon ecosystems (Sec. 2(d))
* The Administrator must prioritize projects that stimulate the economy, can begin within 90 days of receiving the grant, employ fishermen facing financial hardship, serve disadvantaged communities, or occur in National Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, or Marine Protected Areas (Sec. 2(e))
* Organizations applying for grants must submit proposals that include monitoring plans, data collection methods, and measurable performance criteria (Sec. 2(b))
What Changes
If this becomes law, a new federal grant program will begin providing funding for coastal restoration and climate adaptation projects. Organizations will have access to federal money to restore habitats, clean up marine debris, protect endangered species, and help communities adapt to coastal flooding and storms.
Important Definitions
* Administrator: The head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
* Eligible Entity: A nonprofit, for-profit business, college or university, or state, local, tribal, or territorial government
* Fishermen: Commercial fishermen, for-hire fishermen, or oyster farmers
* Blue Carbon Ecosystems: Coastal wetlands, marshes, coastal forests, seagrasses, kelp forests, and other habitats that store carbon
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1196
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration to establish a grant program to benefit coastal habitats,
resiliency, and the economy, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 24, 2023
Ms. PLASKETT
(for herself, Ms. SALAZAR, Mrs. PELTOLA, and Mrs.
GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to establish a grant program
to benefit coastal habitats, resiliency, and the economy,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Don Young Restora-
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tion Grants for Coastlines and Fisheries Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 1196 IH
SEC. 2. DON YOUNG RESTORATION GRANTS FOR COAST-
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LINES AND FISHERIES.
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(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es-
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tablish a grant program to provide funding and technical
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assistance to eligible entities for purposes of carrying out
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a project described in subsection (d).
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(b) PROJECT PROPOSAL.—To be considered for a
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grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit
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a grant proposal to the Administrator in a time, place,
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and manner determined by the Administrator. Such pro-
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posal shall include monitoring, data collection, and meas-
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urable performance criteria with respect to the project.
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(c) DEVELOPMENT
OF CRITERIA.—The Adminis-
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trator shall select eligible entities to receive grants under
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this section based on criteria developed by the Adminis-
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trator, in consultation with relevant offices of the National
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Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, such as the Of-
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fice of Habitat Conservation, the Office for Coastal Man-
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agement, the Office of Response and Restoration, and the
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Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
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(d) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—A proposal is eligible for
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a grant under this section if—
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(1) the purpose of the project is to restore a
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marine, estuarine, coastal, or Great Lake habitat,
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including—
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•HR 1196 IH
(A) restoration of habitat to protect or re-
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cover a species that is threatened, endangered,
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or a species of concern under the Endangered
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Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
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(B) through the removal or remediation of
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marine debris, including derelict vessels and
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abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear, in
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coastal and marine habitats; or
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(C) for the benefit of—
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(i) shellfish;
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(ii) fish, including diadromous fish;
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(iii) coral reef systems;
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(iv) marine wildlife;
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(v) blue carbon ecosystems such as
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coastal wetlands, marshes, coastal forests,
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seagrasses, kelp forests, and other habitats
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important to carbon sequestration and
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storage; or
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(vi) ecosystems such as beaches,
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dunes, oyster beds, submerged aquatic
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vegetation, and other ecosystems that pro-
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vide protection from flooding, wave effects,
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and other coastal hazards; or
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(2) provides adaptation to climate change, in-
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cluding sequestering and storing carbon or by con-
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•HR 1196 IH
structing, restoring, or protecting ecological features
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or nature-based infrastructure that protects coastal
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communities from sea level rise, coastal storms, or
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flooding.
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(e) PRIORITY.—In determining which projects to
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fund under this section, the Administrator shall give pri-
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ority to a proposed project—
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(1) that would stimulate the economy;
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(2) for which the applicant can demonstrate
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that the grant will fund work that will begin not
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more than 90 days after the date of award;
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(3) for which the applicant can demonstrate
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that the grant will fund work that will employ fish-
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ermen who have been negatively impacted by finan-
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cial hardship or pay a fisherman for the use of a
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fishing vessel;
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(4) for which the applicant can demonstrate
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that any preliminary study or permit required before
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the project can begin has been completed or can be
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completed shortly after an award is made;
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(5) that includes communities that may not
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have adequate resources including low-income com-
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munities, communities of color, Tribal communities,
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Indigenous communities, and rural communities; or
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•HR 1196 IH
(6) that is happening within National Wildlife
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Refuges, National Parks, and Marine Protected
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Areas, such as National Marine Sanctuaries.
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(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
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authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator
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$1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through
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2032 to carry out this section, to remain available until
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expended.
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(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
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nitions apply:
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(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
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trator’’ means the Administrator of the National
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Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
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ty’’ means a nonprofit, a for-profit business, an in-
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stitution of higher education, or a State, local, Trib-
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al, or Territorial government.
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(3)
FISHERMEN.—The
term
‘‘fishermen’’
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means commercial or for-hire fishermen or oyster
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farmers.
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Æ
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