Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 446 To authorize the Director of the United States Geological Survey to conduct monitoring, assessment, science, and research, in support of the bina- tional fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 12, 2019 Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. PORTMAN, Ms. STABENOW, and Ms. DUCKWORTH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and re- ferred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To authorize the Director of the United States Geological Survey to conduct monitoring, assessment, science, and research, in support of the binational fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Lakes Fishery 4 Research Authorization Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES MONITORING, ASSESSMENT, SCI- 6 ENCE, AND RESEARCH. 7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:23 Feb 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S446.IS S446 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 446 IS (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 1 the Director of the United States Geological Survey. 2 (2) GREAT LAKES BASIN.—The term ‘‘Great 3 Lakes Basin’’ means the air, land, water, and living 4 organisms in the United States within the drainage 5 basin of the Saint Lawrence River at and upstream 6 from the point at which such river and the Great 7 Lakes become the international boundary between 8 Canada and the United States. 9 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 10 (1) The Great Lakes support a diverse eco- 11 system, on which the vibrant and economically valu- 12 able Great Lakes fisheries depend. 13 (2) To continue successful fisheries manage- 14 ment and coordination, as has occurred since signing 15 of the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries between 16 the United States and Canada on September 10, 17 1954, management of the ecosystem and its fisheries 18 require sound, reliable science, and the use of mod- 19 ern scientific technologies. 20 (3) Fisheries research is necessary to support 21 multi-jurisdictional fishery management decisions 22 and actions regarding recreational and sport fishing, 23 commercial fisheries, tribal harvest, allocation deci- 24 sions, and fish stocking activities. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:23 Feb 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S446.IS S446 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 446 IS (4) President Richard Nixon submitted, and the 1 Congress approved, Reorganization Plan No. 4 (84 2 Stat. 2090), conferring science activities and man- 3 agement of marine fisheries to the National Oceanic 4 and Atmospheric Administration. 5 (5) Reorganization Plan No. 4 expressly ex- 6 cluded fishery research activities within the Great 7 Lakes from the transfer, retaining management and 8 scientific research duties within the already estab- 9 lished jurisdictions under the 1954 Convention on 10 Great Lakes Fisheries, including those of the Great 11 Lakes Fishery Commission and the Department of 12 the Interior. 13 (c) MONITORING, ASSESSMENT, SCIENCE, AND RE- 14 SEARCH.— 15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director may conduct 16 monitoring, assessment, science, and research, in 17 support of the binational fisheries within the Great 18 Lakes Basin. 19 (2) SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES.—The Director 20 shall, under paragraph (1)— 21 (A) execute a comprehensive, multi-lake, 22 freshwater fisheries science program; 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:23 Feb 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S446.IS S446 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 446 IS (B) coordinate with and work cooperatively 1 with regional, State, Tribal, and local govern- 2 ments; and 3 (C) consult with other interested entities, 4 including academia and relevant Canadian 5 agencies. 6 (3) INCLUDED RESEARCH.—To properly serve 7 the needs of fisheries managers, monitoring, assess- 8 ment, science, and research under this section may 9 include— 10 (A) deepwater ecosystem sciences; 11 (B) biological and food-web components; 12 (C) fish movement and behavior investiga- 13 tions; 14 (D) fish population structures; 15 (E) fish habitat investigations; 16 (F) invasive species science; 17 (G) use of existing, new, and experimental 18 biological assessment tools, equipment, vessels, 19 other scientific instrumentation and laboratory 20 capabilities necessary to support fishery man- 21 agement decisions; and 22 (H) studies to assess impacts on Great 23 Lakes Fishery resources. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:23 Feb 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S446.IS S446 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 446 IS (4) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section 1 is intended or shall be construed to impede, super- 2 sede, or alter the authority of the Great Lakes Fish- 3 ery Commission, States, and Indian tribes under the 4 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries between the 5 United States of America and Canada on September 6 10, 1954, and the Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956 7 (16 U.S.C. 931 et seq.). 8 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For 9 each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024, there is author- 10 ized to be appropriated $17,500,000 to carry out this sec- 11 tion. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:23 Feb 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S446.IS S446 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS