[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4139 Engrossed in House (EH)]


  2d Session

                               H. R. 4139

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                                 AN ACT

  To reauthorize and amend the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act 
               and the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4139

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To reauthorize and amend the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act 
               and the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act.

    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 ``Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation 
Act Amendments of 1996''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.

    Section 7(a) of the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (16 
U.S.C. 1851 note) is amended by striking ``For each of fiscal years 
1986,'' and all that follows through ``1994,'' and inserting ``For 
fiscal year 1997,''.

SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Commission Monitoring of Implementation of Interstate Plan.--
Section 4(a)(1) of the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (16 
U.S.C. 1851 note) is amended in the material preceding subparagraph (A) 
by striking ``of fiscal year 1987, and of each fiscal year 
thereafter,'' and inserting ``of each fiscal year,''.
    (b) Repeal of Inoperative Provisions.--Sections 8 and 10 of the 
Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 1851 note) are 
repealed.

SEC. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PREPARATION OF PLANS AND AMENDMENTS TO 
              PLANS FOR ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS.

    (a) In General.--The Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (16 
U.S.C. 1851 note), as amended by section 3(b) of this Act, is further 
amended by adding after section 7 the following new section:

``SEC. 8. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PREPARATION OF PLANS AND AMENDMENTS 
              TO PLANS FOR ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS.

    ``The Commission shall establish standards and procedures to ensure 
that the Commission provides an adequate opportunity for public 
participation in the preparation of any plan for the management of 
Atlantic Striped Bass and any amendment to such a plan (including any 
amendment to the Interstate Fisheries Management Plan for Striped Bass, 
dated October 1, 1981), including public hearings and procedures for 
the submission of written comments to the Commission.''.
    (b) Deadline.--Within 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission shall issue 
standards and procedures under section 8 of the Atlantic Striped Bass 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 1851 note), as amended by subsection (a) of 
this section.

SEC. 5. TRANSFER OF EXISTING PROVISION TO ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS 
              CONSERVATION ACT.

    Section 6 of the Act entitled ``An Act to authorize appropriations 
to carry out the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act for fiscal 
years 1989 through 1991, and for other purposes'' (approved November 3, 
1988; Public Law 100-589; 102 Stat. 2986)--
            (1) is amended by striking subsection (g);
            (2) as so amended, is transferred from that Act to the 
        Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 1851 note);
            (3) shall appear immediately after section 8 of the 
        Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act, as amended by section 4 
        of this Act; and
            (4) is redesignated as section 9 of the Atlantic Striped 
        Bass Conservation Act.

SEC. 6. AMENDMENT AND EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR ANADROMOUS FISH 
              CONSERVATION ACT.

    (a) Scope of Studies.--Section 7(a) of the Anadromous Fish 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 757g(a)) is amended by striking ``and'' 
after the semicolon at the end of paragraph (2), by striking the period 
at the end of paragraph (3) and inserting ``; and'', and by adding at 
the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) the effects of water quality and other habitat 
        changes on the recruitment, spawning potential, mortality 
        rates, and population abundance of the Delaware River striped 
        bass population.''.
    (b) Extension of Authorization.--Section 7(d) of the Anadromous 
Fish Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 757g(d)) is amended by striking ``each 
of the fiscal years 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994'' and inserting ``fiscal 
year 1997''.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 27, 1996.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.