[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5622 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5622

 To reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2006

  Mr. Pombo introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Coral Reef Conservation Legacy Act 
of 2006''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF CORAL REEF CONSERVATION GRANTS PROGRAM.

    (a) Project Diversity.--Section 204(d) of the Coral Reef 
Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6403(d)) is amended by striking 
paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
            ``(3) Remaining funds shall be awarded for--
                    ``(A) projects (with priority given to community-
                based local action strategies) that address emerging 
                priorities or threats, including international and 
                territorial priorities, or threats identified by the 
                Administrator in consultation with the Coral Reef Task 
                Force; and
                    ``(B) other appropriate projects, as determined by 
                the Administrator, including monitoring and assessment, 
                research, pollution reduction, education, and technical 
                support.''.
    (b) Approval Criteria.--Section 204(g) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 
6403(g)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' after the semicolon in paragraph 
        (9);
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph (12); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following:
            ``(10) activities designed to minimize the likelihood of 
        damage to coral reefs, including the use of devices to minimize 
        human impacts on coral reefs;
            ``(11) promoting and assisting entities to work with local 
        communities, and all appropriate governmental and 
        nongovernmental organizations, to support community-based 
        planning and management initiatives for the protection of coral 
        reef systems; or''.

SEC. 3. EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTIONS.

    Section 206 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
6404) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 206. EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Administrator and the Secretary of the 
Interior may each undertake or authorize action within areas under 
their administrative jurisdiction as necessary to prevent or minimize 
the destruction or loss of, or injury to, coral reefs or coral reef 
ecosystems from vessel impacts or other physical damage to coral reefs, 
including damage from unforeseen or disaster-related circumstances.
    ``(b) Actions Authorized.--Action authorized by subsection (a) 
includes vessel removal and emergency restabilization of the vessel and 
any impacted coral reef.
    ``(c) Partnering With Other Agencies.--When possible, actions under 
this section should--
            ``(1) be conducted in partnership with other government 
        agencies, including--
                    ``(A) the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency 
                Management Agency, and the Corps of Engineers; and
                    ``(B) agencies of States and territories of the 
                United States; and
            ``(2) leverage resources of such other agencies, including 
        funding or assistance authorized under other Federal laws.''.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Section 208 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 
2000 (16 U.S.C. 6407) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 208. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    ``(a) Implementation of Strategy.--Not later than October 1, 2007, 
and every 3 years thereafter, the Administrator, in consultation with 
the United States Coral Reef Task Force, shall submit to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a report 
describing all activities undertaken to implement the strategy, 
including--
            ``(1) a description of the funds obligated by each 
        participating Federal agency to advance coral reef conservation 
        during each of the 3 fiscal years next preceding the fiscal 
        year in which the report is submitted;
            ``(2) a description of Federal interagency and cooperative 
        efforts with States and United States territories to prevent or 
        address overharvesting, coastal runoff, or other anthropogenic 
        impacts on coral reefs, including projects undertaken with the 
        Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, the 
        Environmental Protection Agency, and the Army Corps of 
        Engineers;
            ``(3) a description of Federal disaster response actions 
        taken pursuant to the National Response Plan to address damage 
        to coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems; and
            ``(4) an assessment of accomplishments under this Act and 
        the effectiveness of management actions to address threats to 
        coral reefs.
    ``(b) Condition of Coral Reefs.--Not later than October 1, 2008, 
and every 3 years thereafter, the Administrator, in consultation with 
the United States Coral Reef Task Force, shall submit to the Committees 
referred to in subsection (a) an assessment of the condition of United 
States coral reefs.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Coral Reef 
Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) is amended by 
striking the item relating to section 208 and inserting the following:

``Sec. 208. Report to Congress.''.

SEC. 5. FUND; GRANTS; COORDINATION; TASK FORCE.

    (a) In General.--The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
6401 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``organization solely'' and all that 
        follows in section 205(a) (16 U.S.C. 6404(a)) and inserting 
        ``organization--
            ``(1) to support partnerships between the public and 
        private sectors that further the purposes of this Act and are 
        consistent with the national coral reef strategy under section 
        203; and
            ``(2) to address emergency response actions under section 
        206.'';
            (2) by adding at the end of section 205(b) 16 U.S.C. 
        6404(b)) ``The organization is encouraged to solicit funding 
        and in-kind services from the private sector, including 
        nongovernmental organizations, for emergency response actions 
        under section 206 and for activities to prevent damage to coral 
        reefs, including activities described in section 210(b)(2).'';
            (3) by striking ``the grant program'' in section 205(c) (16 
        U.S.C. 6404(c)) and inserting ``any grant program or emergency 
        response action'';
            (4) by redesignating sections 209 and 210 as sections 212 
        and 213, respectively; and
            (5) by inserting after section 208 the following:

``SEC. 209. COMMUNITY-BASED PLANNING GRANTS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Administrator may make a grant to any person 
that may submit a coral conservation proposal under section 204(e) to 
provide additional funds to such person to work with local communities 
and through appropriate Federal and State entities to prepare and 
implement plans for the increased protection of coral reef areas 
identified by the community and the best scientific information 
available as high priorities for focused attention. The plans shall--
            ``(1) support attainment of 1 or more of the criteria 
        described in section 204(g);
            ``(2) be developed at the community level;
            ``(3) utilize watershed-based approaches;
            ``(4) provide for coordination with Federal and State 
        experts and managers;
            ``(5) build upon local approaches or models, including 
        traditional or island-based resource management concepts; and
            ``(6) compliment local action strategies or other regional 
        plans for coral reef conservation.
    ``(b) Terms and Conditions.--The provisions of subsections (b), 
(d), (f), and (h) of section 204 apply to grants under subsection (a), 
except that, for the purpose of applying section 204(b)(1) to grants 
under this section, `75 percent' shall be substituted for `50 percent'.

``SEC. 210. REGIONAL COORDINATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Administrator shall work in coordination and 
collaboration with other Federal agencies, States, and United States 
territorial governments to implement the strategies developed under 
section 203, including regional and local strategies, to address 
multiple threats to coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems such as 
coastal runoff, vessel impacts, and overharvesting.
    ``(b) Multiyear Cooperative Agreements.--The Administrator may 
enter into multiyear cooperative agreements with other Federal 
agencies, States and local governments, academic institutions, and 
nongovernmental organizations to carry out the activities of the 
national coral reef action strategy.

``SEC. 211. UNITED STATES CORAL REEF TASK FORCE.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the United States 
Coral Reef Task Force.
    ``(b) Goal.--The goal of the Task Force shall be to lead, 
coordinate, and strengthen Federal Government actions to better 
preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems.
    ``(c) Duties.--The duties of the Task Force shall be--
            ``(1) to coordinate, in cooperation with State, territory, 
        commonwealth, and local government partners, and 
        nongovernmental partners if appropriate, activities regarding 
        the mapping, monitoring, research, conservation, mitigation, 
        restoration of coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems;
            ``(2) work with the Secretary of State and the 
        Administrator of the Agency for International Development, and 
        in coordination with the other members of the Task Force, to--
                    ``(A) assess the United States role in 
                international trade and protection of coral reef 
                species; and
                    ``(B) implement appropriate strategies and actions 
                to promote conservation and sustainable use of coral 
                reef resources worldwide.
    ``(d) Membership, Generally.--The Task Force shall be comprised 
of--
            ``(1) the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the 
        Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration, and the Secretary of the Interior, who shall be 
        co-chairs of the Task Force;
            ``(2) the Administrator of the Agency of International 
        Development;
            ``(3) the Secretary of Agriculture;
            ``(4) the Secretary of Defense;
            ``(5) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Corps 
        of Engineers;
            ``(6) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
            ``(7) the Attorney General;
            ``(8) the Secretary of State;
            ``(9) the Secretary of Transportation;
            ``(10) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency;
            ``(11) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
        Space Administration;
            ``(12) the Director of the National Science Foundation;
            ``(13) the Governor, or a representative of the Governor, 
        of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
            ``(14) the Governor, or a representative of the Governor, 
        of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
            ``(15) the Governor, or a representative of the Governor, 
        of the State of Florida;
            ``(16) the Governor, or a representative of the Governor, 
        of the State of Hawaii;
            ``(17) the Governor, or a representative of the Governor, 
        of the Territory of Guam;
            ``(18) the Governor, or a representative of the Governor, 
        of the Territory of American Samoa; and
            ``(19) the Governor, or a representative of the Governor, 
        of the Virgin Islands.
    ``(e) Non-Voting Members.--The President, or a representative of 
the President, of each of the Freely Associated States of the Federated 
States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the 
Republic of Palau may appoint a non-voting member of the Task Force.
    ``(f) Working Groups.--
            ``(1) In general.--The co-chairs of the Task Force may 
        establish working groups as necessary to meet the goals and 
        duties of this Act. The Task Force may request the co-chairs to 
        establish such a working group.
            ``(2) Participation by nongovernmental organizations.--The 
        co-chairs may allow a nongovernmental organization to 
        participate in such a working group.
    ``(g) FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 
shall not apply to the Task Force.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Coral Reef 
Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 208 
        through 211 as relating to sections 211 through 214; and
            (b) by inserting the following after the item relating to 
        section 207:

``Sec. 209. Community-based planning grants.
``Sec. 210. Regional coordination.
``Sec. 211. United States Coral Reef Task Force.''.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 212 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (formerly 16 
U.S.C. 6408), as redesignated by section 6, is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this title--
                    ``(A) to the Secretary of Commerce, $30,000,000 for 
                fiscal year 2008, $32,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, and 
                $34,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
                    ``(B) to the Secretary of the Interior, $10,000,000 
                for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010.
            ``(2) Allocation.--Of the amount authorized by this 
        subsection for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010--
                    ``(A) no less than 30 percent shall be used for the 
                grant program under section 204;
                    ``(B) up to 10 percent shall be used for the Fund 
                established under section 205;
                    ``(C) $500,000 may be used by the Secretary of the 
                Interior to support operations of the United States 
                Coral Reef Task Force; and
                    ``(D) $250,000 may be used by the Secretary of 
                Commerce to support such operations.'';
            (2) by striking ``$1,000,000'' in subsection (b) and 
        inserting ``$2,000,000''; and
            (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Community-Based Planning Grants.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out section 209 the sum of 
$8,000,000 for fiscal years 2008 through 2010, such sum to remain 
available until expended.''; and
            (4) by striking subsection (d).
                                 <all>