[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2649 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2649

   To direct the Secretary of Commerce to provide emergency disaster 
  assistance to mitigate the economic losses caused by the declining 
   Klamath River salmon and to develop and implement a research and 
    recovery plan for Klamath River salmon, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 25, 2006

Mrs. Boxer (for herself, Mr. Wyden, and Mrs. Feinstein) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Commerce to provide emergency disaster 
  assistance to mitigate the economic losses caused by the declining 
   Klamath River salmon and to develop and implement a research and 
    recovery plan for Klamath River salmon, 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 ``Salmon Assistance and Recovery Act 
of 2006''.

SEC. 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF KLAMATH RIVER SALMON PROTECTION MEASURES AND 
              DISASTER RELIEF.

    (a) Klamath River Fall Chinook and Coho Salmon Protection 
Measures.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce shall develop 
        and implement a coordinated, comprehensive research and 
        recovery program for Klamath River Fall Chinook salmon and 
        Klamath River Fall Coho salmon.
            (2) Program features.--The program shall be designed to 
        study or implement--
                    (A) in-river monitoring of Ceratomyxa Shasta and 
                Parvicapsula minibicornus, and implementation of any 
                immediate protective measures against such pathogens;
                    (B) additional ocean and in-river fisheries 
                population monitoring;
                    (C) completion of a recovery plan for Coho salmon 
                on the Klamath River;
                    (D) operation and maintenance of stream gauges for 
                flow monitoring on the Klamath River and its 
                tributaries, including the Shasta, Scott, Salmon, and 
                Trinity Rivers;
                    (E) fish passage in the Klamath National Forest and 
                Six Rivers National Forest; and
                    (F) restoration of aquatic habitats in the Klamath 
                River basin, with emphasis on the Klamath River and its 
                tributaries below Iron Gate Dam.
            (3) Deadline for issuance of recover plan.--Not later than 
        6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary of Commerce shall complete and make available to the 
        public the recovery plan described in paragraph (2)(C).
            (4) Authorization of appropriations.--
                    (A) In general.--There is authorized to be 
                appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce to implement 
                the program developed under this subsection 
                $45,000,000, which shall remain available until 
                expended.
                    (B) Limitation on use of funds.--None of the 
                amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of 
                appropriations in subparagraph (A) may be distributed 
                prior to the date the Secretary of Commerce completes 
                and makes available to the public the recovery plan 
                described in paragraph (2)(C).
    (b) Emergency Disaster Assistance.--
            (1) Authorization of payments.--The Secretary of Commerce 
        shall make a direct payment to the Pacific States Marine 
        Fisheries Commission to distribute to fishing communities, 
        Indian tribes, businesses, holders of community development 
        quotas issued under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
        and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), individuals, and 
        other entities as emergency disaster assistance to mitigate the 
        economic losses caused by declining Klamath River Fall Chinook 
        salmon.
            (2) Payment recipient reports.--The Secretary of Commerce 
        shall require that the Pacific States Marine Fisheries 
        Commission shall, not later than 6 months after the date that 
        the Commission receives a payment under this subsection, submit 
        to the Secretary of Commerce and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report 
        describing the persons to whom the payment was distributed and 
        the rationale for such distribution.
            (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce $81,000,000 to 
        make payments under this subsection. Any amount appropriated 
        pursuant to this subsection that is not used or otherwise 
        obligated shall be returned to the general fund of the 
        Treasury.
    (c) Reports.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
Commerce shall submit to Congress a report on the progress made to 
implement subsection (a). Each report shall specifically described the 
manner in which projects carried out under subsection (a) have 
increased water quantity, improved water quality, increased salmon 
populations, and specifically benefitted salmon spawning habitat.
                                 <all>