[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2834 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2834

  To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
   Administration to conduct a technological capability assessment, 
survey, and economic feasibility study regarding recovery of minerals, 
other than oil and natural gas, from the shallow and deep seabed of the 
                             United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2009

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
   Administration to conduct a technological capability assessment, 
survey, and economic feasibility study regarding recovery of minerals, 
other than oil and natural gas, from the shallow and deep seabed of the 
                             United States.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. TECHNOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT, SURVEY, AND STUDY OF DEEP SEABED 
              MINERALS.

    (a) Authorization.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, in consultation with the heads of other 
appropriate Federal agencies, shall conduct--
            (1) an assessment of all available domestic technological 
        capabilities required for the location and the efficient and 
        environmentally sound recovery of minerals, other than oil and 
        natural gas, from the shallow and deep seabed of the United 
        States;
            (2) a survey of the shallow and deep seabed of the United 
        States to identify sites for the recovery of such minerals; and
            (3) an economic feasibility study on the recovery of such 
        minerals.
    (b) Report.--No later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall submit a report to Congress 
containing the findings and recommendations of the assessment, survey, 
and study under this section.
    (c) Definition.--In this section the term ``shallow and deep seabed 
of the United States''--
            (1) means areas of the seabed that are contiguous to and 
        within 200 miles of the territorial sea of the United States 
        and the resources of which are subject to its jurisdiction or 
        control; and
            (2) includes such areas that are contiguous to and within 
        200 miles of the territorial sea around any inhabited and 
        uninhabited territory or possession of the United States 
        including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
        Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Midway 
        Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Marshall 
        Islands, Midway Islands, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, Baker, 
        Howland, and Jarvis Islands, Kingman Reef, Navassa Island, 
        Serranilla Bank, Bajo Nuevo Bank, and Palmyra Atoll.
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