[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4787 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4787

  To direct the Secretary of Commerce to award competitive grants to 
  institutions of higher education to combat lionfish in the Atlantic 
   Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, through the Cooperative Science and 
       Education Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                            Administration.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2016

    Mr. Curbelo of Florida (for himself and Mr. Clawson of Florida) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Commerce to award competitive grants to 
  institutions of higher education to combat lionfish in the Atlantic 
   Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, through the Cooperative Science and 
       Education Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                            Administration.

    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 ``Finding Innovative Lionfish 
Elimination Technologies Act of 2016'' or the ``FILET Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. COMPETITIVE GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO 
              COMBAT LIONFISH IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE GULF OF 
              MEXICO.

    Public Law 86-686 (74 Stat. 733) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 2 as section 3; and
            (2) by inserting after the first section (16 U.S.C. 753a) 
        the following:

  ``competitive grants to institutions of higher education to combat 
         lionfish in the atlantic ocean and the gulf of mexico

    ``Sec. 2.  (a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce, through the 
Cooperative Science and Education Program of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration conducted under this Act, the Fish and 
Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.), and the Departments 
of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 1999 (section 101(b) of division A of Public Law 
105-277; 112 Stat. 2681-50), shall award competitive grants to 
institutions of higher education to combat the species of lionfish 
Pterois miles and Pterois volitans, in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf 
of Mexico.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, 
an institution must--
            ``(1) have established research infrastructure and proven 
        capabilities of understanding the behavior of such species and 
        the ecosystem of the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico; and
            ``(2) demonstrate a clear appreciation and understanding of 
        the biological, chemical, and physical aspects of such 
        ecosystem.
    ``(c) Use.--Amounts awarded as grants under this section shall be 
used--
            ``(1) for lionfish research and the impact of such species 
        on the ecosystem of the of the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of 
        Mexico;
            ``(2) to develop innovative technologies, including 
        autonomous cameras and active acoustic systems appropriate for 
        coastal environments, for detection of lionfish and 
        determination of priority areas for removal of invasive 
        species; and
            ``(3) to develop lionfish mitigation technologies, 
        including traps and countermeasures.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for grants under this section $1,500,000 
for fiscal years 2017 through 2021.''.
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