[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 756 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 181
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 756
[Report No. 115-135]
To reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris Act to promote international
action to reduce marine debris, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 29, 2017
Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Booker, Mr. Coons, Mr.
Peters, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Tillis, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Udall,
Mr. Schatz, Mr. King, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cassidy, Mr.
Portman, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Markey) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
July 24, 2017
Reported by Mr. Thune, without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris Act to promote international
action to reduce marine debris, 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 ``Save Our Seas Act of 2017'' or the
``SOS Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. NOAA MARINE DEBRIS PROGRAM.
Subsection (b) of section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C.
1952(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (5)(C), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) work with other Federal agencies to develop outreach
and education strategies to address both land- and sea-based
sources of marine debris; and
``(7) work with the Department of State and other Federal
agencies to promote international action to reduce the
incidence of marine debris.''.
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR SEVERE MARINE DEBRIS EVENTS.
Section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1952) is amended by
adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Assistance for Severe Marine Debris Events.--
``(1) In general.--At the discretion of the Administrator
or at the request of the Governor of an affected State, the
Administrator shall determine whether there is a severe marine
debris event.
``(2) Assistance.--
``(A) In general.--If the Administrator makes a
determination under paragraph (1) that there is a
severe marine debris event, the Administrator is
authorized to make sums available to be used by the
affected State or by the Administrator in cooperation
with the affected State--
``(i) to assist in the cleanup and response
required by the severe marine debris event; or
``(ii) such other activity as the
Administrator determines is appropriate in
response to the severe marine debris event.
``(B) Priority assistance.--In providing assistance
under this paragraph, the Administrator shall
prioritize assistance for activities to respond to a
severe marine debris event--
``(i) in a rural or remote community; or
``(ii) in a habitat of national concern.
``(3) Funding.--
``(A) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost
of an activity carried out under the authority of this
subsection shall be--
``(i) if the activity is funded wholly by
funds made available by an entity, including
the government of a foreign country, to the
Federal Government for the purpose of
responding to a severe marine debris event, 100
percent of the cost of the activity; or
``(ii) for any activity other than an
activity funded as described in clause (i), 75
percent of the cost of the activity.
``(B) Limitation on administrative expenses.--In
the case of an activity funded as described in
subparagraph (A)(i), not more than 5 percent of the
funds made available for the activity may be used by
the Administrator for administrative expenses.''.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT TO RESPOND TO
MARINE DEBRIS.
It is the sense of Congress that the President should--
(1) support Federal funding for research and development of
bio-based and other alternatives or environmentally feasible
improvements to materials that reduce municipal solid waste and
its consequences in the ocean;
(2) work with representatives of foreign countries that
contribute the most to the global marine debris problem to
learn about, and find solutions to, the contributions of such
countries to marine debris in the world's oceans;
(3) carry out studies to determine--
(A) the primary means by which solid waste enters
the oceans;
(B) the manner in which waste management
infrastructure can be most effective in preventing
debris from reaching the oceans;
(C) the long-term economic impacts of marine debris
on the national economies of each country set out in
paragraph (1) and on the global economy; and
(D) the economic benefits of decreasing the amount
of marine debris in the oceans;
(4) work with representatives of foreign countries that
contribute the most to the global marine debris problem,
including land-based sources, to conclude one or more new
international agreements that include provisions--
(A) to mitigate the risk of land-based marine
debris contributed by such countries reaching an ocean;
and
(B) to increase technical assistance and investment
in waste management infrastructure, if the President
determines appropriate; and
(5) encourage the United States Trade Representative to
consider the impact of marine debris in relevant future trade
agreements.
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP OF THE INTERAGENCY MARINE DEBRIS COORDINATING
COMMITTEE.
Section 5(b) of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1954(b)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (7); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
``(5) the Department of State;
``(6) the Department of the Interior; and''.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 9 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1958) is amended to
read as follows:
``SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year 2018
through 2022--
``(1) to the Administrator for carrying out sections 3, 5,
and 6, $10,000,000, of which no more than 10 percent may be for
administrative costs; and
``(2) to the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast
Guard is operating, for the use of the Commandant of the Coast
Guard in carrying out section 4, $2,000,000, of which no more
than 10 percent may be used for administrative costs.''.
Calendar No. 181
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 756
[Report No. 115-135]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris Act to promote international
action to reduce marine debris, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 24, 2017
Reported without amendment