[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1240 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.1240
One Hundred Sixteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty
An Act
To preserve United States fishing heritage through a national program
dedicated to training and assisting the next generation of commercial
fishermen.
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 ``Young Fishermen's Development Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Sea grant institution.--The term ``Sea Grant Institution''
means a sea grant college or sea grant institute, as those terms
are defined in section 203 of the National Sea Grant College
Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1122).
(2) Tribal organization.--The term ``Tribal organization'' has
the meaning given the term ``tribal organization'' in section 4 of
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304).
(3) Young fisherman.--The term ``young fisherman'' means an
individual who--
(A) desires to participate in the commercial fisheries of
the United States, including the Great Lakes fisheries;
(B) has worked as a captain, crew member, or deckhand on a
commercial fishing vessel for not more than 10 years of
cumulative service; or
(C) is a beginning commercial fisherman.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.
The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Sea Grant
Office, shall establish a program to provide training, education,
outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fishermen, to
be known as the ``Young Fishermen's Development Grant Program''
(referred to in this section as the ``Program'').
SEC. 4. GRANTS.
(a) In General.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary shall
make competitive grants to support new and established local and
regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance
initiatives for young fishermen, including programs, workshops, and
services relating to--
(1) seamanship, navigation, electronics, and safety;
(2) vessel and engine care, maintenance, and repair;
(3) innovative conservation fishing gear engineering and
technology;
(4) sustainable fishing practices;
(5) entrepreneurship and good business practices;
(6) direct marketing, supply chain, and traceability;
(7) financial and risk management, including vessel, permit,
and quota purchasing;
(8) State and Federal legal requirements for specific
fisheries, including reporting, monitoring, licenses, and
regulations;
(9) State and Federal fisheries policy and management;
(10) mentoring, apprenticeships, or internships; and
(11) any other activities, opportunities, or programs, as the
Secretary determines appropriate.
(b) Eligibility.--
(1) Applicants.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the
Program, a recipient shall be a collaborative State, Tribal, local,
or regionally based network or partnership of public or private
entities, which may include--
(A) a Sea Grant Institution;
(B) a Federal or State agency or a Tribal organization;
(C) a community-based nongovernmental organization;
(D) fishermen's cooperatives or associations;
(E) an institution of higher education (including an
institution awarding an associate's degree), or a foundation
maintained by an institution of higher education; or
(F) any other appropriate entity, as the Secretary
determines appropriate.
(2) Participants.--All young fishermen seeking to participate
in the commercial fisheries of the United States and the Great
Lakes are eligible to participate in the activities funded through
grants provided for in this section, except that participants in
such activities shall be selected by each grant recipient.
(c) Maximum Term and Amount of Grant.--
(1) In general.--A grant under this section shall--
(A) have a term of no more than 3 fiscal years; and
(B) be in an amount that is not more than $200,000 for each
fiscal year.
(2) Consecutive grants.--An eligible recipient may receive
consecutive grants under this section.
(d) Matching Requirement.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, a recipient shall provide a match in the form of cash or
in-kind contributions from the recipient in the amount equal to or
greater than 25 percent of the funds provided by the grant.
(e) Regional Balance.--In making grants under this section, the
Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure geographic
diversity.
(f) Cooperation and Evaluation Criteria.--In carrying out this
section and in developing criteria for evaluating grant applications,
the Secretary shall consult, to the maximum extent practicable, with--
(1) Sea Grant Institutions and extension agents of such
institutions;
(2) community-based nongovernmental fishing organizations;
(3) Federal and State agencies, including Regional Fishery
Management Councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1851 et seq.);
(4) institutions of higher education with fisheries expertise
and programs; and
(5) partners, as the Secretary determines.
(g) Prohibition.--A grant under this section may not be used to
purchase any fishing license, permit, quota, or other harvesting right.
SEC. 5. FUNDING.
(a) Authorizations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through
2026.
(b) Derivation.--Funds to carry out the activities under this Act
shall be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated pursuant to
the preceding subsection that are enacted after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.