[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1240 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1240
To preserve United States fishing heritage through a national program
dedicated to training and assisting the next generation of commercial
fishermen.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 14, 2019
Mr. Young (for himself, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Golden, and
Ms. Pingree) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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 of
2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the average age of commercial fishermen continues to
increase due to fewer new entrants replacing retiring
fishermen;
(2) there are fewer young or beginning fishermen entering
the commercial fisheries for many reasons, including the lack
of training, fewer entry level opportunities, lack of capital,
and other barriers to entry;
(3) without well-trained young or beginning fishermen to
replace those retiring, fishing businesses and vessels will be
lost and fishing communities will suffer;
(4) for food security and economic reasons, it is in the
United States national interest to sustainably harvest United
States fishery resources;
(5) United States farmers and ranchers faced similar
difficulties and Congress responded by enacting the Beginning
Farmers and Ranchers Development Program administered by the
Department of Agriculture;
(6) the Young Fishermen's Development Grant Program
established by this Act is modeled after the successful
Department of Agriculture program; and
(7) the training, education, and outreach provided for in
the Young Fishermen's Development Grant Program established by
this Act will ensure there is a next generation of commercial
fishermen and businesses to harvest the United States rich
fishery resources and support our coastal communities.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to establish a national grant program to support the
training and education of the United States next generation of
commercial fishermen; and
(2) to engage partnerships and collaborations led by or
including nongovernmental, community-based fishing
organizations, and school-based fisheries, including Sea Grant
Institutions, or marine educational organizations with
expertise in new fisheries training and outreach, to provide
the education and training.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the term ``young fishermen'' means an individual who--
(A)(i) desires to participate in the commercial
fisheries of the United States, including the Great
Lakes fisheries;
(ii) has worked as a captain, crew member,
deckhand, or other at-sea position on a commercial
fishing vessel for not more than 10 years of cumulative
service;
(iii) is a beginning commercial fisherman; or
(iv) meets such other criteria as the Secretary of
Commerce may establish; and
(B) is less than 35 years of age; and
(2) 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).
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.
The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Sea Grant
Office, shall establish a Young Fishermen's Development Grant Program
to provide training, education, outreach, and technical assistance
initiatives for young fishermen.
SEC. 5. GRANTS.
(a) In General.--In carrying out this Act, 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
determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(b) Eligibility.--
(1) Applicants.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this Act, the recipient must 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, State, or Tribal agency;
(C) a community-based or nongovernmental
organization;
(D) fishermen's cooperatives or associations,
including permit banks and trusts;
(E) Alaska Native corporations;
(F) a college or university (including an
institution awarding an associate's degree), or a
foundation maintained by a college or university; or
(G) any other appropriate entity as determined by
the Secretary.
(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 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) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to partnerships and collaborations that are led by
or include nongovernmental fishing community-based organizations and
school-based fisheries educational organizations with expertise in
fisheries and sustainable fishing training and outreach.
(g) Cooperation and Evaluation Criteria.--In carrying out this
section and especially in developing criteria for evaluating grant
applications, the Secretary shall cooperate, to the maximum extent
practicable, with--
(1) Sea Grant Institutions and extension agents of such
institutions;
(2) community-based and 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) colleges and universities with fisheries expertise and
programs; and
(5) other appropriate partners as determined by the
Secretary.
(h) Prohibition.--A grant under this section may not be used to
purchase any fishing license, permit, quota, or other harvesting right.
SEC. 6. FUNDING.
(a) In General.--Of the amount made available to the Secretary of
Commerce under section 311(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861(e)) for each of fiscal
years 2020 through 2024, the Secretary shall use $2,000,000 to carry
out section 5 of this Act.
(b) Proportional Allocation.--The amount obligated under this
section each fiscal year for activities in each fishery management
region shall be in the same proportion as the portion of the total
amount obligated under this section for that fiscal year that was
collected in that region.
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