[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1716 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1716
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to conduct
coastal community vulnerability assessments related to ocean
acidification, 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 ``Coastal Communities Ocean
Acidification Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. STATE AND UNITED STATES DEFINED.
Section 12403 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research And
Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3702) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4);
(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
``(3) State.--The term `State' means each State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United
States, and any other territory or possession of the United
States.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) United states.--The term `United States' means the
States, collectively.''.
SEC. 3. COASTAL COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.
(a) In General.--Section 12406 of the Federal Ocean Acidification
Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3705) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (d); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Community Vulnerability Assessment.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, through the program
established under subsection (a), shall conduct an ocean
acidification coastal community vulnerability assessment, and
issue a corresponding public report, which shall be updated at
least once every 7 years.
``(2) Requirements.--The assessment conducted under
paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) identify the United States coastal
communities, including island communities, low-
population rural communities, and subsistence
communities, that are most dependent on coastal and
ocean resources that may be impacted by ocean
acidification;
``(B) assess the nature of the social and economic
vulnerabilities of those communities, including the
economic impact on local or regional commercial
fisheries and recreational opportunities;
``(C) identify the ocean acidification impacts that
might harm those communities, including impacts from
changes in ocean and coastal marine resources that are
not managed by the Federal Government;
``(D) identify key knowledge gaps where research
could be devoted to better understand the possible
impacts of ocean acidification on those communities,
the risks and threats facing those communities, and
possible adaptation strategies for those communities;
and
``(E) be conducted in collaboration with experts,
indigenous knowledge groups, and stakeholders who are
familiar with the unique economic, social, ecological,
geographic, and resource concerns of coastal
communities in the United States, including
representatives of--
``(i) the National Marine Fisheries Service
and the Office for Coastal Management of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration;
``(ii) National Integrated Coastal and
Ocean Observation System regional information
coordination entities established under section
12304(c)(4) of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean
Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C.
3603(c)(4));
``(iii) regional ocean acidification
networks; and
``(iv) State sea grant programs (as defined
in section 203 of the National Sea Grant
College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1122)).
``(c) Support for State and Local Vulnerability Assessments and
Strategic Research Planning.--In carrying out the program established
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall collaborate with State,
local, and tribal government entities that are conducting or have
completed vulnerability assessments, strategic research planning, or
other similar activities related to ocean acidification and its impacts
on coastal communities, for the purpose of--
``(1) determining whether such activities can be used as a
model for other communities; and
``(2) identifying opportunities for the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration and other relevant Federal
agencies to support such activities.''.
(b) Ongoing Input Mechanism.--Section 12404(b)(5) of the Federal
Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C.
3703(b)(5)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``including information'' and inserting the
following: ``including--
``(A) information'';
(2) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``;
and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) an ongoing mechanism that allows affected
industry members, coastal stakeholders, non-Federal
resource managers, community acidification networks,
indigenous knowledge groups, and scientific experts not
employed by the Federal Government to provide input on
research, data, and monitoring that is necessary to
support on-the-ground management, decisionmaking, and
adaptation related to ocean acidification and its
impacts.''.
(c) Strategic Research Plan.--Section 12405 of the Federal Ocean
Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3704) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(10) make recommendations for research that should be
conducted, including in the social sciences and economics, to
address the key knowledge gaps identified in the community
vulnerability assessment report conducted under section
12406(b).''; and
(2) in subsection (e), by inserting ``, tribal governments,
indigenous knowledge groups,'' after ``industry''.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 12409(a) of the
Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33
U.S.C. 3708(a)) is amended to read as follows:
``(a) NOAA.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out the
purposes of this subtitle $2.7 million for each of fiscal years 2020
through 2024.''.
(e) Report on Support for State and Local Vulnerability Assessments
and Strategic Research Planning.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall submit to Congress a
report on the efforts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to support State, local, and tribal community
vulnerability assessments, strategic research and planning, and
monitoring needs, pursuant to section 12406(c) of the Federal Ocean
Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (as added by
subsection (a) of this section).
Passed the House of Representatives June 5, 2019.
Attest:
Clerk.
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1716
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to conduct
coastal community vulnerability assessments related to ocean
acidification, and for other purposes.