[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 496 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 496

 To preserve United States fishing heritage through a national program 
 dedicated to training and assisting the next generation of commercial 
                   fishermen, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2019

    Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Cantwell, and Ms. 
   Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To preserve United States fishing heritage through a national program 
 dedicated to training and assisting the next generation of commercial 
                   fishermen, 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 ``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.

    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 2019 
through 2024, the Secretary shall use $2,000,000 to carry out section 4 
of this Act.
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