[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1894 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1894

 To designate Regional Ocean Partnerships of the National Oceanic and 
          Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 27, 2021

  Mr. Wicker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To designate Regional Ocean Partnerships of the National Oceanic and 
          Atmospheric Administration, 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 ``Regional Ocean Partnership Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS; PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The ocean and coastal waters of the United States are 
        foundational to the economy, security, global competitiveness, 
        and well-being of the United States and continuously serve the 
        people of the United States and other countries as an important 
        source of food, energy, economic productivity, recreation, 
        beauty, and enjoyment.
            (2) Over many years, the resource productivity and water 
        quality of the ocean and coastal areas of the United States 
        have been diminished by pollution, increasing population 
        demands, economic development, and natural and man-made hazard 
        events, both acute and chronic.
            (3) Ocean and coastal areas of the United States are 
        managed by State and Federal resource agencies and regulated on 
        an interstate and regional scale by various overlapping Federal 
        authorities, thereby creating a significant need for interstate 
        coordination to enhance regional priorities, including the 
        ecological and economic health of those areas.
            (4) Tribal governments have unique expertise and knowledge 
        important for the stewardship of the ocean and coastal waters 
        of the United States.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should seek to support interstate 
        coordination of shared regional priorities relating to the 
        management, conservation, resilience, and restoration of ocean 
        and coastal areas to maximize efficiencies through 
        collaborative regional efforts by Regional Ocean Partnerships, 
        in consultation with Federal and State agencies, Tribal 
        governments, and local authorities;
            (2) such efforts would enhance existing and effective State 
        coastal management efforts based on shared regional priorities; 
        and
            (3) Regional Ocean Partnerships should consult with Tribal 
        governments and may include representation from Tribal 
        governments.
    (c) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To complement and expand cooperative voluntary efforts 
        intended to manage and restore ocean and coastal areas spanning 
        across multiple State boundaries.
            (2) To expand Federal support for monitoring, data 
        management, and restoration activities in ocean and coastal 
        areas.
            (3) To commit the United States to a comprehensive 
        cooperative program to achieve improved water quality in, and 
        improvements in the productivity of living resources of, all 
        coastal ecosystems.
            (4) To authorize Regional Ocean Partnerships as 
        intergovernmental coordinators for shared interstate and 
        regional priorities relating to the collaborative management of 
        the large marine ecosystems, thereby reducing duplication of 
        efforts and maximizing opportunities to leverage support in the 
        ocean and coastal regions.
            (5) To empower States to take a lead role in managing 
        oceans and coasts.
            (6) To incorporate Tribal interests in the management of 
        oceans and coasts and provide funding to support Tribal ocean 
        and coastal resiliency activities in coordination with Regional 
        Ocean Partnerships.
            (7) To enable Regional Ocean Partnerships, or designated 
        fiscal management entities of such partnerships, to receive 
        Federal funding to conduct the scientific research, 
        conservation and restoration activities, and priority 
        coordination on shared regional priorities necessary to achieve 
        the purposes described in paragraphs (1) through (6).

SEC. 3. REGIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIPS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration.
            (2) Coastal state.--The term ``coastal state'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 304 of the Coastal Zone 
        Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453).
            (3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
    (b) Regional Ocean Partnerships.--
            (1) In general.--A coastal state may participate in a 
        Regional Ocean Partnership with one or more other coastal 
        states that share a common ocean or coastal area with the 
        coastal state, without regard to whether the coastal states are 
        contiguous.
            (2) Application.--The Governor of a coastal state or the 
        Governors of a group of coastal states may apply to the 
        Secretary of Commerce, on behalf of a partnership, for the 
        partnership to receive designation as a Regional Ocean 
        Partnership if the partnership--
                    (A) meets the requirements under paragraph (3); and
                    (B) submits an application for such designation in 
                such manner, in such form, and containing such 
                information as the Secretary may require.
            (3) Requirements.--A partnership is eligible for 
        designation as a Regional Ocean Partnership by the Secretary 
        under paragraph (2) if the partnership--
                    (A) is established to coordinate the interstate 
                management of ocean and coastal resources;
                    (B) focuses on the environmental issues affecting 
                the ocean and coastal areas of the members 
                participating in the partnership;
                    (C) complements existing State coastal and ocean 
                management efforts on an interstate scale, focusing on 
                shared regional priorities;
                    (D) does not have a regulatory function; and
                    (E) is not duplicative of an existing Regional 
                Ocean Partnership designated under paragraph (4), as 
                determined by the Secretary.
            (4) Designation of certain entities as regional ocean 
        partnerships.--Notwithstanding paragraph (2) or (3), the 
        following entities are designated as Regional Ocean 
        Partnerships:
                    (A) The Gulf of Mexico Alliance, comprised of the 
                States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and 
                Texas.
                    (B) The Northeast Regional Ocean Council, comprised 
                of the States of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, 
                Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
                    (C) The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, 
                comprised of the States of New York, New Jersey, 
                Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
                    (D) The West Coast Ocean Alliance, comprised of the 
                States of California, Oregon, and Washington and the 
                coastal Indian Tribes therein.
    (c) Governing Bodies of Regional Ocean Partnerships.--
            (1) In general.--A Regional Ocean Partnership designated 
        under subsection (b) shall be governed by a governing body.
            (2) Membership.--A governing body described in paragraph 
        (1)--
                    (A) shall be comprised, at a minimum, of voting 
                members from each coastal state participating in the 
                Regional Ocean Partnership, designated by the Governor 
                of the coastal state; and
                    (B) may include such other members as the 
                partnership considers appropriate.
    (d) Functions.--A Regional Ocean Partnership designated under 
subsection (b) may perform the following functions:
            (1) Promote coordination of the actions of the agencies of 
        coastal states participating in the partnership with the 
        actions of the appropriate officials of Federal agencies and 
        State and Tribal governments in developing strategies--
                    (A) to conserve living resources, increase valuable 
                habitats, enhance coastal resilience and ocean 
                management, promote ecological and economic health, and 
                address such other issues related to the shared ocean 
                or coastal area as are determined to be a shared, 
                regional priority by those states; and
                    (B) to manage regional data portals and develop 
                associated data products for purposes that support the 
                priorities of the partnership.
            (2) In cooperation with appropriate Federal and State 
        agencies, Tribal governments, and local authorities, develop 
        and implement specific action plans to carry out coordination 
        goals.
            (3) Coordinate and implement priority plans and projects, 
        and facilitate science, research, modeling, monitoring, data 
        collection, and other activities that support the goals of the 
        partnership through the provision of grants and contracts under 
        subsection (f).
            (4) Engage, coordinate, and collaborate with relevant 
        governmental entities and stakeholders to address ocean and 
        coastal related matters that require interagency or 
        intergovernmental solutions.
            (5) Implement outreach programs for public information, 
        education, and participation to foster stewardship of the 
        resources of the ocean and coastal areas, as relevant.
            (6) Develop and make available, through publications, 
        technical assistance, and other appropriate means, information 
        pertaining to cross-jurisdictional issues being addressed 
        through the coordinated activities of the partnership.
            (7) Serve as a liaison with, and provide information to, 
        international counterparts, as appropriate on priority issues 
        for the partnership.
    (e) Consultation and Engagement.--A Regional Ocean Partnership 
designated under subsection (b) shall maintain mechanisms for 
consultation and engagement with the following:
            (1) The Federal Government.
            (2) Tribal governments.
            (3) Nongovernmental entities, including academic 
        organizations, nonprofit organizations, and businesses.
    (f) Grants and Contracts.--
            (1) In general.--A Regional Ocean Partnership designated 
        under subsection (b) may, in coordination with existing Federal 
        and State management programs, from amounts made available to 
        the partnership by the Administrator or the head of another 
        Federal agency provide grants and enter into contracts for the 
        purposes described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Purposes.--The purposes described in this paragraph 
        include any of the following:
                    (A) Monitoring the water quality and living 
                resources of multi-State ocean and coastal ecosystems 
                and coastal communities.
                    (B) Researching and addressing the effects of 
                natural and human-induced environmental changes on--
                            (i) ocean and coastal ecosystems; and
                            (ii) coastal communities.
                    (C) Developing and executing cooperative strategies 
                that--
                            (i) address regional data issues identified 
                        by the partnership; and
                            (ii) will result in more effective 
                        management of common ocean and coastal areas.
    (g) Report Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in coordination 
        with the Regional Ocean Partnerships designated under 
        subsection (b), shall submit to Congress a report on the 
        partnerships.
            (2) Report requirements.--The report required by paragraph 
        (1) shall include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the overall status of the work 
                of the Regional Ocean Partnerships designated under 
                subsection (b).
                    (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of the 
                partnerships in supporting regional priorities relating 
                to the management of common ocean and coastal areas.
                    (C) An identification of any duplication of efforts 
                between the partnerships and other entities.
                    (D) An assessment of the benefits and costs of the 
                partnerships.
                    (E) An assessment of the effectiveness of the 
                strategies that the partnerships are supporting or 
                implementing and the extent to which the priority needs 
                of the regions covered by the partnerships are being 
                met through such strategies.
                    (F) An assessment of how the efforts of the 
                partnerships support or enhance Federal and State 
                efforts consistent with the purposes of this Act.
                    (G) Such recommendations as the Administrator may 
                have for improving--
                            (i) efforts of the partnerships to support 
                        the purposes of this Act; and
                            (ii) collective strategies that support the 
                        purposes of this Act in coordination and 
                        consultation with all relevant Federal, State, 
                        and Tribal entities.
                    (H) The distribution of funds from each partnership 
                for each fiscal year covered by the report.
    (h) Availability of Federal Funds.--In addition to amounts made 
available to the Regional Ocean Partnerships designated under 
subsection (b) by the Administrator under this section, the head of any 
other Federal agency may provide grants to, enter into contracts with, 
or otherwise provide funding to such partnerships.
    (i) Authorities.--Nothing in this section establishes any new legal 
or regulatory authority of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration or of the Regional Ocean Partnerships designated under 
subsection (b), other than--
            (1) the authority of the Administrator to provide amounts 
        to the partnerships; and
            (2) the authority of the partnerships to provide grants and 
        enter into contracts under subsection (f).
    (j) Funding.--
            (1) Regional ocean partnerships.--There are authorized to 
        be appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration the following amounts to be made available to 
        the Regional Ocean Partnerships designated under subsection (b) 
        or designated fiscal management entities of such partnerships 
        to carry out activities of the partnerships under this Act:
                    (A) $10,100,000 for fiscal year 2022.
                    (B) $10,202,000 for fiscal year 2023.
                    (C) $10,306,040 for fiscal year 2024.
                    (D) $10,412,160 for fiscal year 2025.
                    (E) $10,520,404 for fiscal year 2026.
            (2) Distribution of amounts.--Amounts made available under 
        paragraph (1) shall be divided evenly among the Regional Ocean 
        Partnerships designated under subsection (b).
            (3) Tribal consultation.--There is authorized to be 
        appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
        2026 for Indian Tribes to be distributed for purposes of 
        participation in or engagement with the Regional Ocean 
        Partnerships.
            (4) Derivation.--Funds to carry out the activities under 
        this Act shall be derived from amounts authorized to be 
        appropriated pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (3) that are 
        appropriated after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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