[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1196 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1196
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to establish a grant program to benefit coastal
habitats, resiliency, and the economy, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 24, 2023
Ms. Plaskett (for herself, Ms. Salazar, Mrs. Peltola, and Mrs.
Gonzalez-Colon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to establish a grant program to benefit coastal
habitats, resiliency, and the economy, 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 ``Don Young Restoration Grants for
Coastlines and Fisheries Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. DON YOUNG RESTORATION GRANTS FOR COASTLINES AND FISHERIES.
(a) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a grant
program to provide funding and technical assistance to eligible
entities for purposes of carrying out a project described in subsection
(d).
(b) Project Proposal.--To be considered for a grant under this
section, an eligible entity shall submit a grant proposal to the
Administrator in a time, place, and manner determined by the
Administrator. Such proposal shall include monitoring, data collection,
and measurable performance criteria with respect to the project.
(c) Development of Criteria.--The Administrator shall select
eligible entities to receive grants under this section based on
criteria developed by the Administrator, in consultation with relevant
offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, such as
the Office of Habitat Conservation, the Office for Coastal Management,
the Office of Response and Restoration, and the Office of National
Marine Sanctuaries.
(d) Eligible Projects.--A proposal is eligible for a grant under
this section if--
(1) the purpose of the project is to restore a marine,
estuarine, coastal, or Great Lake habitat, including--
(A) restoration of habitat to protect or recover a
species that is threatened, endangered, or a species of
concern under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
(B) through the removal or remediation of marine
debris, including derelict vessels and abandoned, lost,
and discarded fishing gear, in coastal and marine
habitats; or
(C) for the benefit of--
(i) shellfish;
(ii) fish, including diadromous fish;
(iii) coral reef systems;
(iv) marine wildlife;
(v) blue carbon ecosystems such as coastal
wetlands, marshes, coastal forests, seagrasses,
kelp forests, and other habitats important to
carbon sequestration and storage; or
(vi) ecosystems such as beaches, dunes,
oyster beds, submerged aquatic vegetation, and
other ecosystems that provide protection from
flooding, wave effects, and other coastal
hazards; or
(2) provides adaptation to climate change, including
sequestering and storing carbon or by constructing, restoring,
or protecting ecological features or nature-based
infrastructure that protects coastal communities from sea level
rise, coastal storms, or flooding.
(e) Priority.--In determining which projects to fund under this
section, the Administrator shall give priority to a proposed project--
(1) that would stimulate the economy;
(2) for which the applicant can demonstrate that the grant
will fund work that will begin not more than 90 days after the
date of award;
(3) for which the applicant can demonstrate that the grant
will fund work that will employ fishermen who have been
negatively impacted by financial hardship or pay a fisherman
for the use of a fishing vessel;
(4) for which the applicant can demonstrate that any
preliminary study or permit required before the project can
begin has been completed or can be completed shortly after an
award is made;
(5) that includes communities that may not have adequate
resources including low-income communities, communities of
color, Tribal communities, Indigenous communities, and rural
communities; or
(6) that is happening within National Wildlife Refuges,
National Parks, and Marine Protected Areas, such as National
Marine Sanctuaries.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Administrator $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2023 through 2032 to carry out this section, to remain available
until expended.
(g) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
nonprofit, a for-profit business, an institution of higher
education, or a State, local, Tribal, or Territorial
government.
(3) Fishermen.--The term ``fishermen'' means commercial or
for-hire fishermen or oyster farmers.
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