[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H2634-H2636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE ASSISTANCE AMENDMENTS OF 2007

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1006) to amend the provisions of law relating to the John H. 
Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1006

       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 ``Marine Mammal Rescue 
     Assistance Amendments of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. STRANDING AND ENTANGLEMENT RESPONSE.

       (a) Collection and Updating of Information.--Section 
     402(b)(1)(A) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 
     U.S.C. 1421a(b)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting ``or 
     entangled'' after ``stranded''.
       (b) Entanglement Response Agreements.--
       (1) In general.--Section 403 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1421b) 
     is amended--
       (A) by amending the section heading to read as follows:

[[Page H2635]]

     ``SEC. 403. STRANDING OR ENTANGLEMENT RESPONSE AGREEMENTS.'';

       and
       (B) in subsection (a) by inserting ``or entanglement'' 
     before the period.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents at the end 
     of the first section is amended by striking the item relating 
     to section 403 and inserting the following:

``Sec. 403. Stranding or entanglement response agreements.''.
       (c) Liability.--Section 406(a) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 
     1421e(a)) is amended by inserting ``or entanglement'' after 
     ``stranding''.
       (d) Entanglement Defined.--
       (1) In general.--Section 410 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1421h) 
     is amended--
       (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (6) in order as 
     paragraphs (2) through (7); and
       (B) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated) 
     the following:
       ``(1) The term `entanglement' means an event in the wild in 
     which a living or dead marine mammal has gear, rope, line, 
     net, or other material wrapped around or attached to it and 
     is--
       ``(A) on a beach or shore of the United States; or
       ``(B) in waters under the jurisdiction of the United 
     States.''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 408(a)(2)(B)(i) of such 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 1421f-1(a)(2)(B)(i)) is amended by striking 
     ``section 410(6)'' and inserting ``section 410(7)''.
       (e) John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant 
     Program.--
       (1) Authorization of appropriations for grant program.--
     Section 408(h) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1421f-1(h)) is 
     amended--
       (A) by striking ``$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 
     through 2003'' and inserting ``$7,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2007 through 2010''; and
       (B) in paragraph (1) by striking ``$4,000,000'' and 
     inserting ``$6,000,000''.
       (2) Administrative costs and expenses.--Section 408 of such 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 1421f-1) is amended--
       (A) by adding at the end of subsection (a)(1) the 
     following: ``All funds available to implement this section 
     shall be distributed to eligible stranding network 
     participants for the purposes set forth in this paragraph and 
     paragraph (2), except as provided in subsection (f).''; and
       (B) by amending subsection (f) to read as follows:
       ``(f) Administrative Costs and Expenses.--Of the amounts 
     available each fiscal year to carry out this section, the 
     Secretary may expend not more than 6 percent or $80,000, 
     whichever is greater, to pay the administrative costs and 
     administrative expenses to implement the grant program under 
     subsection (a). Any such funds retained by the Secretary for 
     a fiscal year for such costs and expenses that are not used 
     for such costs and expenses before the end of the fiscal year 
     shall be provided as grants under subsection (a).''.
       (3) Emergency assistance.--Section 408 of such Act (16 
     U.S.C. 1421f-1) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (a) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 
     paragraph (3), and by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
     following:
       ``(2) Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
     Secretary may also enter into cooperative agreements, 
     contracts, or such other agreements or arrangements as the 
     Secretary considers appropriate to address stranding events 
     requiring emergency assistance.'';
       (B) in subsection (d) by inserting ``(1)'' before the text, 
     and by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Funding for emergency stranding projects shall not be 
     subject to the funding limit established in paragraph (1).'';
       (C) in subsection (e)--
       (i) in paragraph (1) by striking ``The non-Federal'' and 
     inserting ``Except as provided in paragraph (2), the non-
     Federal'';
       (ii) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
       (iii) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) Emergency assistance.--No non-Federal contribution 
     shall be required for funding for a response to an emergency 
     stranding event.''; and
       (D) in subsection (g) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 
     paragraph (3) and inserting after paragraph (1) the 
     following:
       ``(2) Emergency assistance.--The term `emergency 
     assistance' means assistance provided for a stranding event 
     that--
       ``(A) is not an unusual mortality event as defined in 
     section 409(6);
       ``(B) leads to an immediate increase in required costs for 
     stranding response, recovery, or rehabilitation in excess of 
     regularly scheduled costs;
       ``(C) may be cyclical or endemic; and
       ``(D) may involve out-of-habitat animals.''.
       (4) Contributions.--Section 408 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 
     1421f-1) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(i) Contributions.--For purposes of carrying out this 
     section, the Secretary may solicit, accept, receive, hold, 
     administer, and use gifts, devises, and bequests.''.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations for Marine Mammal 
     Unusual Mortality Event Fund.--Section 409(3) of such Act (16 
     U.S.C. 1421g(3)) is amended by striking ``fiscal year 1993'' 
     and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2007 through 2010''.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I commend the ranking Republican on the Committee on Natural 
Resources, Congressman Don Young, for introducing H.R. 1006, the Marine 
Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments of 2007. The bill would extend 
through fiscal year 2010 the authorization of appropriations for the 
John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Fund and the 
Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund.
  H.R. 1006 would direct the relevant Secretary to collect and update 
procedures for rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals entangled in 
fishing gear, rope, line, net or other material. The bill also 
authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements for marine mammal 
stranding events requiring emergency assistance.
  In the 109th Congress, the House passed a similar provision in H.R. 
4075, by voice vote, on July 17, 2006. We support this bill and commend 
Congressman Don Young for his leadership on this issue.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
1006, the Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Act amendments.
  This legislation, introduced by the distinguished Ranking Republican 
on the Natural Resources Committee, Don Young, and the ranking 
Republican on the Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee, Henry 
Brown, will extend the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance 
Grant Program.
  The Prescott Grant program was first authorized in 2000 to assist the 
National Marine Fisheries Service with recovery and rehabilitation of 
stranded marine mammals. The Prescott Grant program has been very 
successful in supporting facilities around the Nation which volunteer 
space and staff time to rehabilitate these sea creatures and return 
many of them to the wild.
  The National Marine Fisheries Service has received $4 million in 
appropriations each year for the Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue 
Assistance Grants. In 2006, the Service issued 42 grants to facilities 
in coastal States. While the Prescott Grant program has been successful 
in these areas, there are still areas of the country that do not have 
appropriate coverage; the Alaska region and the Southeast region are 
two examples.
  This legislation will increase funding for the Department of Commerce 
to address this lack of coverage and will also increase the number of 
grants that can be issued each year. The legislation will also cap 
administrative costs and roll over any unused funds into the grant 
program. The administration will have the authority to enter into 
cooperative agreements with trained personnel to allow for removal of 
floating debris from marine mammals to prevent the stranding and/or the 
death of those animals.
  This legislation also authorizes emergency assistance funding. In 
addition, it will reauthorize funding for the Marine Mammal Unusual 
Mortality Event Fund, which allows the agency to respond to mass 
stranding events and reimburse facilities that have assisted in the 
response activity.
  This is an important conservation bill. I urge an ``aye'' vote on 
H.R. 1006.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1006.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

[[Page H2636]]



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