[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.
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