[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 178 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S7053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5172. Mr. BOOZMAN (for Mr. Sullivan) proposed an amendment to the 
bill S. 3086, to reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris Act to promote 
international action to reduce marine debris and for other purposes; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR SEVERE MARINE DEBRIS EVENTS.

       Section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1952) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Assistance for Severe Marine Debris Events.--
       ``(1) In general.--At the discretion of the Administrator 
     or at the request of the Governor of an affected State, the 
     Administrator shall determine whether there is a severe 
     marine debris event.
       ``(2) Assistance.--If the Administrator makes a 
     determination under paragraph (1) that there is a severe 
     marine debris event, the Administrator is authorized to make 
     sums available to be used by the affected State or by the 
     Administrator in cooperation with the affected State--
       ``(A) to assist in the cleanup and response required by the 
     severe marine debris event; or
       ``(B) such other activity as the Administrator determines 
     is appropriate in response to the severe marine debris event.
       ``(3) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of any 
     activity carried out under the authority of this subsection 
     shall not exceed 75 percent of the cost of that activity.''.

     SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT TO 
                   RESPOND TO MARINE DEBRIS.

       It is the sense of Congress that the President should--
       (1) work with representatives of foreign countries that 
     produce the largest amounts of unmanaged municipal solid 
     waste that reaches the ocean to learn about, and find 
     solutions to, the contributions of such countries to marine 
     debris in the world's oceans;
       (2) carry out studies to determine--
       (A) the primary means by which solid waste enters the 
     oceans;
       (B) the manner in which waste management infrastructure can 
     be most effective in preventing debris from reaching the 
     oceans;
       (C) the long-term economic impacts of marine debris on the 
     national economies of each country set out in paragraph (1) 
     and on the global economy; and
       (D) the economic benefits of decreasing the amount of 
     marine debris in the oceans;
       (3) work with representatives of foreign countries that 
     produce the largest amounts of unmanaged municipal solid 
     waste that reaches the ocean to conclude one or more new 
     international agreements--
       (A) to mitigate the risk of land-based marine debris 
     contributed by such countries reaching an ocean; and
       (B) to increase technical assistance and investment in 
     waste management infrastructure, if the President determines 
     appropriate; and
       (4) consider the benefits and appropriateness of having a 
     senior official of the Department of State serve as a 
     permanent member of the Interagency Marine Debris 
     Coordinating Committee established under section 5 of the 
     Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1954).
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