[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 178 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7106-S7108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MARINE DEBRIS ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2016
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 691, S. 3086.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 3086) to reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris
Act to promote international action to reduce marine debris
and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting
clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Marine Debris Act Amendments
of 2016''.
SEC. 2. NOAA MARINE DEBRIS PROGRAM.
Subsection (b) of section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33
U.S.C. 1952(b)) is amended--
[[Page S7107]]
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (5)(C), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) work with other Federal agencies to develop outreach
and education strategies to address both land- and sea-based
sources of marine debris; and
``(7) work with the Department of State and other Federal
agencies to promote international action to reduce the
incidence of marine debris.''.
SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON THE INTERAGENCY
MARINE DEBRIS COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
Section 5(b) of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1954(b))
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
``(5) the Department of State; and''.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 9 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1958) is
amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal
year 2017 through 2021--
``(1) to the Administrator for carrying out sections 3, 5,
and 6, $10,000,000, of which no more than 10 percent may be
for administrative costs; and
``(2) to the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast
Guard is operating, for the use of the Commandant of the
Coast Guard in carrying out section 4, $2,000,000, of which
no more than 10 percent may be used for administrative
costs.''.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Sullivan
amendment at the desk be agreed to, the committee-reported substitute
amendment, as amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be
considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider
be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 5172) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To authorize the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to assist with cleanup and response required
by severe marine debris events)
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).
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute, as
amended, was agreed to.
The bill (S. 3086), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 3086
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 Debris Act Amendments
of 2016''.
SEC. 2. NOAA MARINE DEBRIS PROGRAM.
Subsection (b) of section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33
U.S.C. 1952(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (5)(C), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) work with other Federal agencies to develop outreach
and education strategies to address both land- and sea-based
sources of marine debris; and
``(7) work with the Department of State and other Federal
agencies to promote international action to reduce the
incidence of marine debris.''.
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).
SEC. 5. INCLUSION OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON THE INTERAGENCY
MARINE DEBRIS COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
Section 5(b) of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1954(b))
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
``(5) the Department of State; and''.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 9 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1958) is
amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal
year 2017 through 2021--
``(1) to the Administrator for carrying out sections 3, 5,
and 6, $10,000,000, of which no more than 10 percent may be
for administrative costs; and
``(2) to the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast
Guard is operating, for the use of the Commandant of the
Coast Guard in carrying out section 4, $2,000,000, of which
no more than 10 percent may be used for administrative
costs.''.
[[Page S7108]]
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