[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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