[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 194 (Monday, November 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6712-S6713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GREAT LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY INDEX ACT OF 2019
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 320, S. 1342.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1342) to require the Under Secretary for Oceans
and Atmosphere to update periodically the environmental
sensitivity index products of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration for each coastal area of the Great
Lakes, 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, as follows:
(The part of the bill intended to be stricken is shown in boldface
brackets and the part of the bill intended to be inserted is shown in
italic.
S. 1342
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 ``Great Lakes Environmental
Sensitivity Index Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. UPDATE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY INDEX PRODUCTS OF
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
FOR GREAT LAKES.
(a) Update Required for Environmental Sensitivity Index
Products for Great Lakes.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for
Oceans and Atmosphere shall commence updating the
environmental sensitivity index products of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for each coastal area
of the Great Lakes.
(b) Periodic Updates for Environmental Sensitivity Index
Products Generally.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations and the priorities set forth in subsection
(c), the Under Secretary shall--
(1) periodically update the environmental sensitivity index
products of the Administration; and
(2) endeavor to do so not less frequently than once every 7
years.
(c) Priorities.--When prioritizing geographic areas to
update environmental sensitivity index products, the Under
Secretary shall consider--
(1) the age of existing environmental sensitivity index
products for the areas;
(2) the occurrence of extreme events, be it natural or man-
made, which have significantly altered the shoreline or
ecosystem since the last update;
(3) the natural variability of shoreline and coastal
environment; and
(4) the volume of vessel traffic and general vulnerability
to spilled pollutants.
(d) Environmental Sensitivity Index Product Defined.--In
this section, the term ``environmental sensitivity index
product'' means a map or similar tool that is utilized to
identify sensitive shoreline, coastal or offshore, resources
prior to an oil spill event in order to set baseline
priorities for protection and plan cleanup strategies,
typically including information relating to shoreline type,
biological resources, and human use resources.
[(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Under Secretary $7,500,000 to carry out subsection (a).
(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated or otherwise made
available pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be available to the
Under Secretary for the purposes set forth in such paragraph
until expended.]
(e) Funding.--Amounts for activities under this section
shall be derived from amounts otherwise authorized to be
appropriated or made available for the Under Secretary.
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
committee-reported amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended,
be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment was agreed to.
The bill (S. 1342), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S6712, November 16, 2020, third column, the following
appears: Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that
the committee-reported amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as
amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The
bill (S. 1342), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading,
The online Record has been corrected to read: Mr. CORNYN. Madam
President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered
read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER.
Without objection, it is so ordered. The committee-reported
amendment was agreed to. The bill (S. 1342), as amended, was
ordered to be engrossed for a third reading,
========================= END NOTE =========================
S. 1342
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
[[Page S6713]]
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Environmental
Sensitivity Index Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. UPDATE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY INDEX PRODUCTS OF
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
FOR GREAT LAKES.
(a) Update Required for Environmental Sensitivity Index
Products for Great Lakes.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for
Oceans and Atmosphere shall commence updating the
environmental sensitivity index products of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for each coastal area
of the Great Lakes.
(b) Periodic Updates for Environmental Sensitivity Index
Products Generally.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations and the priorities set forth in subsection
(c), the Under Secretary shall--
(1) periodically update the environmental sensitivity index
products of the Administration; and
(2) endeavor to do so not less frequently than once every 7
years.
(c) Priorities.--When prioritizing geographic areas to
update environmental sensitivity index products, the Under
Secretary shall consider--
(1) the age of existing environmental sensitivity index
products for the areas;
(2) the occurrence of extreme events, be it natural or man-
made, which have significantly altered the shoreline or
ecosystem since the last update;
(3) the natural variability of shoreline and coastal
environment; and
(4) the volume of vessel traffic and general vulnerability
to spilled pollutants.
(d) Environmental Sensitivity Index Product Defined.--In
this section, the term ``environmental sensitivity index
product'' means a map or similar tool that is utilized to
identify sensitive shoreline, coastal or offshore, resources
prior to an oil spill event in order to set baseline
priorities for protection and plan cleanup strategies,
typically including information relating to shoreline type,
biological resources, and human use resources.
(e) Funding.--Amounts for activities under this section
shall be derived from amounts otherwise authorized to be
appropriated or made available for the Under Secretary.
____________________