[House Report 116-642]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress  }                                             {    Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session     }                                             {   116-642

======================================================================



 
                  CLIMATE-READY FISHERIES ACT OF 2019

                                _______
                                

 December 14, 2020.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 4679]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 4679) to require the Comptroller General of the 
United States to submit to Congress a report examining efforts 
by the Regional Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic 
States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the National Marine 
Fisheries Service to prepare and adapt United States fishery 
management for the impacts of climate change, and for other 
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 4679 is to require the Comptroller 
General of the United States to submit to Congress a report 
examining efforts by the Regional Fishery Management Councils, 
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service to prepare and adapt United 
States fishery management for the impacts of climate change.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's recent 
report on the ocean and cryosphere reported that warming and 
changing ocean conditions are already impacting fisheries 
catches and the geographic distribution and size of fish 
stocks, which could lead to negative impacts on income, 
livelihood, and food security of dependent communities, not to 
mention conflicts between and within countries.\1\ Economic 
impacts are already being seen: a recent study found that 
climate variability from 1996 to 2017 reduced fishing 
employment by 16 percent in New England, an area that employs 
20 percent of commercial harvesters in the United States.\2\
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    \1\IPCC, 2019: IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a 
Changing Climate. In press.
    \2\Oremus, K., Climate variability reduces employment in New 
England Fisheries, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Dec 
2019, 201820154; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820154116.
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                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 4679 was introduced on October 15, 2019, by 
Representative Joe Cunningham (D-SC). The bill was referred 
solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the 
Committee to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. 
On January 14, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the 
bill. On January 29, 2020, the Natural Resources Committee met 
to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by 
unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was 
adopted and ordered favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by a roll call vote of 22 yeas and 15 nays, as 
follows:


                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the 
116th Congress--the following hearing was used to develop or 
consider H.R. 4679: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on 
Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held on January 14, 2020.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
``Climate-Ready Fisheries Act of 2019.''
    Section 2. Findings.
    Section 3. Report on efforts to prepare and adapt United 
States fishery management for the impacts of climate change. 
This section directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
to report on efforts by regional fishery management councils, 
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to prepare for and 
adapt to the impacts of climate change, and to make 
recommendations on how to address the most significant 
knowledge and funding gaps that could increase the ability of 
these bodies to prepare and adapt fishery management for the 
impacts of climate change; how to prepare fishing industries 
and communities for climate change impacts; and how to enhance 
the capacity of NMFS to monitor and better manage climate-
related changes to fisheries and marine ecosystems.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

      COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

    1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. 
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the 
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, March 10, 2020.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4679, the Climate-
Ready Fisheries Act of 2019.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Robert Reese.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

    
    

    H.R. 4679 would direct the Government Accountability Office 
(GAO) to study and report to the Congress on the efforts taken 
by the regional fishery management councils, the Atlantic 
States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration to prepare for and adapt to the 
impacts of climate change on U.S. fishery resources. The bill 
would require GAO to submit their findings within one year of 
enactment.
    Using information about the costs of similar GAO reports, 
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4679 would cost less than 
$500,000 over the 2020-2025 period. Any spending would be 
subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Robert Reese. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Director of Budget Analysis.
    2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and 
objectives of this bill are to require the Comptroller General 
of the United States to submit to Congress a report examining 
efforts by the Regional Fishery Management Councils, the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the National 
Marine Fisheries Service to prepare and adapt United States 
fishery management for the impacts of climate change.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                 UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           EXISTING PROGRAMS

    This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of 
the federal government known to be duplicative of another 
program.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

               PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW

    Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or 
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's 
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the 
U.S. Constitution.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing 
law.

        SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS

    None.