[House Report 117-300]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress    }                                   {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                   {      117-300

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



 
                 ALASKA SALMON RESEARCH TASK FORCE ACT

                                _______
                                

 April 25, 2022.--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. 6651]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 6651) to establish an Alaska Salmon Research 
Task Force, 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. 6651 is to establish an Alaska Salmon 
Research Task Force.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Since 2018, fourteen fisheries disasters have occurred in 
Alaska.\1\ Nearly all these fisheries were salmon fisheries--
highlighting a substantial decline in the abundance of salmon 
in the state. These developments have created a dire situation 
for Alaskans--including many Native communities, like those on 
the Yukon River, who rely on healthy salmon stocks to serve as 
food and income.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Press Release, NOAA, Secretary of Commerce Issues Multiple 
Fishery Disaster Determinations for Alaska (Jan. 21, 2022), 
www.noaa.gov/news-release/secretary-of-commerce-issues-multiple-
fishery-disaster-determinations-for-alaska.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Yukon River's summer 2021 chum run was devastatingly 
low: only 153,000 fish were counted, compared to 1.7 million in 
years past.\2\ Additionally, Chinook salmon runs were recently 
also the third-lowest in the state's history.\3\ These salmon 
are vital to Alaskans due to their supreme cultural, economic, 
and recreational value. Failing to conserve these salmon stocks 
would leave several Alaskan communities without income, 
traditions, and, most importantly: food.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\Advisory Announcement, Div. of Commercial Fisheries, Alaska 
Dep't of Fish & Game, 2021 Yukon River Salmon Summer Fishery 
Announcement #16, Summer Update #7, Yukon Area Salmon Fishery, at 2 
(July 20, 2021), www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/
dcfnewsrelease/1301954168.pdf.
    \3\See Low Runs of Chinook Salmon in Alaska, Alaska Dep't of Fish & 
Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hottopics.lowchinookruns_info 
(updated June 2019).
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    H.R. 6651 would create a research task force to study the 
causes behind these disasters and identify priorities for 
salmon research and conservation efforts in Alaska. 
Specifically, the bill would create an Alaska Salmon Research 
Task Force, which would be responsible for publishing a report 
within one year identifying knowledge and research gaps and 
future research objectives for salmon in Alaska. The Research 
Task Force would be composed of 13 to 19 members, including 
representation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), the North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council, the U.S. section of the Pacific Salmon Commission, 
Alaskan residents, the Alaskan fishing industry, and other 
academic salmon experts. Recognizing the federal trust 
responsibility to Alaska Native subsistence rights, the 
Committee believes it is appropriate that the Secretary of 
Commerce ensure that at least one leader from a federally 
recognized tribe in Alaska is a member of the task force.
    H.R. 6651 would direct the task force to create working 
groups on salmon returns at the regional or stock-focused 
level, characterize trends in productivity and abundance, and 
identify and prioritize scientific research needs. The task 
force would also address salmon returns by creating a 
coordinated salmon research strategy and support collaboration 
and coordination in salmon conservation efforts. Members of the 
research task force would serve without compensation, and the 
Secretary of Commerce would provide administrative support to 
the research task force and its workgroups. The research task 
force would be exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 6651 was introduced on February 8, 2022, by 
Representative Don Young (R-AK). The bill was referred solely 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee 
to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife and the 
Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States. On 
March 17, 2022, the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife 
held a hearing on the bill. On April 6, 2022, the Natural 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittees 
were discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were 
offered, and the bill was adopted and ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House Rule XIII, the 
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure: 
hearing by the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held 
on March 17, 2022.

            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:

	[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    H.R. 6651 would require the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to establish the Alaska Salmon 
Research Task Force to review existing research on Pacific 
salmon, identify areas where additional research is necessary, 
and support sustainable management of salmon in Alaska. The 
task force also would be required to establish at least one 
working group to study salmon migration in particular regions 
of western Alaska.
    Within one year of the task force's establishment, the task 
force would be required to report to the Congress on its 
findings and any recommendations for additional areas of 
research that would benefit salmon sustainability. The bill 
would require that each member of the task force serve without 
compensation.
    Using information about the cost of similar activities, CBO 
estimates that implementing H.R. 6651 would increase costs by 
less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period because we expect 
that most activities of the task force would be completed 
without federal assistance.
    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 establish an Alaska Salmon 
Research Task Force.

                           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

    According to CBO, this bill contains no unfunded mandates 
as defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

                FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT STATEMENT

    In reporting the bill favorably to the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Natural Resources finds that 
the functions of the proposed Alaska Salmon Research Task Force 
would be better performed by such task force than by one or 
more agencies or another existing advisory committee.

                           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.

                                  [all]