[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 642 Engrossed in House (EH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 642
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CHESAPEAKE BAY OFFICE.
(a) Reauthorization of Office.--Section 307 of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C.
1511d) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 307. CHESAPEAKE BAY OFFICE.
``(a) Establishment.--(1) The Secretary of Commerce shall
establish, within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
an office to be known as the Chesapeake Bay Office (in this section
referred to as the `Office').
``(2) The Office shall be headed by a Director who shall be
appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the
Chesapeake Executive Council. Any individual appointed as Director
shall have knowledge and experience in research or resource management
efforts in the Chesapeake Bay.
``(3) The Director may appoint such additional personnel for the
Office as the Director determines necessary to carry out this section.
``(b) Functions.--The Office, in consultation with the Chesapeake
Executive Council, shall--
``(1) provide technical assistance to the Administrator, to
other Federal departments and agencies, and to State and local
government agencies in--
``(A) assessing the processes that shape the
Chesapeake Bay system and affect its living resources;
``(B) identifying technical and management
alternatives for the restoration and protection of
living resources and the habitats they depend upon; and
``(C) monitoring the implementation and
effectiveness of management plans;
``(2) develop and implement a strategy for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that integrates the
science, research, monitoring, data collection, regulatory, and
management responsibilities of the Secretary of Commerce in
such a manner as to assist the cooperative, intergovernmental
Chesapeake Bay Program to meet the commitments of the
Chesapeake Bay Agreement;
``(3) coordinate the programs and activities of the various
organizations within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the Chesapeake Bay Regional Sea Grant Programs,
and the Chesapeake Bay units of the National Estuarine Research
Reserve System, including--
``(A) programs and activities in--
``(i) coastal and estuarine research,
monitoring, and assessment;
``(ii) fisheries research and stock
assessments;
``(iii) data management;
``(iv) remote sensing;
``(v) coastal management;
``(vi) habitat conservation and
restoration; and
``(vii) atmospheric deposition; and
``(B) programs and activities of the Cooperative
Oxford Laboratory of the National Ocean Service with
respect to--
``(i) nonindigenous species;
``(ii) estuarine and marine species
pathology;
``(iii) human pathogens in estuarine and
marine environments; and
``(iv) ecosystem health;
``(4) coordinate the activities of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration with the activities of the
Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal, State, and
local agencies;
``(5) establish an effective mechanism which shall ensure
that projects have undergone appropriate peer review and
provide other appropriate means to determine that projects have
acceptable scientific and technical merit for the purpose of
achieving maximum utilization of available funds and resources
to benefit the Chesapeake Bay area;
``(6) remain cognizant of ongoing research, monitoring, and
management projects and assist in the dissemination of the
results and findings of those projects; and
``(7) submit a biennial report to the Congress and the
Secretary of Commerce with respect to the activities of the
Office and on the progress made in protecting and restoring the
living resources and habitat of the Chesapeake Bay, which
report shall include an action plan consisting of--
``(A) a list of recommended research, monitoring,
and data collection activities necessary to continue
implementation of the strategy described in paragraph
(2); and
``(B) proposals for--
``(i) continuing any new National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration activities in
the Chesapeake Bay; and
``(ii) the integration of those activities
with the activities of the partners in the
Chesapeake Bay Program to meet the commitments
of the Chesapeake 2000 agreement and subsequent
agreements.
``(c) Chesapeake Bay Fishery and Habitat Restoration Small
Watershed Grants Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Director of the Chesapeake Bay
Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(in this section referred to as the `Director'), in cooperation
with the Chesapeake Executive Council, shall carry out a
community-based fishery and habitat restoration small grants
and technical assistance program in the Chesapeake Bay
watershed.
``(2) Projects.--
``(A) Support.--The Director shall make grants
under this subsection to pay the Federal share of the
cost of projects that are carried out by entities
eligible under paragraph (3) for the restoration of
fisheries and habitats in the Chesapeake Bay.
``(B) Federal share.--The Federal share under
subparagraph (A) shall not exceed 75 percent.
``(C) Types of projects.--Projects for which grants
may be made under this subsection include--
``(i) the improvement of fish passageways;
``(ii) the creation of natural or
artificial reefs or substrata for habitats;
``(iii) the restoration of wetland or sea
grass;
``(iv) the production of oysters for
restoration projects; and
``(v) the prevention, identification, and
control of nonindigenous species.
``(3) Eligible entities.--The following entities are
eligible to receive grants under this subsection:
``(A) The government of a political subdivision of
a State in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and the
government of the District of Columbia.
``(B) An organization in the Chesapeake Bay
watershed (such as an educational institution or a
community organization)--
``(i) that is described in section 501(c)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is
exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of
that Code; and
``(ii) that will administer such grants in
coordination with a government referred to in
subparagraph (A).
``(4) Additional requirements.--The Director may prescribe
any additional requirements, including procedures, that the
Director considers necessary to carry out the program under
this subsection.
``(d) Budget Line Item.--The Secretary of Commerce shall identify,
in the President's annual budget to the Congress, the funding request
for the Office.
``(e) Chesapeake Executive Council.--For purposes of this section,
`Chesapeake Executive Council' means the representatives from the
Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, the Environmental Protection Agency, the District of
Columbia, and the Chesapeake Bay Commission, who are signatories to the
Chesapeake Bay Agreement, and any future signatories to that Agreement.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of Commerce for the Chesapeake Bay
Office $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 2 of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Marine Fisheries Program Authorization Act
(Public Law 98-210; 97 Stat. 1409) is amended by striking subsection
(e).
(c) Multiple Species Management Strategy.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Chesapeake Bay
Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
shall begin a 5-year study, in cooperation with the scientific
community of the Chesapeake Bay, appropriate State and
interstate resource management entities, and appropriate
Federal agencies--
(A) to determine and expand the understanding of
the role and response of living resources in the
Chesapeake Bay ecosystem; and
(B) to develop a multiple species management
strategy for the Chesapeake Bay.
(2) Required elements of study.--In order to improve the
understanding necessary for the development of the strategy
under paragraph (1)(B), the study shall--
(A) determine the current status and trends of fish
and shellfish that live in the Chesapeake Bay and its
tributaries and are selected for study;
(B) evaluate and assess interactions among the fish
and shellfish referred to in subparagraph (A) and other
living resources, with particular attention to the
impact of changes within and among trophic levels; and
(C) recommend management actions to optimize the
return of a healthy and balanced ecosystem for the
Chesapeake Bay.
Passed the House of Representatives April 4, 2001.
Attest:
Clerk.
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 642
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.