Gulf States Protection and Restoration Coordination Act

Summary: Gulf States Protection and Restoration Coordination Act This bill amends the Coastal Zone Management Act to designate the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) as a regional coordination entity of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The regional coordination would strengthen collaboration efforts among federal, state, local, and private participants in the five Gulf states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) to restore and protect the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. The designation authorizes the GOMA to:  unify the efforts of participants to efficiently restore and protect the ecosystem, provide grants to implement specific action plans that meet coordination goals, improve water quality in the ecosystem, publish information about living coastal and marine resources in the ecosystem, develop public outreach programs that foster stewardship of the ecosystem, and serve as the liaison to the Mexican members of the Gulf of Mexico States Accord and Mexican counterparts.  Any grants issued by the GOMA for ecosystem research can be used to:  monitor and develop strategies that address water quality needs, investigate the effects of natural and human-induced changes,  restore and sustain living coastal and marine resources, restore and conserve key habitats, or eliminate contamination problems.  In addition, the GOMA is required to submit to NOAA an annual report that describes the goals, objectives, and benefits of any efforts undertaken to strengthen cooperation among participants in restoring and protecting the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Furthermore, NOAA is required to submit to Congress an assessment, every three years, on the effectiveness of the GOMA's ability to coordinate regional restoration and protection efforts in the ecosystem.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Gulf States Protection and 
Restoration Coordination Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS, SENSE OF CONGRESS, AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Gulf of Mexico is a valuable resource of national 
        and international importance, continuously serving the people 
        of the United States and other countries as an important source 
        of food, economic productivity, recreation, beauty, and 
        enjoyment.
            (2) Over many years, the resource productivity and water 
        quality of the Gulf of Mexico and its watershed have been 
        diminished by point and nonpoint source pollution, increasing 
        population demands, economic development, and natural and man-
        made hazard events.
            (3) The protection of the Gulf of Mexico regional ecosystem 
        has been traditionally underserved and overlooked compared to 
        other great water bodies of the United States, even though the 
        region accounts for 17 percent of United States gross domestic 
        product and would rank as the 7th largest economy in the world.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United 
States should seek to attain coordination of the protection and 
restoration efforts of the Gulf of Mexico in order to reduce 
duplication of efforts and maximize efficiencies through a 
collaborative regional effort by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, in 
consultation with Federal agencies and State and local authorities.
    (c) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To expand and strengthen cooperative voluntary efforts 
        to protect and restore the Gulf of Mexico.
            (2) To expand Federal support for monitoring, management, 
        and restoration activities in the Gulf of Mexico and its 
        watershed.
            (3) To commit the United States to a comprehensive 
        cooperative program to achieve improved water quality in, and 
        improvements in the productivity of living resources of, the 
        Gulf of Mexico.
            (4) To establish a Gulf of Mexico Alliance to coordinate 
        Federal and State authorities with other voluntary efforts for 
        the collaborative management of the large marine ecosystem, 
        thereby reducing duplication of efforts and maximizing 
        opportunities to leverage restoration support in the Gulf of 
        Mexico region.

SEC. 3. GULF STATES PROTECTION AND RESTORATION COORDINATION.

    The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 120. GULF STATES PROTECTION AND RESTORATION COORDINATION.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Alliance management team.--The term `Alliance 
        Management Team' means the governing body of the Gulf of Mexico 
        Alliance consisting of the designated voting members 
        representing the Governors of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, 
        Mississippi, and Texas.
            ``(2) Gulf of mexico alliance.--The term `Gulf of Mexico 
        Alliance' means the formal collaborative organization of 
        Federal, State, local, and private participants established by 
        the 5 Gulf States in 2004 as a nonregulatory, inclusive network 
        of partners to provide a broad geographic focus on the primary 
        environmental issues affecting the Gulf of Mexico.
            ``(3) Gulf of mexico ecosystem.--The term `Gulf of Mexico 
        ecosystem' means the ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico and its 
        watershed.
    ``(b) Authorization of Gulf of Mexico Alliance.--
            ``(1) Designation as a regional coordination partnership.--
        The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is designated as a Regional 
        Coordination Partnership of the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce.
            ``(2) Requirements.--The Gulf of Mexico Alliance shall be--
                    ``(A) headed by a Director who, by reason of 
                management experience and technical expertise relating 
                to the Gulf of Mexico, is highly qualified to direct 
                the development of plans and programs on a variety of 
                Gulf of Mexico issues, as determined by the Alliance 
                Management Team; and
                    ``(B) located in a State all, or a portion of the 
                coastline, of which is on the Gulf of Mexico.
            ``(3) Functions.--The Gulf of Mexico Alliance shall--
                    ``(A) promote coordination of the actions of State 
                agencies in the States that border the Gulf of Mexico 
                and other authorities with the actions of the 
                appropriate officials of the Federal agencies and State 
                and local authorities in the Gulf of Mexico region in 
                developing strategies--
                            ``(i) to improve the water quality, protect 
                        nonregulated living resources, increase 
                        valuable habitats, and enhance coastal 
                        resilience in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; and
                            ``(ii) to obtain the support of appropriate 
                        officials;
                    ``(B) in cooperation with appropriate Federal, 
                State, and local authorities, develop and implement 
                specific action plans to carry out the Gulf of Mexico 
                Alliance regional protection and restoration 
                coordination goals;
                    ``(C) coordinate and implement priority plans and 
                projects, and facilitate science, research, modeling, 
                monitoring, data collection, and other activities that 
                support the Gulf of Mexico Alliance's goals through the 
                provision of grants under subsection (c);
                    ``(D) implement outreach programs for public 
                information, education, and participation to foster 
                stewardship of the resources of the Gulf of Mexico;
                    ``(E) develop and make available, through 
                publications, technical assistance, and other 
                appropriate means, information pertaining to the 
                environmental quality and living resources of the Gulf 
                of Mexico ecosystem;
                    ``(F) serve as the liaison with, and provide 
                information to, the Mexican members of the Gulf of 
                Mexico States Accord and Mexican counterparts; and
                    ``(G) focus the efforts and resources of the Gulf 
                of Mexico Alliance on activities that will result in 
                measurable improvements to water quality and living 
                resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem by 
                coordinating protection and restoration programs to 
                minimize duplication and maximize leveraging 
                opportunities.
    ``(c) Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Gulf of Mexico Alliance may provide 
        grants to nonprofit organizations, State and local governments, 
        colleges, universities, interstate agencies, and individuals to 
        carry out this section for use in--
                    ``(A) monitoring the water quality and living 
                resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem;
                    ``(B) researching the effects of natural and human-
                induced environmental changes on the water quality and 
                living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem;
                    ``(C) developing and executing cooperative 
                strategies that address the water quality and living 
                resource needs in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem;
                    ``(D) developing and implementing locally based 
                protection and restoration programs or projects within 
                a watershed that complement such strategies, including 
                the creation, restoration, protection, or enhancement 
                of habitat associated with the Gulf of Mexico 
                ecosystem; and
                    ``(E) eliminating or reducing nonpoint sources that 
                discharge pollutants that contaminate the Gulf of 
                Mexico ecosystem, including activities to eliminate 
                leaking septic systems and construct connections to 
                local sewage systems.
            ``(2) Administrative costs.--Administrative costs in the 
        form of salaries, overhead, or indirect costs for services 
        provided and charged against programs or projects carried out 
        using funds made available through a grant under this 
        subsection shall not exceed 25 percent of the amount of the 
        grant.
    ``(d) Reports.--
            ``(1) Annual report.--Not later than December 30, 2016, and 
        annually thereafter, the Director of the Alliance shall submit 
        to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration and make available to the public a report that 
        describes--
                    ``(A) each project and activity funded under this 
                section during the previous fiscal year;
                    ``(B) the goals and objectives of those projects 
                and activities; and
                    ``(C) the net benefits of projects and activities 
                funded under this section during previous fiscal years.
            ``(2) Assessment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than April 30, 2019, 
                and every 3 years thereafter, the Administrator of the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 
                coordination with the Alliance Management Team, shall 
                complete an assessment on the effectiveness of the Gulf 
                of Mexico Alliance's ability to coordinate regional 
                priorities and submit to Congress a comprehensive 
                report on such assessment.
                    ``(B) Requirements.--The assessment and report 
                described in subparagraph (A) shall--
                            ``(i) assess the overall status of 
                        coordinated restoration and protection efforts 
                        in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem;
                            ``(ii) assess the effectiveness of the Gulf 
                        of Mexico Alliance management strategies being 
                        implemented, and the extent to which the 
                        priority needs of the region are being met 
                        through that implementation; and
                            ``(iii) make recommendations for the 
                        improved coordination among the regulatory and 
                        nonregulatory programs operating in the region, 
                        including strengthening strategies being 
                        implemented or adopting improved strategies.
    ``(e) Budget Item.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, in the annual submission to Congress of the 
budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall 
include a funding line item request for the Alliance as a separate 
budget line item.
    ``(f) Limitation on Regulatory Authority.--Nothing in this section 
establishes any new legal or regulatory authority of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, 
itself, other than the authority to provide grants in accordance with 
this section.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, to remain available until 
expended--
            ``(1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2017;
            ``(2) $5,100,000 for fiscal year 2018;
            ``(3) $5,202,000 for fiscal year 2019;
            ``(4) $5,306,040 for fiscal year 2020;
            ``(5) $5,412,160 for fiscal year 2021; and
            ``(6) $5,520,404 for fiscal year 2022.''.