### §6471. Coral reef conservation and restoration assistance

#### (a) In general

The Secretary of the Interior may provide scientific expertise and technical assistance, and subject to the availability of appropriations, financial assistance for the conservation and restoration of coral reefs consistent with all applicable laws governing resource management in Federal, State, and Tribal waters, including—

(1) the National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy; and

(2) coral reef action plans in effect under section 205 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6404], as added by this division, as applicable.

#### (b) Coral Reef Initiative

The Secretary may establish a Coral Reef Initiative Program—

(1) to provide grant funding to support local management, conservation, and protection of coral reef ecosystems in—

(A) coastal areas of covered States; and

(B) Freely Associated States;

(2) to enhance resource availability of National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System management units to implement coral reef conservation and restoration activities;

(3) to complement the other conservation and assistance activities conducted under this Act or the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.], as amended by section 10001; and

(4) to provide other technical, scientific, and financial assistance and conduct conservation and restoration activities that advance the purposes of this title and the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, as amended by this division.

#### (c) Consultation with the Department of Commerce

#### (1) Coral reef conservation and restoration activities

The Secretary of the Interior may consult with the Secretary of Commerce regarding the conduct of any activities to conserve and restore coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems in waters managed under the jurisdiction of the Federal agencies specified in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 203(c) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6402(c)(2), (3)], as added by this division.

#### (2) Award of Coral Reef Management Fellowship

The Secretary of the Interior shall consult with the Secretary of Commerce to award the Susan L. Williams Coral Reef Management Fellowship under subchapter III of this chapter.

#### (d) Cooperative agreements

Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of the Interior may enter into cooperative agreements with covered reef managers to fund coral reef conservation and restoration activities in waters managed under the jurisdiction of such managers that—

(1) are consistent with the National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy; and

(2) support and enhance the success of coral reef action plans in effect under section 205 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6404], as added by this division.

#### (e) Definitions

In this section:

#### (1) Conservation, coral, coral reef, etc.

The terms "conservation", "coral reef", "covered reef manager", "covered State", "National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy", "restoration", and "State" have the meanings given those terms in section 216 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 [16 U.S.C. 6415], as added by this division.

#### (2) Tribe; Tribal

The terms "Tribe" and "Tribal" refer to Indian Tribes (as defined in section 5130 of title 25).

(Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title C, §10021, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3954.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### References in Text

This division, referred to in subsecs. (a)(2), (b)(4), (c)(1), (d)(2), and (e)(1), is div. J of Pub. L. 117–263, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3930. For complete classification of div. J to the Code, see Tables.

This Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is Pub. L. 117–263, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2395, known as the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), (4), is Pub. L. 106–562, title II, §201, Dec. 23, 2000, 114 Stat. 2800, which is classified generally to chapter 83 (§6401 et seq.) of this title. The Act was amended by section 10001 of div. J of Pub. L. 117–263, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3931. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 6401 of this title and Tables.

This title, referred to in subsec. (b)(4), means title C of division J of Pub. L. 117–263, which enacted this chapter and sections 6401 to 6415 of this title, amended section 7504 of this title, repealed sections 6401 to 6409 of this title, and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 6401 of this title. For complete classification of title C to the Code, see Tables.