II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4927 

To direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish 

a grant program to fund youth fishing projects. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 

Mr. WICKER (for himself and Ms. CANTWELL) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a grant program to fund youth fishing 

projects. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Youth Coastal Fishing 

5 Program Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. YOUTH COASTAL FISHING GRANT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

8 program to award grants and provide technical assistance 


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1 to eligible entities for the purpose of establishing youth 

2 fishing projects. 

3 (b) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity seeking a 

4 grant under this section shall submit an application at 

5 such time, in such manner, and containing such informa6 tion as the Secretary may require. 

7 (c) DETERMINATIONS OF ELIGIBILITY.—The Sec8 retary shall develop criteria for purposes of determining 

9 whether an entity is eligible to receive a grant under this 

10 section in consultation with relevant offices of the Na11 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, such as 

12 the Office of Coastal Management, the National Sea 

13 Grant Office, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and 

14 the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. 

15 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 

16 a grant award under this section shall use the amount of 

17 the award for purposes related to conducting a youth fish18 ing project, including— 

19 (1) the purchase or rental of fishing equipment; 

20 (2) the cost of transporting participants to and 

21 from a youth fishing project; 

22 (3) fees associated with boat rental, pier access, 

23 or other facilities; 

24 (4) fishing license purchases; 

25 (5) fishing guide costs; or 


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1 (6) such other expenses related to conducting a 

2 youth fishing project as the Secretary considers ap3 propriate. 

4 (e) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec5 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applications con6 taining proposals for youth fishing projects focused on an 

7 underserved community. 

8 (f) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after 

9 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

10 submit to Congress a report on— 

11 (1) the eligible entities awarded grants under 

12 this section; 

13 (2) the amount each such entity received; 

14 (3) how those entities used the grant award; 

15 and 

16 (4) the number of participants in youth fishing 

17 projects funded by grants under this section. 

18 (g) FUNDING.— 

19 (1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

20 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec21 retary $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 to carry out 

22 this section. 

23 (2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pur24 suant to the authorization of appropriations under 

25 paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended. 


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1 (3) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more than 3 

2 percent of amounts appropriated pursuant to the au3 thorization of appropriations under paragraph (1) 

4 may be used by the Secretary for the administrative 

5 costs of carrying out this section. 

6 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti8 ty’’ means— 

9 (A) a nonprofit organization; 

10 (B) an educational institution; 

11 (C) a State, local, or Tribal government; or 

12 (D) a Native Hawaiian organization (as 

13 defined in section 6207 of the Elementary and 

14 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

15 7517)). 

16 (2) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term 

17 ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means an organization de18 scribed in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 

19 Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under 

20 501(a) of that Code. 

21 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

22 the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the 

23 Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and At24 mosphere. 


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1 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 

2 State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 

3 the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 

4 Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern 

5 Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United 

6 States, and any other territory or possession of the 

7 United States. 

8 (5) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 

9 government’’ means the recognized governing body 

10 of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, 

11 pueblo, village, community, component band, or com12 ponent reservation, individually identified (including 

13 parenthetically) in the list published most recently as 

14 of the date of the enactment of this Act pursuant to 

15 section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian 

16 Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 

17 (6) UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.—The term 

18 ‘‘underserved community’’ means a population of in19 dividuals sharing a particular characteristic, or a ge20 ographic community, that has been systematically 

21 denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of 

22 economic, social, and civic life, such as— 

23 (A) racial and ethnic minorities; 

24 (B) individuals with access and functional 

25 needs; or 


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1 (C) individuals otherwise adversely affected 

2 by persistent poverty or inequality. 

3 (7) YOUTH FISHING PROJECT.—The term 

4 ‘‘youth fishing project’’ means a project that pro5 vides youth with— 

6 (A) a recreational fishing experience con7 ducted from a shore, pier, or boat located in the 

8 Great Lakes, coastal waters, ocean waters, or a 

9 tidal river; 

10 (B) education about marine science, con11 servation, and fishing regulations; and 

12 (C) information on where and how to con13 tinue fishing. 

Æ 


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