```

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9912 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9912

  To require the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the 
 National Science and Technology Council to establish the Interagency 
 Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon, require the Interagency Working 
 Group to produce a national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon 
   ecosystems, require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
   Atmospheric Administration to carry out pilot programs to protect 
intact and restore degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems, require the 
   Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to establish the Coastal 
 Carbon Data Clearinghouse, require the Administrator to seek to enter 
into an agreement with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, 
  and Medicine to conduct an assessment regarding geologic stores of 
carbon dioxide, require the Administrator to establish the Coastal Blue 
 Carbon Inventory Program, and require the Administrator to conduct a 
 national assessment to quantify the carbon sequestration potential of 
                    coastal blue carbon ecosystems.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 4, 2024

  Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Posey, and Mr. Beyer) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
  Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and 
Technology, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To require the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the 
 National Science and Technology Council to establish the Interagency 
 Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon, require the Interagency Working 
 Group to produce a national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon 
   ecosystems, require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
   Atmospheric Administration to carry out pilot programs to protect 
intact and restore degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems, require the 
   Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to establish the Coastal 
 Carbon Data Clearinghouse, require the Administrator to seek to enter 
into an agreement with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, 
  and Medicine to conduct an assessment regarding geologic stores of 
carbon dioxide, require the Administrator to establish the Coastal Blue 
 Carbon Inventory Program, and require the Administrator to conduct a 
 national assessment to quantify the carbon sequestration potential of 
                    coastal blue carbon ecosystems.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coastal Restoration Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committees on Natural Resources and 
                Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate.
            (2) Coastal blue carbon ecosystem.--The term ``coastal blue 
        carbon ecosystem''--
                    (A) means a coastal habitat, including a mangrove 
                forest, a tidal marsh, a shrub-dominated or -forested 
                tidal swamp, a kelp forest, a tidal mudflat, seagrass, 
                coastal subtidal sediment, and other tidal freshwater, 
                brackish, or salt-water wetlands, that has the ability 
                to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, accumulate 
                such sequestered carbon in biomass for years to 
                decades, and store such sequestered carbon in soil for 
                centuries to millennia; and
                    (B) includes--
                            (i) autochthonous carbon ecosystems; and
                            (ii) allochthonous carbon ecosystems.
            (3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (4) Interagency working group.--The term ``Interagency 
        Working Group'' means the Interagency Working Group on Coastal 
        Blue Carbon established under section 3(a).
            (5) Regional coastal observing system.--The term ``regional 
        coastal observing system'' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 12303 of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation 
        System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3602).
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, and each territory and 
        possession of the United States.
            (7) Subcommittee.--The term ``Subcommittee'' means the 
        Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National 
        Science and Technology Council.
            (8) Undersecretary.--The term ``Undersecretary'' means the 
        Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere in the 
        Under Secretary's capacity as the Administrator of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON COASTAL BLUE CARBON.

    (a) Establishment.--The Subcommittee shall establish an Interagency 
Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon to coordinate Federal efforts to 
research, monitor, identify, map, protect, and restore coastal blue 
carbon ecosystems, including by--
            (1) facilitating interagency coordination;
            (2) developing a national strategy;
            (3) supporting research and data collection;
            (4) identifying resource and policy needs; and
            (5) engaging relevant stakeholders.
    (b) Membership.--The Interagency Working Group shall be composed of 
senior representatives from--
            (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
            (2) the Environmental Protection Agency;
            (3) the National Science Foundation;
            (4) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
            (5) the United States Geological Survey;
            (6) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
            (7) the National Park Service;
            (8) the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
            (9) the Smithsonian Institution;
            (10) the Army Corps of Engineers;
            (11) the Department of Agriculture;
            (12) the Department of Energy;
            (13) the Department of Defense;
            (14) the Department of Transportation;
            (15) the Department of State;
            (16) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
            (17) the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
            (18) the Council on Environmental Quality.
    (c) Chair.--The Interagency Working Group shall be chaired by the 
Undersecretary.
    (d) Responsibilities.--The Interagency Working Group shall carry 
out the following activities:
            (1) In accordance with section 4, produce, oversee, update, 
        and maintain a national map and inventory of coastal blue 
        carbon ecosystems, including information required under that 
        section.
            (2) Develop a strategic assessment of the biophysical, 
        chemical, economic, regulatory, social, and statutory 
        impediments, including regionally specific opportunities to 
        reduce such impediments and facilitating factors of such 
        impediments, to restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
            (3) Develop a national strategy for foundational science 
        necessary to study, synthesize, and evaluate the effects of 
        climate change and environmental and human stressors on carbon 
        sequestration rates, including lateral carbon fluxes, and 
        greenhouse gas emissions in coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
            (4) Establish national protection and restoration 
        priorities for coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including an 
        assessment of Federal funding being used for restoration 
        efforts with respect to coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
            (5) With other Federal agencies and users, ensure the 
        continuity, use, and interoperability of relevant data assets 
        through the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse established under 
        section 6(a).
            (6) Coordinate with research, monitoring, standards 
        development, project design, and other work related to marine 
        carbon dioxide removal being conducted by relevant laboratories 
        and offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration and the Subcommittee.
            (7) Assess the legal authorities that exist to protect and 
        restore coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
            (8) Implement the strategic plan required under subsection 
        (e)(2).
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this section, the Interagency Working Group 
        shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        report regarding the activities carried out by the Interagency 
        Working Group under subsection (d), including the following:
                    (A) Information regarding activities, challenges, 
                analyses, and additional work and research needed with 
                respect to such activities.
                    (B) A summary of each federally funded coastal blue 
                carbon ecosystem research, monitoring, protection, and 
                restoration activity, including--
                            (i) the budget for each such activity; and
                            (ii) a description of the progress made by 
                        each such activity in advancing the national 
                        protection and restoration priorities 
                        established under subsection (d)(4).
                    (C) The strategic assessment developed under 
                subsection (d)(2), including information regarding the 
                vulnerability of coastal blue carbon ecosystems to 
                climate impacts, such as sea-level rise, ocean and 
                coastal acidification, and other environmental and 
                human stressors.
            (2) Strategic plan.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the 
                date on which the Interagency Working Group submits the 
                report required under paragraph (1), and not less than 
                once every 5 years thereafter, the Interagency Working 
                Group shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
                committees a strategic plan for Federal investments in 
                basic research, development, demonstration, long-term 
                monitoring and stewardship, and deployment of coastal 
                blue carbon ecosystem projects for the 5-year period 
                beginning on the date on which the first full fiscal 
                year after the date on which the Interagency Working 
                Group submits to Congress the report required under 
                paragraph (1) begins.
                    (B) Requirement.--The strategic plan required under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include an assessment of the use 
                of existing Federal authorities and programs to protect 
                and restore coastal blue carbon ecosystems and identify 
                whether any additional such authorities or programs are 
                needed.
                    (C) Publication.--Not later than 90 days before the 
                Interagency Working Group submits to the appropriate 
                congressional committees each strategic plan under 
                subparagraph (A), the Interagency Working Group shall 
                publish each such strategic plan in the Federal 
                Register and provide an opportunity for submission of 
                public comments for a period of not less than 60 days.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL MAP AND INVENTORY OF COASTAL BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--The Interagency Working Group shall produce, 
oversee, update not less than once every 5 years, and maintain a 
national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, 
including, with respect to each coastal blue carbon ecosystem--
            (1) the species and each type of habitat in the coastal 
        blue carbon ecosystem;
            (2) the condition of each such habitat, including whether 
        the habitat is minimally disturbed, degraded, drained, 
        eutrophic, or tidally restricted;
            (3) the type of public or private ownership and any 
        protected status;
            (4) the size;
            (5) the salinity class;
            (6) the tidal range;
            (7) an assessment of carbon sequestration potential, 
        methane production, and net greenhouse gas reductions, 
        including--
                    (A) consideration of--
                            (i) quantification;
                            (ii) verifiability; and
                            (iii) the permanence of such carbon 
                        sequestration potential, methane production, 
                        and net greenhouse gas reductions; and
                    (B) comparison to a historical baseline, as 
                available;
            (8) an assessment of the co-benefits associated with 
        restoration and carbon sequestration;
            (9) the potential for landward migration as a result of sea 
        level rise;
            (10) any upstream restrictions detrimental to the watershed 
        process and conditions of aquatic infrastructure, such as dams, 
        dikes, and levees;
            (11) information regarding conversion to other land uses 
        and the cause of such conversion; and
            (12) a depiction of the effects of climate change, 
        including sea level rise, and environmental and human stressors 
        on the carbon sequestration rate, carbon storage, and 
        greenhouse gas emissions.
    (b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Interagency 
Working Group shall--
            (1) incorporate, to the extent possible, existing data 
        collected--
                    (A) through federally funded research; or
                    (B) by a Federal, State, local, or Tribal agency, 
                including data collected through--
                            (i) the Coastal Change Analysis Program of 
                        the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                        Administration;
                            (ii) the National Wetlands Inventory of the 
                        United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
                            (iii) the LandCarbon program of the United 
                        States Geological Survey;
                            (iv) the LiDar information coordination and 
                        knowledge program of the Federal Emergency 
                        Management Agency;
                            (v) the Biological and Environmental 
                        Research program of the Department of Energy; 
                        and
                            (vi) the National Coastal Blue Carbon 
                        Assessment of the Department of Agriculture;
            (2) procure, as the chair of the Interagency Working Group 
        determines necessary, new data related to coastal blue carbon 
        ecosystem mapping and inventorying;
            (3) engage regional technical experts to accurately account 
        for regional differences in coastal blue carbon ecosystems; and
            (4) leverage relevant resources and information through the 
        Marine Cadastre Hub and the National Marine Ecosystem Status 
        Website.
    (c) Use.--The Interagency Working Group shall use the national map 
and inventory produced under subsection (a)--
            (1) to assess the carbon sequestration potential of 
        different coastal blue carbon ecosystems, and account for any 
        regional differences;
            (2) to assess and quantify emissions from degraded and 
        destroyed coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
            (3) to develop--
                    (A) regional assessments of the number of degraded 
                and destroyed coastal blue carbon ecosystems and 
                contributing factors to the degradation and destruction 
                of such coastal blue carbon ecosystems; and
                    (B) regionally specific recommendations for actions 
                to support the restoration of such coastal blue carbon 
                ecosystems;
            (4) to provide to regional, State, local, and Tribal 
        agencies and regional coastal observing system entities 
        technical assistance, informed by the regional assessment 
        developed under paragraph (3), to develop coastal blue carbon 
        ecosystem restoration goals practices;
            (5) to assess degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems and 
        the potential restore such coastal blue carbon ecosystems, 
        including developing scenario modeling to identify vulnerable 
        areas where management, protection, and restoration efforts 
        should be focused;
            (6) to produce future predictions of coastal blue carbon 
        ecosystems and carbon sequestration rates in the context of 
        climate change, environmental stressors, and human stressors;
            (7) to inform the creation by the Administrator of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency of the annual Inventory of U.S. 
        Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks; and
            (8) to develop, or scope development, of a coastal blue 
        carbon calculator that is capable of providing estimates of 
        carbon sequestration potential resulting from different 
        restoration actions in coastal blue carbon ecosystems.

SEC. 5. RESTORATION AND PROTECTIONS FOR EXISTING COASTAL BLUE CARBON 
              ECOSYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--The Undersecretary shall--
            (1) coordinate monitoring and research efforts of coastal 
        blue carbon ecosystems among Federal agencies in cooperation 
        with State, local, and Tribal governments, international 
        partners, and nongovernmental organizations;
            (2) establish a national goal for conserving coastal blue 
        carbon ecosystems within States and Tribal lands, and, as 
        appropriate, setting targets for the protection and restoration 
        of intact coastal blue carbon ecosystems and the restoration of 
        degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems; and
            (3) in coordination with the Interagency Working Group and 
        as informed by the report required under section 3(e)(1)--
                    (A) identify national coastal blue carbon ecosystem 
                protection and restoration priorities, including, as 
                applicable, the national priorities established under 
                section 3(d)(4), that would produce the highest rate of 
                carbon sequestration and greatest ecosystem benefits, 
                such as flood protection, soil and beach retention, 
                erosion reduction, biodiversity, water purification, 
                and nutrient cycling in the context of other 
                environmental stressors and climate change; and
                    (B) identify ways to improve coordination and to 
                prevent unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal 
                agencies and departments with respect to research on 
                coastal blue carbon ecosystems through existing and new 
                coastal management networks.
    (b) Integrated Pilot Programs To Restore and Protect Degraded 
Coastal Blue Carbon Ecosystems.--
            (1) In general.--The Undersecretary, in coordination with 
        the Interagency Working Group, State, local, and Tribal 
        governments, and coastal stakeholders and as informed by the 
        report required under section 3(e)(1), shall carry out--
                    (A) a pilot program to protect intact coastal blue 
                carbon ecosystems; and
                    (B) a pilot program to restore degraded coastal 
                blue carbon ecosystems.
            (2) Requirements.--In carrying out the pilot programs under 
        paragraph (1), the Undersecretary shall--
                    (A) integrate the pilot programs to allow for the 
                sharing of data, monitoring resources, and mapping 
                information between the pilot programs;
                    (B) develop best management practices, including 
                selection criteria for high-functioning coastal blue 
                carbon ecosystems in need of protection, design 
                criteria and performance functions for coastal blue 
                carbon ecosystem restoration, nature-based adaptation, 
                restoration areas that intersect with built 
                environments as green-gray infrastructure projects, and 
                management of landward progression or migration of 
                coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
                    (C) identify any barriers to efforts to restore 
                coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
                    (D) seek to increase long-term carbon sequestration 
                and storage in coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
                    (E) ensure that the pilot programs cover 
                geographically and ecologically diverse locations with 
                significant ecological, economic, and social benefits, 
                such as flood protection, soil and beach retention, 
                erosion reduction, biodiversity, water purification, 
                and nutrient cycling to reduce hypoxic conditions, and 
                maximum potential for greenhouse gas emission 
                reduction;
                    (F) ensure that the goals and metrics for the pilot 
                programs are communicated to the appropriate State, 
                Tribal, and local governments and to the general 
                public;
                    (G) coordinate with relevant Federal agencies on 
                the Interagency Working Group to prevent unnecessary 
                duplication of effort among Federal agencies and 
                departments with respect to coastal blue carbon 
                ecosystem restoration and protection programs;
                    (H) establish a procedure to review applications to 
                the pilot programs, taking into account--
                            (i) quantification of coastal blue carbon 
                        ecosystem protection or restoration activities 
                        and outcomes;
                            (ii) verifiability of net carbon 
                        sequestration outcomes, including net climate 
                        effects;
                            (iii) additionality of carbon sequestered 
                        or emissions that are avoided as a result of 
                        coastal blue carbon ecosystem protection or 
                        restoration activities as compared to a 
                        historical baseline, when feasible and 
                        appropriate; and
                            (iv) permanence of the properties described 
                        in clauses (i) through (iii); and
                    (I) give priority to applications that propose 
                restoration activities that the Undersecretary 
                determines would--
                            (i) result in long-term protection and 
                        sequestration of carbon stored in coastal and 
                        marine environments;
                            (ii) protect key habitats for fish, 
                        wildlife, and maintenance of biodiversity;
                            (iii) provide coastal protection from 
                        development, storms, flooding, and land-based 
                        pollution;
                            (iv) protect coastal resources of national, 
                        historical, and cultural significance; and
                            (v) benefit communities of color, low-
                        income communities, Tribal or Indigenous 
                        communities, or rural communities.
            (3) Report.--The Undersecretary shall submit to the 
        Interagency Working Group and the appropriate congressional 
        committees a report regarding the pilot programs carried out 
        under paragraph (1), including--
                    (A) the total number of acres of land or water 
                protected or restored through the pilot programs;
                    (B) the status of each project to restore degraded 
                coastal blue carbon ecosystems carried out under the 
                pilot programs; and
                    (C) the change in the potential of coastal blue 
                carbon ecosystems to sequester carbon associated with 
                each project to restore degraded coastal blue carbon 
                ecosystems carried out under the pilot programs.

SEC. 6. COASTAL CARBON DATA CLEARINGHOUSE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in 
coordination with the Undersecretary and the Interagency Working Group, 
shall establish and maintain the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse to 
provide for the long-term stewardship of, and access to, data relating 
to national mapping of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including by 
leveraging resources developed by the Coastal Carbon Network of the 
Smithsonian Institution.
    (b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of 
the Smithsonian Institution, acting through the head of the Coastal 
Carbon Data Clearinghouse and in coordination with the Undersecretary 
and the Interagency Working Group, shall--
            (1) to the greatest extent possible, process, store, 
        archive, provide access to, and incorporate all data collected 
        through federally funded research;
            (2) to the greatest extent possible, incorporate existing 
        global and national data assets into the Coastal Carbon Data 
        Clearinghouse;
            (3) establish standards, protocols, and procedures to 
        process, store, archive, and provide access to data in the 
        Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse and best practices to share 
        such data with Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian 
        Tribes, coastal stakeholders, non-Federal resource managers, 
        research institutions, universities, and nonprofit and private 
        organizations;
            (4) to the greatest extent possible, disseminate to the 
        entities described in paragraph (3) data in the Coastal Carbon 
        Data Clearinghouse; and
            (5) develop digital tools and resources to support the 
        public use of the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ASSESSMENT OF CONTAINMENT OF 
              CARBON DIOXIDE IN DEEP SEAFLOOR ENVIRONMENT.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Undersecretary shall seek to enter into an agreement with 
the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct 
a comprehensive assessment regarding the long-term effects of geologic 
stores of carbon dioxide in a deep seafloor environment on oceanic and 
climate conditions, including effects on marine species and ecosystems 
and the efficacy of existing storage technologies.

SEC. 8. COASTAL BLUE CARBON INVENTORY PROGRAM.

    (a) Program.--The Undersecretary, in coordination with the 
Secretary of State, the Director of the White House Office of Science 
and Technology Policy, the Secretary of the Interior, the Administrator 
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Secretary 
of the Smithsonian Institution, shall establish the Coastal Blue Carbon 
Inventory Program.
    (b) Responsibilities.--In carrying out the Program, the 
Undersecretary--
            (1) shall--
                    (A) support domestic coastal blue carbon ecosystem 
                conservation activities;
                    (B) develop emissions mitigation, coastal resource 
                management, and resilience strategies related to carbon 
                storage and sequestration, including long-term 
                sustainable management of coastal blue carbon 
                ecosystems in the context of marine spatial and 
                resilience planning;
                    (C) assess coastal blue carbon ecosystem needs and 
                prioritize scope;
                    (D) build country-level awareness of benefits and 
                national priorities related to the restoration of 
                coastal blue carbon ecosystem and capacity to restore 
                coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
                    (E) address data and knowledge gaps related to--
                            (i) carbon sequestration rates of 
                        ecologically distinct ecosystems; and
                            (ii) the role of vertically migrating 
                        fishes, zooplankton, marine mammals, and 
                        fisheries in the carbon cycle;
                    (F) expand data management tools;
                    (G) develop national and regional inventories of 
                coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
                    (H) provide to State, local, and Tribal governments 
                and other entities engaged in coastal blue carbon 
                ecosystem conservation, including universities, 
                research institutions, and private or nonprofit 
                organizations, technical assistance such as--
                            (i) country- and regional-level workshops 
                        and trainings; and
                            (ii) assessments of carbon stocks and stock 
                        changes; and
                    (I) maintain a publicly available digital library 
                of coastal blue carbon ecosystem data, which shall 
                include--
                            (i) open-source analysis and modeling 
                        tools;
                            (ii) disaggregated soil carbon data 
                        collected from coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
                            (iii) mapping resources to identify 
                        protected coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
                            (iv) surveys of ongoing and completed 
                        restoration projects in identified coastal blue 
                        carbon ecosystems; and
                            (v) any other information the 
                        Undersecretary determines necessary; and
            (2) may, for any international research, data collection, 
        and technical assistance activities or any other activity the 
        Undersecretary determines appropriate, coordinate with existing 
        interagency efforts to inventory blue carbon.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
Program is established under subsection (a), and every 2 years 
thereafter, the Undersecretary shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that--
            (1) describes the type and number of participants in the 
        Program;
            (2) details each coastal blue carbon ecosystem inventoried 
        since the previous report;
            (3) assesses barriers to providing quality technical 
        assistance to participants in the Program; and
            (4) estimates the cost of the operation of the Program, 
        including digital library maintenance and technical assistance.
    (d) Program Defined.--In this section, the term ``Program'' means 
the Coastal Blue Carbon Inventory Program established under subsection 
(a).

SEC. 9. ASSESSMENT OF COASTAL BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEM CLIMATE 
              CONTRIBUTIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Undersecretary, in collaboration with the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and in 
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of 
Agriculture, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the 
heads of other Federal agencies the Undersecretary determines 
appropriate, shall conduct a measurements-based national assessment to 
quantify the carbon sequestration potential of coastal blue carbon 
ecosystems, including the net effects on and contributions to 
atmospheric and aquatic accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions.
    (b) Objectives.--In conducting the assessment required under 
subsection (a), the Undersecretary shall--
            (1) develop standardization metrics to quantify the carbon 
        sequestration potential of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, 
        including--
                    (A) surface area of coastal blue ecosystems;
                    (B) soil carbon density and accumulation rate;
                    (C) ecosystem-specific carbon cycles; and
                    (D) any other metrics the Undersecretary determines 
                appropriate;
            (2) examine the climate contributions of released stored 
        carbon dioxide, methane, and other harmful greenhouse gases by 
        degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including coastal blue 
        carbon ecosystems degraded or damaged by--
                    (A) coastal development;
                    (B) climate change; or
                    (C) other human activities;
            (3) measure the amount of carbon removed from the 
        atmosphere by coastal restoration;
            (4) understand measurable sensitivities of coastal blue 
        carbon ecosystems to natural disturbances and human land use 
        stressors;
            (5) understand the complementary role that marine sediments 
        play in contributing to organic carbon accumulation, 
        including--
                    (A) relative rates of accumulation by different 
                sediment types;
                    (B) the relationship between marine sediment 
                surface area and organic carbon accumulation; and
                    (C) the effects of natural and human disturbances 
                of continental shelf and slope sediments on releasing 
                carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases 
                into the water column from marine sediments that are 
                rich in organic carbon, including--
                            (i) the amount of greenhouse gas released;
                            (ii) the period of time that released 
                        greenhouse gases may remain in the water 
                        column; and
                            (iii) the amount of released greenhouse 
                        gases that may reach the atmosphere;
            (6) develop standards for actionable data collection 
        methodologies and archive that are useful to inform coastal 
        management and policy decisions by State, local, and Tribal 
        governments, including--
                    (A) carbon accounting tools;
                    (B) field and laboratory protocols; and
                    (C) valuation metrics;
            (7) evaluate the barriers and opportunities to conducting 
        data collection, assessment, project planning, and conservation 
        and restoration work for coastal blue carbon ecosystems with 
        State, local, and Tribal governments;
            (8) determine the actions necessary to conduct national and 
        regional research and monitoring of post-restoration coastal 
        blue carbon ecosystems;
            (9) assess the viability, barriers, and estimated 
        environmental, social, and economic value of establishing a 
        coastal blue carbon credit market for the purposes of 
        supporting coastal blue carbon ecosystem restoration 
        activities; and
            (10) evaluate the current and potential opportunities to 
        coordinate coastal blue carbon ecosystem protection and 
        restoration activities, research, and climate impact 
        assessments with freshwater wetland ecosystem protection and 
        restoration activities, including swamps and marshes, in and 
        around the Great Lakes.
    (c) Updates.--The Undersecretary, in collaboration with the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and in 
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of 
Agriculture, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the 
heads of other Federal agencies the Undersecretary determines 
appropriate, shall update the assessment required under subsection (a) 
every 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section--
            (1) to provide long-term data access (and archive such 
        data), recommendations, measurements, and reporting regarding 
        the objectives described in subsection (b); and
            (2) to consider objectives beyond those described in 
        subsection (b) the Undersecretary determines appropriate to 
        research the long-term climate contributions of coastal blue 
        carbon ecosystems.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the Undersecretary 
completes the assessment required under subsection (a) or updates such 
assessment under subsection (c), the Undersecretary shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report describing the findings 
and recommendations regarding the coastal blue carbon ecosystem climate 
effects based on the assessment as they relate to the objectives 
outlined in subsection (b).

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Undersecretary to 
carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 
2029.
                                 <all>
```