I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10292 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to produce distribution maps for 

certain species of whales, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 4, 2024 

Ms. MATSUI (for herself, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. HUFFMAN, and Mr. 

BUCHANAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to produce distribution maps for certain species of whales, and for other 

purposes. 

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 ‘‘Whale Conservation 

5 Habitat Analysis, Research, and Technical Strategies Act 

6 of 2024’’ or ‘‘Whale CHARTS Act of 2024’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 


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1 (1) BALEEN WHALE.—The term ‘‘baleen 

2 whale’’ means each species within the suborder 

3 Mysticeti. 

4 (2) MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION.—The term 

5 ‘‘Marine Mammal Commission’’ means the Marine 

6 Mammal Commission established by section 201(a) 

7 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 

8 U.S.C. 1401(a)). 

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

10 the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Ad11 ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos12 pheric Administration. 

13 (4) SPERM WHALE.—The term ‘‘sperm whale’’ 

14 means the species Physeter macrocephalus. 

15 (5) WATERS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE

16 UNITED STATES.—The term ‘‘waters under the ju17 risdiction of the United States’’ has the meaning 

18 given the term in section 3 of the Marine Mammal 

19 Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1362). 

20 SEC. 3. DISTRIBUTION MAPPING OF CERTAIN SPECIES OF 

21 WHALES. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 

23 with the Marine Mammal Commission, shall produce for 

24 stocks, populations, or species, as the Secretary deterVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:54 Dec 28, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10292.IH H10292

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1 mines appropriate, of baleen whale and sperm whale with2 in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States— 

3 (1) distribution maps of high accuracy and spa4 tial and temporal resolution; and 

5 (2) predictive distribution maps of high accu6 racy and spatial and temporal resolution that take 

7 into account expected future environmental condi8 tions. 

9 (b) DUTIES.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Sec10 retary— 

11 (1) shall— 

12 (A) use the best scientific information 

13 available; 

14 (B) conduct or support, including through 

15 grants or other financial assistance, research to 

16 fill knowledge gaps, which may include— 

17 (i) developing novel sources of data, 

18 such as passive acoustic monitoring or de19 tection through satellite and drone im20 agery; and 

21 (ii) developing innovative methodolo22 gies to combine different sources of whale 

23 detection data and to improve marine 

24 mammal distribution and habitat modeling; 


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1 (C) include in each map produced under 

2 such subsection, as applicable— 

3 (i) calving grounds; 

4 (ii) feeding grounds; 

5 (iii) migration routes; and 

6 (iv) other habitat uses; 

7 (D) as needed, use current and novel 

8 sources of data, such as passive acoustic moni9 toring and detection through satellite or drone 

10 imagery; 

11 (E) make each map produced under such 

12 subsection available— 

13 (i) through— 

14 (I) electronic and machine read15 able formats that can be integrated 

16 into on-board vessel navigation sys17 tems, including— 

18 (aa) electronic navigational 

19 products of the National Oceanic 

20 and Atmospheric Administration, 

21 as appropriate; 

22 (bb) an online platform for 

23 the general public; and 

24 (cc) in coordination with the 

25 Commandant of the Coast 


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1 Guard, carriage requirements set 

2 by the Commandant of the Coast 

3 Guard for commercial or rec4 reational vessels; 

5 (II) in coordination with the 

6 Commandant of the Coast Guard, 

7 other formats not specified under sub8 clause (I) that may be required in car9 riage requirements set by the Com10 mandant of the Coast Guard for com11 mercial or recreational vessels, as ap12 propriate; and 

13 (III) other formats the Secretary 

14 determines appropriate; and 

15 (ii) to other entities that produce 

16 products or publications included in the 

17 carriage requirements set by the Com18 mandant of the Coast Guard for commer19 cial or recreational vessels, as appropriate; 

20 and 

21 (F) require the heads of the National Oce22 anic and Atmospheric Administration line of23 fices to coordinate the work of such offices, as 

24 needed; and 


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1 (2) may, in making use of amounts appro2 priated to carry out this section pursuant to section 

3 7 and in consultation with the Marine Mammal 

4 Commission, determine— 

5 (A) which stocks, populations, or species of 

6 baleen whale and sperm whale to prioritize; and 

7 (B) whether to prioritize the collection and 

8 aggregation of new data or the processing, anal9 ysis, aggregation and modeling of existing data. 

10 SEC. 4. UNDERSTUDIED SPECIES SURVEYS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 

12 with the Marine Mammal Commission, shall conduct sur13 veys specific to understudied stocks, populations, or spe14 cies, as the Secretary determines appropriate, of baleen 

15 whale within waters under the jurisdiction of the United 

16 States to estimate the abundance and distribution of each 

17 such stock, population, or species. 

18 (b) DUTIES.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Sec19 retary— 

20 (1) shall— 

21 (A) include in each map produced under 

22 such subsection, as applicable, potential— 

23 (i) calving grounds; 

24 (ii) feeding grounds; 

25 (iii) migration routes; and 


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1 (iv) other habitat uses; and 

2 (B) as needed, use current and novel 

3 sources of data; and 

4 (2) may— 

5 (A) as the Secretary determines appro6 priate, collect opportunistic data on other ma7 rine species; and 

8 (B) in making use of amounts appro9 priated to carry out this section pursuant to 

10 section 7 and in consultation with the Marine 

11 Mammal Commission, determine which stocks, 

12 populations, or species of baleen whale to 

13 prioritize. 

14 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

15 Not later than 2 years after the date of the enact16 ment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, the Sec17 retary, in consultation with the Marine Mammal Commis18 sion, shall submit to Congress and make available to the 

19 public a report regarding— 

20 (1) activities carried out under sections 3 and 

21 4; 

22 (2) knowledge gaps identified in carrying out 

23 section 3; and 

24 (3) progress made in filling knowledge gaps 

25 identified in carrying out section 3. 


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1 SEC. 6. EFFECT ON AND OF OTHER ACTIONS. 

2 The Secretary— 

3 (1) shall carry out sections 3, 4, and 5 notwith4 standing any ongoing rulemakings; and 

5 (2) may not delay any action, order, or rule6 making because of the requirements of this Act. 

7 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro9 priated to the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2025 

10 through 2029— 

11 (1) to carry out section 3, $2,000,000; and 

12 (2) to carry out section 4, $1,000,000. 

13 (b) ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF FUNDING.—Subject to 

14 the availability of appropriations, the Secretary may co15 ordinate with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 

16 the Interior, and the head of any other Federal agency 

17 for any additional sources of funding to carry out sections 

18 3 and 4. 

Æ 


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