I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7106 

To amend the National Oceans and Coastal Security Act to make 

improvements to that Act, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 29, 2024 

Mr. BEYER (for himself and Mrs. GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 

addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 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 amend the National Oceans and Coastal Security Act 

to make improvements to that Act, 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 ‘‘National Oceans and 

5 Coastal Security Improvements Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO NATIONAL OCEANS AND COAST2 AL SECURITY ACT. 

3 (a) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise specifically 

4 provided, whenever in this section an amendment or repeal 

5 is expressed in terms of an amendment to or a repeal of 

6 a provision, the reference shall be considered to be made 

7 to a provision of the National Oceans and Coastal Security 

8 Act (16 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.). 

9 (b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 902 (16 U.S.C. 7501) is 

10 amended to read as follows: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 902. DEFINITIONS. 

12 ‘‘In this title: 

13 ‘‘(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—Except as otherwise 

14 specifically provided, the term ‘Administrator’ means 

15 the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 

16 Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oce17 anic and Atmospheric Administration. 

18 ‘‘(2) BLUE CARBON BENEFITS.—The term ‘blue 

19 carbon benefits’ means the carbon sequestered and 

20 stored by coastal and marine ecosystems, including 

21 salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrasses. 

22 ‘‘(3) COASTAL COUNTY.—The term ‘coastal 

23 county’ has the meaning given the term by the Na24 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 

25 the document entitled ‘NOAA’s List of Coastal 


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1 Counties for the Bureau of the Census’ (or similar 

2 successor document). 

3 ‘‘(4) COASTAL INDIAN TRIBE.—The term 

4 ‘coastal Indian Tribe’ means an Indian Tribe with 

5 respect to which the following is located, in whole or 

6 in part, within a coastal State: 

7 ‘‘(A) Land held by the Indian Tribe— 

8 ‘‘(i) in fee; or 

9 ‘‘(ii) subject to restriction against 

10 alienation under the laws of the United 

11 States. 

12 ‘‘(B) Land held in trust by the United 

13 States for the benefit of the Indian Tribe. 

14 ‘‘(C) A reservation, pueblo, or rancheria or 

15 the Indian Tribe. 

16 ‘‘(5) COASTAL STATE.—The term ‘coastal 

17 State’ has the meaning given the term ‘State’ in sec18 tion 103 of the Estuary Restoration Act (33 U.S.C. 

19 2902). 

20 ‘‘(6) FOUNDATION.—The term ‘Foundation’ 

21 means the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 

22 established by section 2(a) of the National Fish and 

23 Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 

24 3701(a)). 


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1 ‘‘(7) FUND.—The term ‘Fund’ means the Na2 tional Oceans and Coastal Security Fund established 

3 under section 904(a). 

4 ‘‘(8) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian Tribe’ 

5 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

6 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

7 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

8 ‘‘(9) NATIVE HAWAIIAN ORGANIZATION.—The 

9 term ‘Native Hawaiian organization’ has the mean10 ing given the term in section 3 of the NATIVE Act 

11 (25 U.S.C. 4352). 

12 ‘‘(10) TIDAL SHORELINE.—The term ‘tidal 

13 shoreline’ means a ‘tidal shoreline’ or a ‘Great Lake 

14 shoreline’ as such terms are used in section 

15 923.110(c)(2)(i) of title 15, Code of Federal Regula16 tions, or a similar successor regulation.’’. 

17 (c) EXPENDITURES.—Section 904(d) (16 U.S.C. 

18 7503(d)) is amended to read as follows: 

19 ‘‘(d) EXPENDITURES.—Of the amounts deposited in, 

20 or appropriated or otherwise made available to, the Fund 

21 for each fiscal year— 

22 ‘‘(1) not more than a total of 5 percent may be 

23 used by the Administrator and the Foundation for 

24 administrative expenses to carry out this title, which 

25 such amount shall be divided between the AdminisVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:56 Jan 31, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7106.IH H7106

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1 trator and the Foundation pursuant to a docu2 mented agreement between the Administrator and 

3 the Foundation; and 

4 ‘‘(2) if the total of such amounts is— 

5 ‘‘(A) $50,000,000 or less, any remaining 

6 amounts may only be used by the Foundation 

7 to award grants under section 906(c); or 

8 ‘‘(B) $50,000,000 or more— 

9 ‘‘(i) at least $50,000,000 shall be 

10 used by the Foundation to award grants 

11 under section 906(c); and 

12 ‘‘(ii) of any remaining amounts— 

13 ‘‘(I) 80 percent of such amounts 

14 may be used by the Administrator to 

15 award grants under section 906(b); 

16 and 

17 ‘‘(II) 20 percent of such amounts 

18 may be used by the Foundation to 

19 award grants under section 906(c).’’. 

20 (d) ELIGIBLE USES.—Section 905 (16 U.S.C. 7504) 

21 is amended to read as follows: 

22 ‘‘SEC. 905. ELIGIBLE USES. 

23 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Amounts in the Fund may be 

24 used by the Administrator and the Foundation to award 

25 grants under subsection (b) or (c) of section 906, respecVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:56 Jan 31, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7106.IH H7106

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1 tively, to support programs and activities intended to pro2 tect, conserve, restore, and better understand and use 

3 ocean and coastal resources and coastal infrastructure. 

4 ‘‘(b) PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.—The programs 

5 and activities described in subsection (a) including the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘(1) Ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes restora8 tion and protection, including efforts to address po9 tential impacts of sea level change, sedimentation, 

10 erosion, changes in ocean chemistry, hurricanes and 

11 other extreme weather, flooding, tsunamis, and 

12 changes in ocean temperature on natural resources, 

13 communities, and coastal economies. 

14 ‘‘(2) Restoration, protection, or maintenance of 

15 living ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and 

16 their habitats, including habitats and ecosystems 

17 that provide blue carbon benefits. 

18 ‘‘(3) Monitoring, spatial planning, data-sharing, 

19 and other efforts that contribute to the under20 standing of ecological, economic, and societal threats 

21 driven by changes to the oceans, coasts, and Great 

22 Lakes. 

23 ‘‘(4) Projects to assist water-dependent com24 mercial activities including commercial fishing, rec25 reational fishing businesses, aquaculture, boat buildVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:56 Jan 31, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7106.IH H7106

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1 ing, or other marine-based recreational businesses 

2 and tourism, minimize or avoid coastal hazards and 

3 adapt to changes to the oceans, coasts, and Great 

4 Lakes. 

5 ‘‘(5) Planning, design, and implementation of 

6 climate-resilient natural and nature-based infra7 structure projects, including projects to deploy nat8 ural or nature-based features to enhance the resil9 iency of public infrastructure. 

10 ‘‘(6) Projects to protect, modify, reposition, or 

11 relocate critical coastal transportation, emergency 

12 response, drinking water, electrical, and other public 

13 infrastructure that are subject to or face increased 

14 future risks from coastal hazards. 

15 ‘‘(7) Planning for and managing coastal devel16 opment to enhance ecosystem and community resil17 ience and to minimize or avoid the impacts from 

18 coastal hazards, including sea level change, hurri19 canes and other extreme weather, flooding, and 

20 coastal erosion. 

21 ‘‘(8) Projects to address management, planning, 

22 or resiliency and readiness issues that are regional 

23 or interstate in scope, including regional ocean part24 nerships or similar entities. 


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1 ‘‘(9) Development and regular updates of com2 prehensive resilience, adaptation, and mitigation 

3 plans, including updating 5-year plans under sub4 section (b)(3)(C), which involve robust engagement 

5 with community stakeholders. 

6 ‘‘(10) Community-led strategic relocation ef7 forts. 

8 ‘‘(11) Acquisition of property or an interest in 

9 property if— 

10 ‘‘(A) the property is located within a coast11 al county; 

12 ‘‘(B) such property or interest in property 

13 is acquired through purchase, exchange, or do14 nation from a willing party; 

15 ‘‘(C) the head of an agency designated as 

16 a lead agency by the coastal State, coastal In17 dian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization in 

18 which the property or interest in property is ac19 quired approves of the acquisition; and 

20 ‘‘(D) such property or interest in property 

21 is acquired in a manner that ensures such prop22 erty or interest in property will be administered 

23 to support the purposes of this title. 


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1 ‘‘(c) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR LITIGA2 TION AND LOBBYING.—No funds made available under 

3 this title may be used to fund— 

4 ‘‘(1) any activity related to litigation; or 

5 ‘‘(2) any activity the purpose of which is to in6 fluence legislation pending before Congress.’’. 

7 (e) GRANTS.— 

8 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—Section 906(a)(1) (16 

9 U.S.C. 7505(a)(1)) is amended— 

10 (A) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 

11 as follows: 

12 ‘‘(B) Selection procedures and criteria for 

13 the awarding of grants under this section that 

14 require consultation with the Administrator and 

15 the Secretary of the Interior.’’; 

16 (B) in subparagraph (C)— 

17 (i) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘, coastal 

18 Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian orga19 nizations’’ after ‘‘coastal States’’; and 

20 (ii) by amending clause (ii) to read as 

21 follows: 

22 ‘‘(ii) under subsection (c), as appro23 priate, to entities including States, local 

24 governments, Indian Tribes, regional and 

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1 profit and for-profit private entities, pub2 lic-private partnerships, academic institu3 tions, Indigenous communities, and Native 

4 Hawaiian organizations.’’; 

5 (C) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘year 

6 if grants have been awarded in that year’’ and 

7 inserting ‘‘5 years’’; and 

8 (D) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(I) Procedures and accounting method10 ology to quantify blue carbon benefits for the 

11 purposes of the annual report required under 

12 section 907.’’. 

13 (2) COASTAL GRANTS.—Section 906(b) (16 

14 U.S.C. 7505(b)) is amended to read as follows: 

15 ‘‘(b) COASTAL GRANTS.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in con17 sultation with the Foundation, shall award grants to 

18 each eligible coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, and 

19 Native Hawaiian organization from the amount 

20 made available under section 904(d) in accordance 

21 with the following: 

22 ‘‘(A) 35 percent of such amount shall be 

23 allocated equally among coastal States. 

24 ‘‘(B) 30 percent of such amount shall be 

25 allocated to coastal States on the basis of the 


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1 ratio of the tidal shoreline miles of a coastal 

2 State to the tidal shoreline miles of all coastal 

3 States. 

4 ‘‘(C) 20 percent of such amount shall be 

5 allocated to coastal States on the basis of the 

6 ratio of the population of the coastal counties of 

7 a coastal State to the total population of the 

8 coastal counties of all coastal States, based on 

9 the most recent data available from the United 

10 States Census Bureau. 

11 ‘‘(D) 15 percent of such amount shall be 

12 allocated equally among coastal Indian Tribes 

13 and Native Hawaiian organizations. 

14 ‘‘(2) MAXIMUM ALLOCATION TO COASTAL

15 STATES.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sub17 paragraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1), 

18 not more than 5 percent of the total amount 

19 awarded under this subsection may be allocated 

20 to any one coastal State. 

21 ‘‘(B) REDISTRIBUTION.—The Adminis22 trator shall develop guidelines regarding the re23 distribution of any amount greater than the 

24 maximum allocation described in subparagraph 

25 (A). 


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1 ‘‘(3) APPLICATION.— 

2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for a 

3 grant under this subsection, a coastal State, 

4 coastal Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian orga5 nization shall submit to the Administrator an 

6 application in such form, at such time, and con7 taining such information as the Administrator 

8 determines appropriate. 

9 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a 

10 grant under this subsection, a coastal State, 

11 coastal Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian orga12 nization shall have 1 of the following: 

13 ‘‘(i) A Coastal Zone Management Pro14 gram approved under section 306 of the 

15 Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 

16 U.S.C. 1455). 

17 ‘‘(ii) A 5-year plan approved under 

18 paragraph (4). 

19 ‘‘(C) UPDATES.—As a condition of being 

20 awarded a grant under this subsection, a coast21 al State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native Hawai22 ian organization that is eligible for a grant 

23 under this subsection pursuant to subparagraph 

24 (B)(ii) shall submit to the Administrator not 

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1 date to the 5-year plan submitted by such 

2 coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native 

3 Hawaiian organization for the 5-year period im4 mediately following the most recent submission 

5 under this paragraph. 

6 ‘‘(D) CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY.—If the 

7 Administrator, in consultation with the Founda8 tion, approves the application of a coastal 

9 State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian 

10 organization submitted under this paragraph, 

11 such coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Na12 tive Hawaiian organization shall remain eligible 

13 for a grant under this subsection if such coastal 

14 State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian 

15 organization complies with subparagraphs (B) 

16 and (C). 

17 ‘‘(4) 5-YEAR PLAN.—A coastal State, coastal 

18 Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may 

19 submit to the Administrator for approval under this 

20 paragraph a 5-year plan, which shall include the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(A) A description of stakeholder involve23 ment and public engagement with the develop24 ment of such 5-year plan. 


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1 ‘‘(B) A description of the process the 

2 coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native 

3 Hawaiian organization will use to allocate 

4 amounts awarded to the coastal State, coastal 

5 Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization 

6 under paragraph (1), which shall include an af7 firmation that such process is consistent with 

8 the application and review procedures estab9 lished by the Administrator and Foundation 

10 under subsection (a)(1). 

11 ‘‘(C) Criteria to determine which entities 

12 are eligible to participate in the process of the 

13 coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native 

14 Hawaiian organization described in subpara15 graph (B). 

16 ‘‘(D) A process to certify that each project 

17 or program funded under this subsection with 

18 respect to the coastal State, coastal Indian 

19 Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization and 

20 each contract awarded pursuant to each such 

21 project or program is consistent with the stand22 ard procurement rules and regulations gov23 erning a comparable project or program of the 

24 coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native 


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1 Hawaiian organization, including all applicable 

2 competitive bidding and audit requirements. 

3 ‘‘(E) Procedures to make publicly available 

4 on the internet a list of each project or program 

5 funded under this subsection with respect to the 

6 coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native 

7 Hawaiian organization, including, at a min8 imum, the recipient, amount, project descrip9 tion, and project status. 

10 ‘‘(5) DEADLINE.— 

11 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 

12 days after the date on which the Administrator 

13 receives an application for a grant under this 

14 subsection, the Administrator, in consultation 

15 with the Foundation, shall approve or deny 

16 such application. 

17 ‘‘(B) DENIAL.—If the Administrator de18 nies an application for a grant under this sub19 section, the Administrator, in consultation with 

20 the Foundation, shall provide to the relevant 

21 coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, or Native 

22 Hawaiian organization feedback regarding such 

23 denial. 

24 ‘‘(6) NONPARTICIPATION.—In any fiscal year, if 

25 an eligible coastal State, coastal Indian Tribe, or 


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1 Native Hawaiian organization declines a grant 

2 award under this subsection, the amount that would 

3 have been allocated to the coastal State, coastal In4 dian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization shall be 

5 reallocated to award grants under subsection (c).’’. 

6 (3) NATIONAL GRANTS FOR OCEANS, COASTS, 

7 AND GREAT LAKES.—Section 906(c) (16 U.S.C. 

8 7505(c)) is amended— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The Ad10 ministrator and the Foundation’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘The Foundation, in consultation with the Ad12 ministrator,’’; and 

13 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

14 (i) in subparagraph (B)— 

15 (I) in clause (ii), by striking 

16 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

17 (II) by redesignating clause (iii) 

18 as clause (v); and 

19 (III) by inserting after clause (ii) 

20 the following: 

21 ‘‘(iii) nonprofit organizations; 

22 ‘‘(iv) Indian Tribes, Indigenous com23 munities, and Native Hawaiian organiza24 tions; and’’; and 


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1 (ii) by adding at the end the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(C) CAP ON FUNDING.—The amount of a 

4 grant awarded under this subsection shall not 

5 count toward the cap on funding to coastal 

6 States, coastal Indian Tribes, or Native Hawai7 ian organizations through grants awarded 

8 under subsection (b).’’. 

9 (f) ANNUAL REPORT.—Section 907 (16 U.S.C. 7506) 

10 is amended— 

11 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Subject to 

12 subsection (c), beginning’’ and inserting ‘‘Begin13 ning’’; and 

14 (2) in subsection (b)— 

15 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

16 the end; 

17 (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe18 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

19 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(4) an estimate of blue carbon benefits.’’. 

21 (g) FUNDING.—Section 908 (16 U.S.C. 7507) is 

22 amended by striking ‘‘such sums as are necessary for fis23 cal years 2017, 2018, and 2019 for this title’’ and insertVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:56 Jan 31, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7106.IH H7106

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1 ing ‘‘$200,000,000 to carry out this title for each of fiscal 

2 years 2025 through 2029’’. 

Æ 


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