39–006 

113TH CONGRESS REPT. 113–399 " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session Part 1 

AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE CERTAIN FUNDS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES FOR ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN TO ADDRESS THE MARINE 

DEBRIS IMPACTS OF THE MARCH 2011 TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE AND SUBSEQUENT TSUNAMI, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 

APRIL 2, 2014.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, from the Committee on Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1491] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 1491) to authorize the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide certain funds to eligible entities for activities undertaken to address the marine debris impacts of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent 

tsunami, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that 

the bill as amended do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE FUNDS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration may provide funds to an eligible entity impacted by the covered severe marine debris event to assist such entity with the costs of any activity carried 

out to address the effects of such event. 

(b) FUNDING.—The Administrator may provide funds under subsection (a) using 

any funds provided by the Government of Japan for activities to address the effects 

of the covered severe marine debris event. 

(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) COVERED SEVERE MARINE DEBRIS EVENT.—The term ‘‘covered severe marine debris event’’ means the events, including marine debris, resulting from the 

March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami. 

(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means any State (as that 

term is defined in section 7 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1956)), local, 

or tribal government. 


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PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 1491 is to authorize the Administrator of the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide certain funds to eligible entities for activities undertaken to address 

the marine debris impacts of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake 

and subsequent tsunami. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

In fiscal year 2012, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) allocated $875,000 from its marine debris 

base funding for the Community-based Marine Debris Prevention 

and Removal Grants Program. According to NOAA, the grants supported locally driven, community-based marine debris prevention 

and removal projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and 

wildlife. The competitive grants were awarded to groups throughout the country, including state agencies and municipalities. NOAA 

stated the projects were not specifically focused on tsunami debris, 

but noted about 42 percent of the funds went to states impacted 

by the debris confirmed to be from the March 2011 tsunami that 

struck Japan. 

NOAA also provided additional funds to address the tsunami-related debris, making available $250,000 through cooperative agreements to Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. 

Each state received $50,000 for marine debris removal efforts. 

In December 2012, the Government of Japan gifted $5 million to 

the U.S. to remove marine debris determined to be from Japan due 

to the 2011 tsunami. Using existing cooperative agreements with 

the states and existing legal authorities, NOAA was able to funnel 

$250,000 each to Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii, and $50,000 each to Guam and the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). In addition, NOAA contributed 

$478,000 of the $5 million to remove a dock in the remote wilderness coast in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and 

the Olympic National Park. A September 2013 NOAA update on 

the funds noted $2.478 million of the $5 million was obligated and 

approximately $2,422,000 remains. 

On December 20, 2012, amendments to the Marine Debris Act 

were signed into law (Public Law 112–213). The law required 

NOAA to make a determination whether the March 2011 Japan 

earthquake and subsequent tsunami were the cause of a ‘‘severe 

marine debris event’’. The law defines a ‘‘severe marine debris 

event’’ as ‘‘atypically large amounts of marine debris caused by a 

natural disaster, including a tsunami, flood, landslide, or hurricane, or other source.’’ On February 14, 2013, NOAA made this determination. The law requires NOAA to notify certain committees 

in Congress, but requires no other action after the determination. 

H.R. 1491 would authorize the Administrator of NOAA to use 

funds, provided to the U.S. from the Government of Japan, as 

grants to any State, locality or tribal government that was effected 

by a covered marine debris event resulting from the March 2011 

Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami. NOAA has the ability 

under existing law to pay for current and future debris removal efforts; however, H.R. 1491 would give NOAA the authority to also 

reimburse States for past costs of debris removal efforts. 


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COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1491 was introduced on April 11, 2013, by Congresswoman 

Suzanne Bonamici (D–OR). The bill was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources. Within the Committee on Natural 

Resources, the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, 

Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs. On June 13, 2013, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On December 4, 2013, the 

Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs was 

discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman Don Young (R– 

AK) offered an amendment designated .002 to the bill; the amendment was adopted by unanimous consent. No further amendments 

were offered and the bill, as amended, was then ordered favorably 

reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that Rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 1491—A bill to authorize the Administrator of the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide certain 

funds to eligible entities for activities undertaken to address the 

marine debris impacts of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake 

and subsequent tsunami, and for other purposes 

H.R. 1491 would authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to use funds provided by the government of Japan to reimburse states for costs incurred to clean up 

marine debris stemming from a tsunami. Based on information provided by NOAA, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would 

have no significant cost. Because CBO expects that enacting the 

bill would allow NOAA to spend certain funds faster than it would 

under current law, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1491 would 

affect direct spending; however, we estimate that any net effects on 

spending would be minimal. Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues. 

In December 2012, Japan provided a $5 million gift to the United 

States to fund efforts to clean up marine debris from a tsunami 


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that affected Japan in 2011. Under current law, NOAA may use 

those funds to cover costs incurred after the gift was received. 

Under the bill, the agency would be able to use those funds to reimburse states for costs incurred prior to December 2012. CBO estimates that allowing NOAA to use funds for that purpose would 

increase direct spending in 2014 and reduce direct spending in 

later years; however, we estimate that the net effect on spending 

would be minimal. 

H.R. 1491 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by 

clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 

this bill does not contain any new budget authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

CBO estimates that implementing the bill would affect direct 

spending but the net effects would be minimal. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to authorize the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide certain funds to eligible entities for activities undertaken to address the marine debris impacts of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent 

tsunami. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that this 

bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any specific 

rule-making proceedings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. The bill does establish a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another 

federal program, although it does not reauthorize such a program. 

Such program was identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal 

Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program 

Information Act (Public Law 95–220), as amended by Public Law 

98–169) as relating to other programs, coastal zone management 

administrative awards and habitat conservation. These related programs specifically include Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards, Financial Assistance for National Centers for Coastal 

Ocean Science, Regional Fishery Management Councils, Chesapeake Bay Studies, and Congressionally Identified Awards and 

Projects. However, the purpose of H.R. 1491 is to allow a one-time 


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event—the expenditure of certain funds donated by the Government of Japan to address marine debris associated with the March 

2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which affected 

Pacific coast states and territories. While NOAA has the legal authority to grant funds to coastal states and the territories for marine debris removal, H.R. 1491 will allow the states to be reimbursed for the expenditure of their own funds from the donated 

Japanese funds. This is not a situation expected to be repeated. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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