II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 496 

To preserve United States fishing heritage through a national program dedicated to training and assisting the next generation of commercial fishermen, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Ms. CANTWELL, and Ms. COLLINS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To preserve United States fishing heritage through a national program dedicated to training and assisting the 

next generation of commercial fishermen, 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 ‘‘Young Fishermen’s 

5 Development Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) SEA GRANT INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘Sea 

2 Grant Institution’’ means a sea grant college or sea 

3 grant institute, as those terms are defined in section 

4 203 of the National Sea Grant College Program Act 

5 (33 U.S.C. 1122). 

6 (2) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Tribal 

7 organization’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘trib8 al organization’’ in section 4 of the Indian Self-De9 termination and Education Assistance Act (25 

10 U.S.C. 5304). 

11 (3) YOUNG FISHERMAN.—The term ‘‘young 

12 fisherman’’ means an individual who— 

13 (A) desires to participate in the commer14 cial fisheries of the United States, including the 

15 Great Lakes fisheries; 

16 (B) has worked as a captain, crew mem17 ber, or deckhand on a commercial fishing vessel 

18 for not more than 10 years of cumulative serv19 ice; or 

20 (C) is a beginning commercial fisherman. 

21 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 

22 The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Na23 tional Sea Grant Office, shall establish a program to pro24 vide training, education, outreach, and technical assist25 ance initiatives for young fishermen, to be known as the 


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1 ‘‘Young Fishermen’s Development Grant Program’’ (re2 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’). 

3 SEC. 4. GRANTS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the Program, the 

5 Secretary shall make competitive grants to support new 

6 and established local and regional training, education, out7 reach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fisher8 men, including programs, workshops, and services relating 

9 to— 

10 (1) seamanship, navigation, electronics, and 

11 safety; 

12 (2) vessel and engine care, maintenance, and 

13 repair; 

14 (3) innovative conservation fishing gear engi15 neering and technology; 

16 (4) sustainable fishing practices; 

17 (5) entrepreneurship and good business prac18 tices; 

19 (6) direct marketing, supply chain, and 

20 traceability; 

21 (7) financial and risk management, including 

22 vessel, permit, and quota purchasing; 

23 (8) State and Federal legal requirements for 

24 specific fisheries, including reporting, monitoring, li25 censes, and regulations; 


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1 (9) State and Federal fisheries policy and man2 agement; 

3 (10) mentoring, apprenticeships, or internships; 

4 and 

5 (11) any other activities, opportunities, or pro6 grams, as the Secretary determines appropriate. 

7 (b) ELIGIBILITY.— 

8 (1) APPLICANTS.—To be eligible to receive a 

9 grant under the Program, a recipient shall be a col10 laborative State, Tribal, local, or regionally based 

11 network or partnership of public or private entities, 

12 which may include— 

13 (A) a Sea Grant Institution; 

14 (B) a Federal or State agency or a Tribal 

15 organization; 

16 (C) a community-based nongovernmental 

17 organization; 

18 (D) fishermen’s cooperatives or associa19 tions; 

20 (E) an institution of higher education (in21 cluding an institution awarding an associate’s 

22 degree), or a foundation maintained by an insti23 tution of higher education; or 

24 (F) any other appropriate entity, as the 

25 Secretary determines appropriate. 


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1 (2) PARTICIPANTS.—All young fishermen seek2 ing to participate in the commercial fisheries of the 

3 United States and the Great Lakes are eligible to 

4 participate in the activities funded through grants 

5 provided for in this section, except that participants 

6 in such activities shall be selected by each grant re7 cipient. 

8 (c) MAXIMUM TERM AND AMOUNT OF GRANT.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—A grant under this section 

10 shall— 

11 (A) have a term of no more than 3 fiscal 

12 years; and 

13 (B) be in an amount that is not more than 

14 $200,000 for each fiscal year. 

15 (2) CONSECUTIVE GRANTS.—An eligible recipi16 ent may receive consecutive grants under this sec17 tion. 

18 (d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—To be eligible to re19 ceive a grant under this section, a recipient shall provide 

20 a match in the form of cash or in-kind contributions from 

21 the recipient in the amount equal to or greater than 25 

22 percent of the funds provided by the grant. 

23 (e) REGIONAL BALANCE.—In making grants under 

24 this section, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent 

25 practicable, ensure geographic diversity. 


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1 (f) COOPERATION AND EVALUATION CRITERIA.—In 

2 carrying out this section and in developing criteria for 

3 evaluating grant applications, the Secretary shall consult, 

4 to the maximum extent practicable, with— 

5 (1) Sea Grant Institutions and extension agents 

6 of such institutions; 

7 (2) community-based nongovernmental fishing 

8 organizations; 

9 (3) Federal and State agencies, including Re10 gional Fishery Management Councils established 

11 under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 

12 and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1851 et seq.); 

13 (4) institutions of higher education with fish14 eries expertise and programs; and 

15 (5) partners, as the Secretary determines. 

16 (g) PROHIBITION.—A grant under this section may 

17 not be used to purchase any fishing license, permit, quota, 

18 or other harvesting right. 

19 SEC. 5. FUNDING. 

20 Of the amount made available to the Secretary of 

21 Commerce under section 311(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

22 Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 

23 1861(e)) for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2024, the 


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1 Secretary shall use $2,000,000 to carry out section 4 of 

2 this Act. 

Æ 


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