II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1991 

To establish the National Endowment for the Oceans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 14, 2011 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To establish the National Endowment for the Oceans, 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. NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE OCEANS. 

4 (a) COASTAL STATE AND COASTAL WATERS DE5 FINED.—In this section the terms ‘‘coastal State’’ and 

6 ‘‘coastal waters’’ have the meanings given the terms 

7 ‘‘coastal state’’ and ‘‘coastal waters’’, respectively, in sec8 tion 304 of the Marine Resources and Engineering Devel9 opment Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 1453). 

10 (b) NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE OCEANS.— 

11 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—There is established in 

2 the Treasury of the United States a trust fund 

3 to be known as the ‘‘National Endowment for 

4 the Oceans,’’ consisting of such amounts as 

5 may be appropriated or credited to the National 

6 Endowment for the Oceans. 

7 (B) INVESTMENT.—Amounts in the Na8 tional Endowment for the Oceans shall be in9 vested in accordance with section 9602 of the 

10 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and any inter11 est on, and proceeds from, any such investment 

12 shall be available for expenditure in accordance 

13 with this subsection. 

14 (2) TRUSTEE.—The trustee for the National 

15 Endowment for the Oceans shall be the Secretary of 

16 Commerce. 

17 (3) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—Each fiscal year, the 

19 Secretary shall allocate, at a minimum, an 

20 amount equal to the interest earned by the Na21 tional Endowment for the Oceans in the pre22 ceding fiscal year, and may distribute an 

23 amount equal to up to 10 percent of the total 

24 amounts in the National Endowment for the 

25 Oceans— 


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1 (i) to allocate funding to coastal 

2 States and affected Indian tribes; 

3 (ii) to make grants to regional ocean 

4 and coastal planning bodies; and 

5 (iii) to develop and implement a Na6 tional Grant Program for Oceans and 

7 Coastal Waters. 

8 (B) PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS.—In each 

9 fiscal year when the amount described in sub10 section (c) does not exceed $100,000,000, the 

11 Secretary may elect to fund only the grant pro12 gram established in subparagraph (A)(iii). 

13 (4) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—Funds deposited in 

14 the National Endowment for the Oceans may be al15 located by the Secretary only to fund grants for pro16 grams and activities intended to restore, protect, 

17 maintain, or understand living marine resources and 

18 their habitats and resources in ocean and coastal 

19 waters, including baseline scientific research, ocean 

20 observing, and other programs and activities carried 

21 out in coordination with Federal and State depart22 ments or agencies, that are consistent with Federal 

23 environmental laws and that avoid environmental 

24 degradation. 


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1 (5) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 

2 grant under paragraph (3)(A), an entity shall sub3 mit to the Secretary an application therefor at such 

4 time, in such manner, and containing such informa5 tion as the Secretary considers appropriate. 

6 (6) FUNDING FOR COASTAL STATES.—The Sec7 retary shall allocate funding among States as fol8 lows: 

9 (A) 50 percent of the funds shall be allo10 cated equally among coastal States. 

11 (B) 25 percent of the funds shall be allo12 cated based on tidal shoreline miles. 

13 (C) 25 percent of the funds shall be allo14 cated based on the coastal population density of 

15 a coastal State. 

16 (D) No State shall be allocated more than 

17 10 percent of the total amount of funds avail18 able for allocation among coastal States for any 

19 fiscal year. 

20 (E) No territory shall be allocated more 

21 than 1 percent of the total amount of funds 

22 available for allocation among coastal States for 

23 any fiscal year. 

24 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF INTEREST TRANSFERS.— 

25 Upon the establishment through legislation of a Gulf 


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1 Coast Restoration Trust Fund, of the total amount made 

2 available in any fiscal year in that Trust Fund, an amount 

3 equal to the interest earned by the Trust Fund and pro4 ceeds from investments made by the Trust Fund in the 

5 preceding fiscal year, 50 percent shall be transferred to 

6 the National Endowment for Oceans established by section 

7 (b)(1)(A). 

Æ 


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