IB 

Union Calendar No. 219 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1023 

[Report No. 116–274] 

To authorize the Director of the United States Geological Survey to conduct 

monitoring, assessment, science, and research, in support of the binational fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 

Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Mr. UPTON, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. HIGGINS of New 

York, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. HUIZENGA, Mr. JOYCE of 

Ohio, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. COLLINS of New York, Mr. BERGMAN, Mr. 

STAUBER, Ms. SLOTKIN, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, and Mr. KELLY of 

Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 

Additional sponsors: Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. KIND, and Ms. 

KAPTUR

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 1023 RH

A BILL 

To authorize the Director of the United States Geological 

Survey to conduct monitoring, assessment, science, and 

research, in support of the binational fisheries within 

the Great Lakes Basin, and for other purposes. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
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•HR 1023 RH

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 ‘‘Great Lakes Fishery 

5 Research Authorization Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

9 the Director of the United States Geological Survey. 

10 (2) GREAT LAKES BASIN.—The term ‘‘Great 

11 Lakes Basin’’ means the air, land, water, and living 

12 organisms in the United States within the drainage 

13 basin of the Saint Lawrence River at and upstream 

14 from the point at which such river and the Great 

15 Lakes become the international boundary between 

16 Canada and the United States. 

17 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

18 Congress finds the following: 

19 (1) The Great Lakes support a diverse eco20 system, on which the vibrant and economically valu21 able Great Lakes fisheries depend. 

22 (2) To continue successful fisheries manage23 ment and coordination, as has occurred since signing 

24 of the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries between 

25 the United States and Canada on September 10, 


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1 1954, management of the ecosystem and its fisheries 

2 require sound, reliable science, and the use of mod3 ern scientific technologies. 

4 (3) Fisheries research is necessary to support 

5 multi-jurisdictional fishery management decisions 

6 and actions regarding recreational and sport fishing, 

7 commercial fisheries, tribal harvest, allocation deci8 sions, and fish stocking activities. 

9 (4) President Richard Nixon submitted, and the 

10 Congress approved, Reorganization Plan No. 4 (84 

11 Stat. 2090), conferring science activities and man12 agement of marine fisheries to the National Oceanic 

13 and Atmospheric Administration. 

14 (5) Reorganization Plan No. 4 expressly ex15 cluded fishery research activities within the Great 

16 Lakes from the transfer, retaining management and 

17 scientific research duties within the already estab18 lished jurisdictions under the 1954 Convention on 

19 Great Lakes Fisheries, including those of the Great 

20 Lakes Fishery Commission and the Department of 

21 the Interior. 


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1 SEC. 4. GREAT LAKES MONITORING, ASSESSMENT, SCI2 ENCE, AND RESEARCH. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director may conduct moni4 toring, assessment, science, and research, in support of 

5 the binational fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin. 

6 (b) SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES.—The Director shall, 

7 under subsection (a)— 

8 (1) execute a comprehensive, multi-lake, fresh9 water fisheries science program; 

10 (2) coordinate with and work cooperatively with 

11 regional, State, tribal, and local governments; and 

12 (3) consult with other interested entities 

13 groups, including academia and relevant Canadian 

14 agencies. 

15 (c) INCLUDED RESEARCH.—To properly serve the 

16 needs of fisheries managers, monitoring, assessment, 

17 science, and research under this section may include— 

18 (1) deepwater ecosystem sciences; 

19 (2) biological and food-web components; 

20 (3) fish movement and behavior investigations; 

21 (4) fish population structures; 

22 (5) fish habitat investigations; 

23 (6) invasive species science; 

24 (7) use of existing, new, and experimental bio25 logical assessment tools, equipment, vessels, other 

26 scientific instrumentation and laboratory capabilities 


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1 necessary to support fishery management decisions; 

2 and 

3 (8) studies to assess impacts on Great Lakes 

4 fishery resources. 

5 (d) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this Act is in6 tended or shall be construed to impede, supersede, or alter 

7 the authority of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, 

8 States, and Indian tribes under the Convention on Great 

9 Lakes Fisheries between the United States of America and 

10 Canada on September 10, 1954, and the Great Lakes 

11 Fishery Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 931 et seq.). 

12 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

13 For each of fiscal years 2020 through 2029, there 

14 is authorized to be appropriated $17,500,000 to carry out 

15 this Act. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 219 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1023 

[Report No. 116–274] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Director of the United States Geoand for other purposes. tional fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin, science, and research, in support of the bina- logical Survey to conduct monitoring, assessment, 

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS