I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1240 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 

Mr. YOUNG (for himself, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. GOLDEN, and 

Ms. PINGREE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

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

next generation of commercial fishermen. 

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 of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) the average age of commercial fishermen 

2 continues to increase due to fewer new entrants re3 placing retiring fishermen; 

4 (2) there are fewer young or beginning fisher5 men entering the commercial fisheries for many rea6 sons, including the lack of training, fewer entry level 

7 opportunities, lack of capital, and other barriers to 

8 entry; 

9 (3) without well-trained young or beginning 

10 fishermen to replace those retiring, fishing busi11 nesses and vessels will be lost and fishing commu12 nities will suffer; 

13 (4) for food security and economic reasons, it is 

14 in the United States national interest to sustainably 

15 harvest United States fishery resources; 

16 (5) United States farmers and ranchers faced 

17 similar difficulties and Congress responded by enact18 ing the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Develop19 ment Program administered by the Department of 

20 Agriculture; 

21 (6) the Young Fishermen’s Development Grant 

22 Program established by this Act is modeled after the 

23 successful Department of Agriculture program; and 

24 (7) the training, education, and outreach pro25 vided for in the Young Fishermen’s Development 


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1 Grant Program established by this Act will ensure 

2 there is a next generation of commercial fishermen 

3 and businesses to harvest the United States rich 

4 fishery resources and support our coastal commu5 nities. 

6 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

7 (1) to establish a national grant program to 

8 support the training and education of the United 

9 States next generation of commercial fishermen; and 

10 (2) to engage partnerships and collaborations 

11 led by or including nongovernmental, community12 based fishing organizations, and school-based fish13 eries, including Sea Grant Institutions, or marine 

14 educational organizations with expertise in new fish15 eries training and outreach, to provide the education 

16 and training. 

17 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

18 In this Act— 

19 (1) the term ‘‘young fishermen’’ means an indi20 vidual who— 

21 (A)(i) desires to participate in the commer22 cial fisheries of the United States, including the 

23 Great Lakes fisheries; 

24 (ii) has worked as a captain, crew member, 

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1 mercial fishing vessel for not more than 10 

2 years of cumulative service; 

3 (iii) is a beginning commercial fisherman; 

4 or 

5 (iv) meets such other criteria as the Sec6 retary of Commerce may establish; and 

7 (B) is less than 35 years of age; and 

8 (2) the term ‘‘Sea Grant Institution’’ means a 

9 sea grant college or sea grant institute, as those 

10 terms are defined in section 203 of the National Sea 

11 Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1122). 

12 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 

13 The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Na14 tional Sea Grant Office, shall establish a Young Fisher15 men’s Development Grant Program to provide training, 

16 education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives 

17 for young fishermen. 

18 SEC. 5. GRANTS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this Act, the Sec20 retary shall make competitive grants to support new and 

21 established local and regional training, education, out22 reach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fisher23 men, including programs, workshops, and services relating 

24 to— 


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1 (1) seamanship, navigation, electronics, and 

2 safety; 

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

4 repair; 

5 (3) innovative conservation fishing gear engi6 neering and technology; 

7 (4) sustainable fishing practices; 

8 (5) entrepreneurship and good business prac9 tices; 

10 (6) direct marketing, supply chain, and 

11 traceability; 

12 (7) financial and risk management, including 

13 vessel, permit, and quota purchasing; 

14 (8) State and Federal legal requirements for 

15 specific fisheries, including reporting, monitoring, li16 censes, and regulations; 

17 (9) State and Federal fisheries policy and man18 agement; 

19 (10) mentoring, apprenticeships, or internships; 

20 and 

21 (11) any other activities, opportunities, or pro22 grams as determined appropriate by the Secretary. 

23 (b) ELIGIBILITY.— 

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

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1 laborative State, Tribal, local, or regionally based 

2 network or partnership of public or private entities, 

3 which may include— 

4 (A) a Sea Grant Institution; 

5 (B) a Federal, State, or Tribal agency; 

6 (C) a community-based or nongovernment7 al organization; 

8 (D) fishermen’s cooperatives or associa9 tions, including permit banks and trusts; 

10 (E) Alaska Native corporations; 

11 (F) a college or university (including an in12 stitution awarding an associate’s degree), or a 

13 foundation maintained by a college or univer14 sity; or 

15 (G) any other appropriate entity as deter16 mined by the Secretary. 

17 (2) PARTICIPANTS.—All young fishermen seek18 ing to participate in the commercial fisheries of the 

19 United States and the Great Lakes are eligible to 

20 participate in the activities funded through grants 

21 provided for in this section, except that participants 

22 in such activities shall be selected by each grant re23 cipient. 

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


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

2 shall— 

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

4 years; and 

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

6 $200,000 for each fiscal year. 

7 (2) CONSECUTIVE GRANTS.—An eligible recipi8 ent may receive consecutive grants under this sec9 tion. 

10 (d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—To be eligible to re11 ceive a grant under this section, a recipient shall provide 

12 a match in the form of cash or in-kind contributions in 

13 the amount equal to or greater than 25 percent of the 

14 funds provided by the grant. 

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

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

17 practicable, ensure geographic diversity. 

18 (f) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec19 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to partnerships and 

20 collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental 

21 fishing community-based organizations and school-based 

22 fisheries educational organizations with expertise in fish23 eries and sustainable fishing training and outreach. 

24 (g) COOPERATION AND EVALUATION CRITERIA.—In 

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1 teria for evaluating grant applications, the Secretary shall 

2 cooperate, to the maximum extent practicable, with— 

3 (1) Sea Grant Institutions and extension agents 

4 of such institutions; 

5 (2) community-based and nongovernmental 

6 fishing organizations; 

7 (3) Federal and State agencies, including Re8 gional Fishery Management Councils established 

9 under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 

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

11 (4) colleges and universities with fisheries ex12 pertise and programs; and 

13 (5) other appropriate partners as determined by 

14 the Secretary. 

15 (h) PROHIBITION.—A grant under this section may 

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

17 or other harvesting right. 

18 SEC. 6. FUNDING. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount made available to 

20 the Secretary of Commerce under section 311(e) of the 

21 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage22 ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1861(e)) for each of fiscal years 

23 2020 through 2024, the Secretary shall use $2,000,000 

24 to carry out section 5 of this Act. 


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1 (b) PROPORTIONAL ALLOCATION.—The amount obli2 gated under this section each fiscal year for activities in 

3 each fishery management region shall be in the same pro4 portion as the portion of the total amount obligated under 

5 this section for that fiscal year that was collected in that 

6 region. 

Æ 


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