I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3521 

To authorize grants for data collection for use in stock assessments of red 

snapper and other reef fish species in the Gulf of Mexico, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 

Mr. JOLLY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize grants for data collection for use in stock 

assessments of red snapper and other reef fish species 

in the Gulf of Mexico, 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 ‘‘Gulf Red Snapper 

5 Data Improvement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GULF OF MEXICO RED SNAPPER AND OTHER REEF 

7 FISH SPECIES DATA COLLECTION GRANTS. 

8 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Com9 merce, acting through the National Marine Fisheries ServVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:42 Sep 18, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3521.IH H3521

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1 ice Southeast Regional Office, shall award competitive 

2 grants for fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data 

3 collection for use in stock assessments for red snapper and 

4 other reef fish species in the Gulf of Mexico. 

5 (b) INNOVATIVE APPROACHES.—In awarding grants 

6 under this section, the Secretary shall seek to improve red 

7 snapper and other reef fish species stock assessments 

8 through innovative approaches to data collection that in9 corporates data from cooperative peer-reviewed research 

10 involving academia, fishermen, and other fisheries sources. 

11 (c) GRANT PERIOD.—Grants under this section may 

12 be for one or more fiscal years. 

13 SEC. 3. COMMUNICATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce shall 

15 seek to improve communications by the National Marine 

16 Fisheries Service with stakeholders regarding the Gulf of 

17 Mexico red snapper and other reef fish species stock as18 sessment processes and outcomes of such processes. 

19 (b) REPORT.—The Secretary shall— 

20 (1) by not later than 180 days after the date 

21 of the enactment of this Act, report to Congress on 

22 actions taken under this section and the results of 

23 such actions; and 

24 (2) update such report every 180 days there25 after. 


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1 SEC. 4. PROCESS FOR USING GULF OF MEXICO RED SNAP2 PER AND OTHER REEF FISH SPECIES COOP3 ERATIVE RESEARCH DATA. 

4 The Secretary of Commerce shall— 

5 (1) by not later than 180 days after the date 

6 of the enactment of this Act, develop and report to 

7 the Congress on a process for using data collected 

8 through cooperative research activities for Gulf of 

9 Mexico red snapper and other reef fish species stock 

10 assessments; and 

11 (2) update such report every 180 days there12 after. 

13 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

14 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec15 retary of Commerce $10,000,000 for grants, personnel, 

16 operations, and data collection under this Act to improve 

17 Gulf of Mexico red snapper and other reef fish species 

18 stock assessments. 

Æ 


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