I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3919 

To require research in coastal sustainability and resilience, to ensure that 

the Federal Government continues to implement and advance coastal 

resiliency efforts, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 23, 2019 

Mr. MOULTON (for himself and Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 

and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require research in coastal sustainability and resilience, 

to ensure that the Federal Government continues to implement and advance coastal resiliency efforts, 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 ‘‘Creating Opportunity 

5 And Sustainability Through Science Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘COASTS Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds that— 

3 (1) coastal cities and communities are particu4 larly vulnerable to hazards and extreme weather 

5 events, accelerating the degradation of natural and 

6 built infrastructure that coastal economies and pop7 ulations depend upon; and 

8 (2) such degradation harms community resil9 iency and exposes coastal cities and their inhabitants 

10 to more frequent and more severe hazards, impact11 ing the ecosystems that provide livelihoods, food, and 

12 energy, and other essential benefits. 

13 SEC. 3. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINIS14 TRATION RESEARCH PROGRAMS. 

15 (a) COASTAL SCIENCE AND ASSESSMENT: COMPETI16 TIVE EXTERNAL RESEARCH.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, 

18 acting through applicable National Oceanic and At19 mospheric Administration programs within the Na20 tional Ocean Service, the Office of Oceanic and At21 mospheric Research, and the National Marine Fish22 eries Service, shall carry out an extramural competi23 tively awarded grants program focused on inter24 disciplinary coastal resilience and sustainability. 

25 (2) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the program 

26 shall be to develop scalable, best practices— 


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1 (A) to prepare more resilient, sustainable 

2 cities and resilient communities; and 

3 (B) to reduce disaster recovery costs. 

4 (3) COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall con5 duct the program in collaboration with business and 

6 industry, government agencies, academic institu7 tions, and coastal community stakeholders. 

8 (4) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant 

9 under this subsection, an applicant must be an insti10 tution of higher education, nonprofit organization, 

11 State, local, or Tribal Government, for-profit organi12 zation, United States Territory, or Federal agency 

13 that has statutory authority to receive transfers of 

14 funds. 

15 (b) COASTAL RESILIENCE RESEARCH COMPETITIVE

16 GRANTS.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, 

18 acting through the National Oceanic and Atmos19 pheric Administration, shall annually award competi20 tive grants for— 

21 (A) activities that strengthen coastal com22 munities; and 

23 (B) restoration of coastal habitats to pro24 vide vital habitat for fish and strengthen the re25 silience of coastal ecosystems. 


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1 (2) PRIORITIES.—In awarding grants under 

2 this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to 

3 funding projects for— 

4 (A) protecting life and critical infrastruc5 ture that, if destroyed or damaged, would have 

6 a debilitating impact on economic security, un7 dermine community resiliency and adaptation, 

8 and threaten public health or safety; 

9 (B) assessing the effects of local land-use 

10 considerations on coastal and marine resources; 

11 (C) developing decision-support tools useful 

12 to coastal communities; 

13 (D) determining societal, ecological, and 

14 resiliency benefits of coastal restoration and 

15 natural, nature-based, and man-made infra16 structure, and how these benefits affect the sus17 tainability of coastal ecosystems; 

18 (E) citizen-science monitoring of coastal 

19 and marine resources as part of efforts to pro20 tect coastal communities; 

21 (F) evaluating potential outcomes associ22 ated with developing new commercial and rec23 reational fishery resources, including aqua24 culture and targeting invasive and range-ex25 panding species; 


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1 (G) monitoring and developing ecosystem2 based approaches to managing coastal eco3 systems to promote sustainability; 

4 (H) assessing the capacity of human com5 munities to adapt to coastal hazards; 

6 (I) assessing coastal vulnerability and risk; 

7 (J) evaluating adaptation and restoration 

8 approaches to reduce risk, including through 

9 the use of natural, nature-based, and man-made 

10 features; and 

11 (K) minimizing costs associated with dam12 ages incurred from natural disasters, flooding, 

13 and sea level rise. 

14 SEC. 4. DONATIONS. 

15 The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Na16 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, may ac17 cept and use donations of funds to implement this Act. 

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