Don Young Restoration Grants for Coastlines and Fisheries Act of 2023

Subjects: Environmental Protection


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1196 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1196

 To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
    Administration to establish a grant program to benefit coastal 
     habitats, resiliency, and the economy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 2023

    Ms. Plaskett (for herself, Ms. Salazar, Mrs. Peltola, and Mrs. 
 Gonzalez-Colon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
    Administration to establish a grant program to benefit coastal 
     habitats, resiliency, and the economy, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Don Young Restoration Grants for 
Coastlines and Fisheries Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. DON YOUNG RESTORATION GRANTS FOR COASTLINES AND FISHERIES.

    (a) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a grant 
program to provide funding and technical assistance to eligible 
entities for purposes of carrying out a project described in subsection 
(d).
    (b) Project Proposal.--To be considered for a grant under this 
section, an eligible entity shall submit a grant proposal to the 
Administrator in a time, place, and manner determined by the 
Administrator. Such proposal shall include monitoring, data collection, 
and measurable performance criteria with respect to the project.
    (c) Development of Criteria.--The Administrator shall select 
eligible entities to receive grants under this section based on 
criteria developed by the Administrator, in consultation with relevant 
offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, such as 
the Office of Habitat Conservation, the Office for Coastal Management, 
the Office of Response and Restoration, and the Office of National 
Marine Sanctuaries.
    (d) Eligible Projects.--A proposal is eligible for a grant under 
this section if--
            (1) the purpose of the project is to restore a marine, 
        estuarine, coastal, or Great Lake habitat, including--
                    (A) restoration of habitat to protect or recover a 
                species that is threatened, endangered, or a species of 
                concern under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
                U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
                    (B) through the removal or remediation of marine 
                debris, including derelict vessels and abandoned, lost, 
                and discarded fishing gear, in coastal and marine 
                habitats; or
                    (C) for the benefit of--
                            (i) shellfish;
                            (ii) fish, including diadromous fish;
                            (iii) coral reef systems;
                            (iv) marine wildlife;
                            (v) blue carbon ecosystems such as coastal 
                        wetlands, marshes, coastal forests, seagrasses, 
                        kelp forests, and other habitats important to 
                        carbon sequestration and storage; or
                            (vi) ecosystems such as beaches, dunes, 
                        oyster beds, submerged aquatic vegetation, and 
                        other ecosystems that provide protection from 
                        flooding, wave effects, and other coastal 
                        hazards; or
            (2) provides adaptation to climate change, including 
        sequestering and storing carbon or by constructing, restoring, 
        or protecting ecological features or nature-based 
        infrastructure that protects coastal communities from sea level 
        rise, coastal storms, or flooding.
    (e) Priority.--In determining which projects to fund under this 
section, the Administrator shall give priority to a proposed project--
            (1) that would stimulate the economy;
            (2) for which the applicant can demonstrate that the grant 
        will fund work that will begin not more than 90 days after the 
        date of award;
            (3) for which the applicant can demonstrate that the grant 
        will fund work that will employ fishermen who have been 
        negatively impacted by financial hardship or pay a fisherman 
        for the use of a fishing vessel;
            (4) for which the applicant can demonstrate that any 
        preliminary study or permit required before the project can 
        begin has been completed or can be completed shortly after an 
        award is made;
            (5) that includes communities that may not have adequate 
        resources including low-income communities, communities of 
        color, Tribal communities, Indigenous communities, and rural 
        communities; or
            (6) that is happening within National Wildlife Refuges, 
        National Parks, and Marine Protected Areas, such as National 
        Marine Sanctuaries.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2032 to carry out this section, to remain available 
until expended.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        nonprofit, a for-profit business, an institution of higher 
        education, or a State, local, Tribal, or Territorial 
        government.
            (3) Fishermen.--The term ``fishermen'' means commercial or 
        for-hire fishermen or oyster farmers.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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