Gulf States Coordination Act

To designate the Gulf of Mexico Alliance as a regional coordination partnership of Federal and State actions related to the management of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Gulf States Coordination Act 2. Sense of Congress and purposes (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the United States should seek to attain coordination of the regional conservation and restoration efforts for the Gulf of Mexico in order to facilitate the continued economic uses of the Gulf of Mexico for the benefit of the people of the United States, to reduce duplication of efforts, and to maximize efficiencies, through a collaborative regional effort through the Gulf of Mexico Alliance in consultation with Federal agencies and State and local authorities. (b) Purposes The purposes of this Act are the following: (1) To expand and strengthen cooperative voluntary efforts to conserve and restore the Gulf of Mexico and maintain its highly productive multiple uses. (2) To recognize and enable the Gulf of Mexico Alliance as a lead coordinator of Federal and State authorities with other voluntary efforts for the collaborative management of the Gulf of Mexico and to coordinate such management with Mexico. (3) To enable the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to receive Federal funding through an appropriation to conduct the necessary scientific research and conservation and restoration management to achieve these purposes. 3. Gulf States protection and restoration coordination (a) Designation as a regional coordination partnership (1) Designation The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is designated as a regional coordination partnership of Federal and State actions related to the management of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. (2) Location The Gulf of Mexico Alliance shall be located in a State all, or a portion of the coastline, of which is on the Gulf of Mexico. (3) Functions The Gulf of Mexico Alliance may— (A) promote coordination of the actions of State agencies in the States that border the Gulf of Mexico and other authorities with the actions of the appropriate officials of the Federal agencies, local authorities, and representatives of key regional industries in the Gulf of Mexico region in developing strategies— (i) to improve the water quality, protect living resources, increase valuable habitats, and enhance coastal resilience in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; and (ii) to obtain the support of appropriate officials; (B) in cooperation and consultation with appropriate Federal, State, and local authorities, and industry representatives, develop and implement specific action plans to carry out the Gulf of Mexico Alliance regional coordination goals; (C) coordinate and implement plans and projects, and facilitate science, research, modeling, monitoring, data collection, and other activities, that support the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s goals through the provision of grants under subsection (c); (D) implement outreach programs for public information, education, and participation to foster stewardship of the resources of the Gulf of Mexico; (E) develop and make available, through publications, technical assistance, and other appropriate means, information pertaining to the environmental quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; (F) serve as the liaison with, and provide information to, the Mexican members of the Gulf of Mexico States Accord and Mexican counterparts; and (G) focus the efforts and resources of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance on activities that will result in measurable improvements to water quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem by coordinating protection and restoration programs to minimize duplication and maximize leveraging opportunities. (b) Grants (1) In general The Gulf of Mexico Alliance may provide grants to nonprofit organizations, State and local governments, colleges, universities, interstate agencies, and individuals to carry out this section for use in— (A) monitoring the water quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; (B) researching the effects of natural and human-induced environmental changes on the water quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; (C) developing and executing cooperative strategies that address the water quality, coastal resilience, and living resource needs in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; (D) developing and implementing locally based protection and restoration programs or projects within a watershed that complement such strategies, including the creation, restoration, protection, or enhancement of habitat associated with the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; and (E) eliminating or reducing nonpoint sources that discharge pollutants that contaminate the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, including activities to eliminate leaking septic systems and construct connections to local sewage systems. (2) Administrative costs Administrative costs in the form of salaries, overhead, or indirect costs for services provided and charged against programs or projects carried out using funds made available through a grant under this subsection shall not exceed 25 percent of the amount of the grant. (c) Limitation on regulatory authority Nothing in this section establishes any new legal or regulatory authority of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, itself, other than the authority to provide grants in accordance with this section. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Gulf of Mexico Alliance The term Gulf of Mexico Alliance (2) Gulf of Mexico ecosystem The term Gulf of Mexico ecosystem 4. General provisions (a) Gifts and transfers to Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Section 311(t)(2)(E) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1321(t)(2)(E) (iii) Gifts and transfers; separate fund (I) In general Subject to subclause (II), the Council may accept, hold, administer, and utilize for the purpose of aiding or facilitating the work and operations of the Council— (aa) gifts, donations, and bequests from any individual or entity; and (bb) transfers from Federal and State agencies of funds, goods, services, and personal and real property. (II) Treatment Any funds accepted by the Council or transferred to the Council under this clause shall— (aa) remain available until expended; (bb) be deposited in the Treasury in a separate fund; and (cc) be disbursed upon order by the Council. . (b) Borrowing authority Section 1602 of the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 ( 33 U.S.C. 1321 (g) Borrowing authority (1) In general To aid and facilitate the purposes of this subtitle and the amendments made by this subtitle, and subject to the terms and conditions of this subsection, the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this subsection as the Secretary Council (A) borrow money from any source; and (B) issue and sell notes, bonds, obligations, and other instruments of indebtedness. (2) Terms and conditions Each instrument of indebtedness issued under this subsection shall have a term, bear an interest rate, and contain other terms and conditions as may determined by the party issuing the instrument. (3) Limitations on amounts The aggregate of the principal of funds borrowed under this subsection and interest payable thereon may not exceed— (A) as to the Secretary, 35 percent of the aggregate amounts paid or payable into the Trust Fund from any source over the duration of the Trust Fund; and (B) as to the Council, 60 percent of the aggregate amounts paid or payable into the Trust Fund from any source over the duration of the Trust Fund. (4) Disbursements Subject to paragraph (6), the Secretary and the Council may disburse funds borrowed under this subsection upon order— (A) by the Secretary, for any purpose authorized under section 311(t)(1) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1321(t)(1) (B) by the Council, for any purpose authorized under section 311(t)(2) or 311(t)(3) of that Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1321(t)(2) (5) Repayments The Secretary and the Council may repay funds borrowed under this subsection and disbursed for the applicable purposes set forth in paragraph (4) from funds available in the Trust Fund and allocated for such purposes by this subtitle. (6) Financing costs The Secretary and the Council may pay interest and any other financing costs payable in connection with funds borrowed under this subsection from— (A) the principal of such borrowed funds; and (B) funds otherwise available in the Trust Fund for repayment of the principal of such borrowed funds. .

Summary: Gulf States Coordination Act This bill designates the Gulf of Mexico Alliance as a regional coordination partnership that will strengthen collaboration efforts among federal, state, local, and private participants in the five Gulf states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) to restore and protect the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. The alliance may provide grants to carry out this bill, including to research the effects of natural and human-induced environmental changes on the water quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.