I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1276 
To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary 
of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change adaptation planning 
and response program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2015 
Mrs. CAPPS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to 
require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal 
climate change adaptation planning and response pro-
gram, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Coastal State Climate 
Change Planning Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE COASTAL 
ZONE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Coastal Zone Management 
Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLANNING 
‘‘SEC. 320. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
establish consistent with the national policies set forth in 
section 303 a coastal climate change adaptation planning 
and response program to— 
‘‘(1) provide assistance to coastal states to vol-
untarily develop coastal climate change adaptation 
plans pursuant to approved management programs 
approved under section 306, to minimize contribu-
tions to climate change and to prepare for and re-
duce the negative consequences that may result from 
climate change in the coastal zone; and 
‘‘(2) provide financial and technical assistance 
and training to enable coastal states to implement 
plans developed pursuant to this section through 
coastal states’ enforceable policies. 
‘‘(b) GUIDELINES.—Within 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the coastal states, shall issue guidelines for the imple-
mentation of the grant program established under sub-
section (c). 
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‘‘(c) CLIMATE
CHANGE
ADAPTATION
PLANNING 
GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, subject to 
the availability of appropriations, may make a grant 
to any coastal state for the purpose of developing cli-
mate change adaptation plans pursuant to guidelines 
issued by the Secretary under subsection (b). 
‘‘(2) PLAN CONTENT.—A plan developed with a 
grant under this section shall include the following: 
‘‘(A) Identification of public facilities and 
public services, working waterfronts, coastal re-
sources of national significance, coastal waters, 
energy facilities, or other land and water uses 
located in the coastal zone that are likely to be 
impacted by climate change. 
‘‘(B) Adaptive management strategies for 
land use to respond or adapt to changing envi-
ronmental conditions, including strategies to 
protect biodiversity, protect water quality, and 
establish habitat buffer zones, migration cor-
ridors, and climate refugia. 
‘‘(C) Requirements to initiate and main-
tain long-term monitoring of environmental 
change to assess coastal zone adaptation and to 
adjust when necessary adaptive management 
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velopment of plans supported by grants awarded 
under this subsection. 
‘‘(7) FEDERAL APPROVAL.—In order to be eligi-
ble for a grant under subsection (d), a coastal state 
must have its plan developed under this section ap-
proved by the Secretary. 
‘‘(d) COASTAL ADAPTATION PROJECT GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, subject to 
the availability of appropriations, may make grants 
to any coastal state that has a climate change adap-
tation plan approved under subsection (c)(7), in 
order to support projects that implement strategies 
contained within such plans. 
‘‘(2) PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS.—The Sec-
retary within 90 days after approval of the first plan 
approved under subsection (c)(7), shall publish in 
the Federal Register requirements regarding appli-
cations, allocations, eligible activities, and all terms 
and conditions for grants awarded under this sub-
section. No less than 30 percent, and no more than 
50 percent, of the funds appropriated in any fiscal 
year for grants under this subsection shall be award-
ed through a merit-based competitive process. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE
ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary 
may award grants to coastal states to implement 
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projects in the coastal zone to address stress factors 
in order to improve coastal climate change adapta-
tion, including the following: 
‘‘(A) Activities to address physical disturb-
ances within the coastal zone, especially activi-
ties related to public facilities and public serv-
ices, tourism, sedimentation, ocean acidification, 
and other factors negatively impacting coastal 
waters, and fisheries-associated habitat destruc-
tion or alteration. 
‘‘(B) Monitoring, control, or eradication of 
disease organisms and invasive species. 
‘‘(C) Activities to address the loss, deg-
radation, or fragmentation of wildlife habitat 
through projects to establish or protect marine 
and terrestrial habitat buffers, wildlife refugia, 
other wildlife refuges, or networks thereof, pres-
ervation of migratory wildlife corridors and 
other transition zones, and restoration of fish 
and wildlife habitat. 
‘‘(D) Implementation of projects to reduce, 
mitigate, or otherwise address likely impacts 
caused by natural hazards in the coastal zone, 
including sea level rise, coastal inundation, 
coastal erosion and subsidence, severe weather 
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events such as cyclonic storms, tsunamis and 
other seismic threats, and fluctuating Great 
Lakes water levels. 
‘‘(E) Provide technical training and assist-
ance to local coastal policy makers to increase 
awareness of science, management, and tech-
nology information related to climate change 
and adaptation strategies. 
‘‘(4) PROMOTION AND USE OF NATIONAL ESTU-
ARINE RESEARCH RESERVES.—The Secretary shall 
promote and encourage the use of National Estua-
rine Research Reserves as sites for pilot or dem-
onstration projects carried out with grants awarded 
under this section.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
318(a) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 
U.S.C. 1464) is further amended by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon at the end of paragraph (1), by striking the 
period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, 
and by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) for grants under subsections (c) and (d) of 
section 320, such sums as are necessary.’’. 
(c) INTENT OF CONGRESS.—Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to require any coastal state to amend 
or modify its approved management program pursuant to 
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section 306(e) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 
1972 (16 U.S.C. 1455(e)), or to extend the enforceable 
policies of a coastal state beyond the coastal zone as iden-
tified in the coastal state’s approved management pro-
gram. 
Æ 
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