IB 
Union Calendar No. 255 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1747 
[Report No. 116–314] 
To encourage partnerships among public agencies and other interested persons 
to promote fish conservation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 13, 2019 
Mr. WITTMAN (for himself and Mr. VEASEY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
NOVEMBER 26, 2019 
Additional sponsors: Mr. CASE, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Miss 
GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Mrs. LURIA, and Mr. KIND 
NOVEMBER 26, 2019 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 13, 2019] 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:25 Nov 26, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H1747.RH
H1747
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
A BILL 
To encourage partnerships among public agencies and other 
interested persons to promote fish conservation. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:25 Nov 26, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H1747.RH
H1747
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
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 ‘‘National Fish Habitat 
Conservation Through Partnerships Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to encourage partnerships 
among public agencies and other interested persons to pro-
mote fish conservation— 
(1) to achieve measurable habitat conservation 
results through strategic actions of Fish Habitat Part-
nerships that lead to better fish habitat conditions 
and increased fishing opportunities by— 
(A) improving ecological conditions; 
(B) restoring natural processes; or 
(C) preventing the decline of intact and 
healthy systems; 
(2) to establish a consensus set of national con-
servation strategies as a framework to guide future 
actions and investment by Fish Habitat Partnerships; 
(3) to broaden the community of support for fish 
habitat conservation by— 
(A) increasing fishing opportunities; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:25 Nov 26, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1747.RH
H1747
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(B) fostering the participation of local com-
munities, especially young people in local com-
munities, in conservation activities; and 
(C) raising public awareness of the role 
healthy fish habitat play in the quality of life 
and economic well-being of local communities; 
(4) to fill gaps in the National Fish Habitat As-
sessment and the associated database of the National 
Fish Habitat Assessment— 
(A) to empower strategic conservation ac-
tions supported by broadly available scientific 
information; and 
(B) to integrate socioeconomic data in the 
analysis to improve the lives of humans in a 
manner consistent with fish habitat conservation 
goals; and 
(5) to communicate to the public and conserva-
tion partners— 
(A) the conservation outcomes produced col-
lectively by Fish Habitat Partnerships; and 
(B) new opportunities and voluntary ap-
proaches for conserving fish habitat. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:25 Nov 26, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1747.RH
H1747
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(1) 
APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit-
tees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation and the Committee on Envi-
ronment and Public Works of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives. 
(2) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Na-
tional Fish Habitat Board established by section 4. 
(3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the 
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice. 
(4) EPA ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR.—The term 
‘‘EPA Assistant Administrator’’ means the Assistant 
Administrator for Water of the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency. 
(5) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given to the term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(6) NOAA 
ASSISTANT
ADMINISTRATOR.—The 
term ‘‘NOAA Assistant Administrator’’ means the As-
sistant Administrator for Fisheries of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:25 Nov 26, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1747.RH
H1747
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(7) PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘‘Partnership’’ 
means a self-governed entity designated by Congress 
as a Fish Habitat Partnership under subsection 
(d)(6) after a recommendation by the Board under 
section 5. 
(8) REAL PROPERTY INTEREST.—The term ‘‘real 
property interest’’ means an ownership interest in— 
(A) land; or 
(B) water (including water rights). 
(9) 
MARINE
FISHERIES
COMMISSIONS.—The 
term ‘‘Marine Fisheries Commissions’’ means— 
(A) The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 
Commission; 
(B) the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Com-
mission; and 
(C) the Pacific States Marine Commission. 
(10) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(11) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, 
Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the United 
States Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. 
(12) STATE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘State agency’’ 
means— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:25 Nov 26, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1747.RH
H1747
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(A) the fish and wildlife agency of a State; 
and 
(B) any department or division of a depart-
ment or agency of a State that manages in the 
public trust the inland or marine fishery re-
sources of the State or sustains the habitat for 
those fishery resources pursuant to State law or 
the constitution of the State. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL FISH HABITAT BOARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) FISH HABITAT BOARD.—There is established 
a board, to be known as the ‘‘National Fish Habitat 
Board’’, whose duties are— 
(A) to promote, oversee, and coordinate the 
implementation of this Act; 
(B) to establish national goals and prior-
ities for fish habitat conservation; 
(C) to recommend to Congress entities for 
designation as Partnerships; and 
(D) to review and make recommendations 
regarding fish habitat conservation projects. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Board shall be composed 
of 25 members, of whom— 
(A) 1 shall be a representative of the De-
partment of the Interior; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:25 Nov 26, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1747.RH
H1747
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(B) 1 shall be a representative of the United 
States Geological Survey; 
(C) 1 shall be a representative of the De-
partment of Commerce; 
(D) 1 shall be a representative of the De-
partment of Agriculture; 
(E) 1 shall be a representative of the Asso-
ciation of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; 
(F) 4 shall be representatives of State agen-
cies, 1 of whom shall be nominated by a regional 
association of fish and wildlife agencies from 
each of the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and 
Western regions of the United States; 
(G) 1 shall be a representative of either— 
(i) Indian Tribes in the State of Alas-
ka; or 
(ii) Indian Tribes in States other than 
the State of Alaska; 
(H) 1 shall be a representative of either— 
(i) the Regional Fishery Management 
Councils established under section 302 of the 
Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery 
Conservation 
and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852); or 
(ii) a representative of the Marine 
Fisheries Commissions; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:25 Nov 26, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1747.RH
H1747
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS