108 
agreement that prohibits public disclosure of 
confidential information relating to any person; 
‘‘(C) to State employees who are respon-
sible for fishery management plan enforcement, 
if the States employing those employees have 
entered into a fishery enforcement agreement 
with the Secretary and the agreement is in ef-
fect; 
‘‘(D) when such information is used by 
State, Council, or Marine Fisheries Commission 
employees to verify catch under a limited access 
program, but only to the extent that such use 
is consistent with subparagraph (B); 
‘‘(E) when the Secretary has obtained 
written authorization from the person submit-
ting such information to release such informa-
tion to persons for reasons not otherwise pro-
vided for in this subsection, and such release 
does not violate other requirements of this Act; 
‘‘(F) when such information is required to 
be submitted to the Secretary for any deter-
mination under a limited access program; or 
‘‘(G) in support of homeland and national 
security activities, including the Coast Guard’s 
homeland security missions as defined in sec-
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tion 888(a)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 (6 U.S.C. 468(a)(2)). 
‘‘(2) Any observer information shall be con-
fidential and shall not be disclosed, except in accord-
ance with the requirements of subparagraphs (A) 
through (G) of paragraph (1), or— 
‘‘(A) as authorized by a fishery manage-
ment plan or regulations under the authority of 
the North Pacific Council to allow disclosure to 
the public of weekly summary bycatch informa-
tion identified by vessel or for haul-specific by-
catch information without vessel identification; 
‘‘(B) when such information is necessary 
in proceedings to adjudicate observer certifi-
cations; or 
‘‘(C) as authorized by any regulations 
issued under paragraph (3) allowing the collec-
tion of observer information, pursuant to a con-
fidentiality agreement between the observers, 
observer employers, and the Secretary prohib-
iting disclosure of the information by the ob-
servers or observer employers, in order— 
‘‘(i) to allow the sharing of observer 
information among observers and between 
observers and observer employers as nec-
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essary to train and prepare observers for 
deployments on specific vessels; or 
‘‘(ii) to validate the accuracy of the 
observer information collected.’’; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘(1)(E).’’ in paragraph (3), as 
redesignated, and inserting ‘‘(2)(A).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 404(c)(4) 
(16 U.S.C. 1881c(c)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘under 
section 401’’. 
SEC. 204. COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT 
PROGRAM. 
Title III (16 U.S.C. 1851 et seq.), as amended by 
section 115, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 317. COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT 
PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, in 
consultation with the Councils, shall establish a coopera-
tive research and management program to address needs 
identified under this Act and under any other marine re-
source laws enforced by the Secretary. The program shall 
be implemented on a regional basis and shall be developed 
and conducted through partnerships among Federal, 
State, and Tribal managers and scientists (including inter-
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state fishery commissions), commercial and recreational 
fishing industry participants, and educational institutions. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE
PROJECTS.—The Secretary shall 
make funds available under the program for the support 
of projects to address critical needs identified by the Coun-
cils in consultation with the Secretary. The program shall 
promote and encourage efforts to utilize sources of data 
maintained by other Federal agencies, State agencies, or 
academia for use in such projects. 
‘‘(c) FUNDING.—In making funds available the Sec-
retary shall award funding on a competitive basis and 
based on regional fishery management needs, select pro-
grams that form part of a coherent program of research 
focused on solving priority issues identified by the Coun-
cils, and shall give priority to the following projects: 
‘‘(1) Projects to collect data to improve, supple-
ment, or enhance stock assessments, including the 
use of fishing vessels or acoustic or other marine 
technology. 
‘‘(2) Projects to assess the amount and type of 
bycatch, or seabird bycatch, or post-release mortality 
occurring in a fishery. 
‘‘(3) Conservation engineering projects designed 
to reduce bycatch, or seabird bycatch, including 
avoidance of post-release mortality, reduction of by-
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catch in high seas fisheries, and transfer of such 
fishing technologies to other nations. 
‘‘(4) Projects for the identification of habitat 
areas of particular concern and for habitat conserva-
tion. 
‘‘(5) Projects designed to collect and compile 
economic and social data. 
‘‘(d) EXPERIMENTAL PERMITTING PROCESS.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage-
ment Amendments Act of 2006, the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Councils, shall promulgate regulations 
that create an expedited, uniform, and regionally-based 
process to promote issuance, where practicable, of experi-
mental fishing permits. 
‘‘(e) GUIDELINES.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the Councils, shall establish guidelines to ensure that 
participation in a research project funded under this sec-
tion does not result in loss of a participant’s catch history 
or unexpended days-at-sea as part of a limited entry sys-
tem. 
‘‘(f) EXEMPTED PROJECTS.—The procedures of this 
section shall not apply to research funded by quota set- 
asides in a fishery.’’. 
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