238 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the total amount of Federal funding re-
ceived under the Program by an eligible entity may 
not exceed 85 percent of the total cost of the project 
for which a grant is awarded. For the purposes of this 
subparagraph, the non-Federal share of project costs 
may be provided by in-kind contributions and other 
noncash support. 
(2) WAIVER.—The Administrator may waive all 
or part of the requirement in paragraph (1) if the 
Administrator determines that no reasonable means 
are available through which an eligible entity apply-
ing for a grant under this section can meet such re-
quirement and the probable benefit of such project 
outweighs the public interest in such requirement. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘academic community’’ means fac-
ulty, researchers, professors, and representatives of 
State-accredited colleges and universities; 
(2) the term ‘‘fishing industry’’ means proc-
essors, commercial fishermen, and recreational fisher-
men; 
(3) the term ‘‘kelp forest ecosystem’’ means a 
naturally occurring, biotic system dominated by can-
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opy forming benthic macroalgae and associated taxa; 
and 
(4) the term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means an 
organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax 
under section 501(a) of such Code. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 
$50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 through 2026 
to carry out this section. 
(g) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that the purposes of this section and the grants authorized 
by this section are to support wild kelp forest ecosystems 
and restoration of wild kelp to enable long term recovery 
of naturally functioning kelp forest ecosystems that do not 
involve commercial or mechanized harvesting. 
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TITLE 
X—OCEAN 
HEALTH: 
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND 
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS 
Subtitle A—Coastal Communities 
Ocean Acidification Act 
SEC. 1001. COASTAL COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY ASSESS-
MENT. 
Section 12406 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Re-
search and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3705) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘(referred to 
in this section as the ‘Program’)’’ after ‘‘acidification 
program’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection 
(c); and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) SUPPORT FOR STATE AND LOCAL VULNERABILITY 
ASSESSMENTS AND STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLANNING.—In 
carrying out the Program established under subsection (a), 
the Administrator shall collaborate with State, local, Indig-
enous, and Tribal government entities that are conducting 
or have completed vulnerability assessments, strategic re-
search planning, or other similar activities related to ocean 
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acidification and its impacts on coastal communities, for 
the purpose of— 
‘‘(1) determining whether such activities can be 
used as a model for other communities; and 
‘‘(2) identifying opportunities for the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other 
relevant Federal agencies to support such activities.’’. 
Subtitle B—Ocean Acidification Act 
SEC. 1011. PRIZE COMPETITIONS. 
Section 12404 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Re-
search And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3703) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) PRIZE COMPETITIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any Federal agency with a 
representative serving on the interagency working 
group established under this section may, either indi-
vidually or in cooperation with 1 or more agencies, 
carry out a program to award prizes competitively 
under section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719). An agency 
seeking to carry out such a program shall carry out 
such program in coordination with the chair of such 
interagency working group. 
‘‘(2) PURPOSES.—Any prize competition carried 
out under this subsection shall be for the purpose of 
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stimulating innovation to advance our Nation’s abil-
ity to understand, research, or monitor ocean acidifi-
cation or its impacts, or to develop management or 
adaptation options for responding to ocean acidifica-
tion. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY
PROGRAMS.—Priority shall be 
given to establishing programs under this section that 
address communities, environments, or industries that 
are in distress due to the impacts of ocean acidifica-
tion, including— 
‘‘(A) the development of monitoring or man-
agement options for communities or industries 
that are experiencing significant financial hard-
ship; 
‘‘(B) the development of adaptation options 
to alleviate economic harm and job loss caused 
by ocean acidification; 
‘‘(C) the development of measures to help 
vulnerable communities or industries, with an 
emphasis on rural communities and businesses; 
and 
‘‘(D) the development of adaptation and 
management options for impacted shellfish in-
dustries.’’. 
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Subtitle C—Harmful Algal Bloom 
Essential Forecasting 
SEC. 1021. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN HARMFUL ALGAL 
BLOOM RESEARCH, PREVENTION, RESPONSE, 
AND MITIGATION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall designate organizations or consortia of organizations 
as National Centers of Excellence in Harmful Algal Bloom 
Research, Prevention, Response, and Mitigation. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Centers is— 
(1) to further understanding of harmful algal 
blooms; 
(2) to further understanding of the impacts of 
harmful algal blooms on public health, including the 
health of at-risk populations; 
(3) to further the ability to research, forecast, 
and monitor harmful algal blooms; 
(4) to formalize and enhance existing partner-
ships and collaborations among institutions of higher 
education, research entities, local, State, Territorial, 
and Tribal agencies, Indigenous communities, re-
gional observing associations, and the Federal Gov-
ernment; 
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(5) to further the prevention, control, and miti-
gation of harmful algal blooms; 
(6) to transition harmful algal bloom research 
and forecasting from research to operational use; and 
(7) to address existing and emerging harmful 
algal bloom issues as the Administrator considers ap-
propriate. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY FOR DESIGNATIONS.—To be eligible 
for designation under this section, an organization must— 
(1) be an institution of higher education, as that 
term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), a Federal, 
State, Territorial, or Tribal agency, a nonprofit lab-
oratory or other research entity, a regional informa-
tion coordination entity as defined in the Integrated 
Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 
(Public Law 111–11), the National Centers for Coast-
al Ocean Sciences, or a consortium of such eligible in-
stitutions; 
(2) have demonstrated expertise and success in 
harmful algal bloom research, monitoring, forecasting, 
prevention, or response efforts; 
(3) have demonstrated ability to collaborate with 
local, State, Territorial, and Tribal governments and 
Federal agencies on harmful algal blooms; and 
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(4) be located in area region that is economically 
and environmentally impacted by harmful algal 
blooms. 
(d) REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGNATIONS.—In desig-
nating National Centers of Excellence under this section, 
the Administrator shall— 
(1) consult with the Inter-Agency Task Force on 
Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia; 
(2) ensure regional balance by designating Na-
tional Centers in a variety of locations throughout the 
United States, including the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, 
Guam, the Commonwealth of the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Vir-
gin Islands, and other Territories and possessions of 
the United States; and 
(3) support novel innovative approaches of other 
harmful algal bloom research and operational moni-
toring. 
(e) EFFECTIVE PERIOD, REVIEW, AND RENEWAL.— 
Each designation of an organization as a National Center 
of Excellence under this section— 
(1) shall be effective for 5 years; 
(2) shall be reviewed by the Administrator in the 
fourth year of such effective period; and 
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(3) following such review, may be renewed for an 
additional 5-year period. 
(f) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Administrator shall re-
quire and publish an annual activity report from each Na-
tional Center of Excellence. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, including for providing funding to Na-
tional Centers of Excellence designated under this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated to the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration $12,500,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, of which not more than 
5 percent may be available each fiscal year for administra-
tive expenses. 
TITLE XI—OCEAN DATA AND 
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS 
Subtitle A—Regional Ocean 
Partnerships 
SEC. 1101. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this subtitle are as follows: 
(1) To complement and expand cooperative vol-
untary efforts intended to manage, conserve, and re-
store ocean and coastal areas spanning across mul-
tiple State boundaries. 
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(2) To expand Federal support for monitoring, 
data management, and restoration activities in ocean 
and coastal areas. 
(3) To commit the United States to a com-
prehensive cooperative program to achieve improved 
water quality in, and improvements in the produc-
tivity of living resources of, all coastal ecosystems. 
(4) To authorize regional ocean partnerships as 
intergovernmental coordinators for shared interstate, 
Tribal, Indigenous, and regional priorities relating to 
the collaborative management of the large marine eco-
systems, thereby reducing duplication of efforts and 
maximizing opportunities to leverage support in the 
ocean and coastal regions. 
(5) To empower States and Tribes to take a lead 
role in managing oceans and coasts. 
(6) To incorporate Tribal interests in the man-
agement of our oceans and coasts and provide fund-
ing to support Tribal and Indigenous ocean and 
coastal resiliency activities in coordination with re-
gional ocean partnerships. 
(7) To enable regional ocean partnerships, or 
designated fiscal management entities of such part-
nerships, to receive Federal funding to conduct the 
scientific research, conservation and restoration ac-
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tivities, and priority coordination on shared regional 
priorities necessary to achieve the purposes described 
in paragraphs (1) through (4). 
SEC. 1102. REGIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIPS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions apply: 
(1) COASTAL STATE.—The term ‘‘coastal State’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 304 of the 
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 
1453). 
(2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(b) REGIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIPS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A coastal State or Tribe may 
participate in a regional ocean partnership with one 
or more other coastal States or Tribes that share a 
common ocean or coastal area with the coastal State 
or Tribe, without regard to whether the coastal States 
or Tribes are contiguous. 
(2) APPLICATION.—The Governors of a group of 
two or more coastal States and Tribal leadership, as 
applicable, may apply to the Administrator on behalf 
of a partnership of such States, for the partnership to 
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