I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4235 
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration to award grants to certain entities for purposes of carrying 
out climate-resilient living shoreline projects that protect coastal commu-
nities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 29, 2021 
Mr. PALLONE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to award grants to certain 
entities for purposes of carrying out climate-resilient liv-
ing shoreline projects that protect coastal communities, 
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 ‘‘Living Shorelines Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(3) LIVING
SHORELINE
PROJECT.—The term 
‘‘living shoreline project’’ means a coastal natural 
infrastructure project that— 
(A) restores or stabilizes a shoreline using 
predominately natural materials to create buff-
ers to attenuate the impact of coastal storms, 
currents, flooding, and wave energy and to pre-
vent or minimize shoreline erosion while pro-
viding a net ecological and climate benefit to 
ecosystems and habitats; 
(B) to the extent possible, maintains or re-
stores existing natural slopes and connections 
between uplands and adjacent wetlands or sur-
face waters; and 
(C) as necessary, can retrofit hardened 
structures or surfaces to create blended projects 
that combine living shoreline elements with 
hardened techniques. 
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(4) NATURE-BASED
INFRASTRUCTURE.—The 
term ‘‘nature-based infrastructure’’ means a feature 
that is created by human design, engineering, and 
construction to provide risk reduction in coastal 
areas by acting in conjunction with natural proc-
esses. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States, the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States 
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
SEC. 3. LIVING SHORELINE GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
Administrator 
shall 
award grants to eligible entities for purposes of— 
(1) designing and implementing large- and 
small-scale, climate-resilient living shoreline projects; 
and 
(2) applying innovative uses of natural mate-
rials and systems to protect coastal communities, 
habitats, and natural system functions. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, an eligible entity is any of the following: 
(1) A unit of a State or local government. 
(2) An organization described in section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that 
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is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of 
such Code. 
(3) An Indian Tribe. 
(c) PROJECT PROPOSALS.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit 
to the Administrator a proposal for a living shoreline 
project that includes— 
(1) monitoring, data collection, and measurable 
performance criteria with respect to the project; and 
(2) an engagement or education component that 
seeks and solicits feedback from the local or regional 
community most directly affected by the proposal. 
(d) PROJECT SELECTION.— 
(1) CRITERIA.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall select eligible entities to receive grants 
under this section based on criteria developed 
by the Administrator. 
(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing cri-
teria under subparagraph (A) to evaluate a pro-
posed living shoreline project, the Administrator 
shall take into account— 
(i) the potential of the project to pro-
tect the community and maintain the via-
bility of the environment, such as through 
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protection of ecosystem functions, environ-
mental benefits, or habitat types, in the 
area where the project is to be carried out; 
(ii) the historic and future environ-
mental conditions of the project site, par-
ticularly those environmental conditions af-
fected by climate change; 
(iii) the net ecological benefits of the 
project, including the potential of the 
project to contribute to carbon sequestra-
tion and storage; 
(iv) the ability of the entity proposing 
the project to demonstrate the potential of 
the project to protect the coastal commu-
nity where the project is to be carried out, 
including through— 
(I) mitigating the effects of ero-
sion; 
(II) attenuating the impact of 
coastal storms and storm surge; 
(III) mitigating shoreline flood-
ing; 
(IV) mitigating the effects of sea 
level rise, accelerated land loss, and 
extreme tides; 
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(V) sustaining, protecting, or re-
storing the functions and habitats of 
coastal ecosystems; 
(VI) protecting important cul-
tural sites or values; 
(VII) protecting low income com-
munities, communities of color, Tribal 
communities, Indigenous communities, 
and rural communities; 
(VIII) sustaining, protecting, or 
restoring the functions and habitats of 
marine protected areas; or 
(IX) such other forms of protec-
tion as the Administrator considers 
appropriate; and 
(v) the potential of the project to sup-
port climate resiliency at a military instal-
lation or community infrastructure sup-
portive of a military installation (as such 
terms are defined in section 2391 of title 
10, United States Code). 
(2) LIVING SHORELINE ENGINEERING STAND-
ARD.— 
(A) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
Adminis-
trator, in consultation with the Army Corps of 
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Engineers, shall establish an engineering stand-
ard applicable to living shoreline projects for 
each region of the United States. 
(B) USE.—The Administrator shall use the 
standard established under subparagraph (A) in 
selecting eligible entities to receive grants under 
this section. 
(C) CONSULTATION; 
INPUT.—In estab-
lishing the standard under subparagraph (A), 
the Administrator may— 
(i) consult with— 
(I) State coastal management 
agencies; 
(II) Indian Tribes and Tribal or-
ganizations; and 
(III) relevant interagency coun-
cils, such as the Estuary Habitat Res-
toration Council; and 
(ii) seek input from relevant non-
governmental organizations. 
(e) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded under this 
section to an eligible entity to carry out a living shoreline 
project may be used by the eligible entity only— 
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(1) to carry out the project, including adminis-
tration, design, permitting, entry into negotiated in-
direct cost rate agreements, and construction; 
(2) to monitor, collect, and report data on the 
performance (including performance over time) of 
the project, in accordance with standard established 
by the Administration under subsection (d)(2)(A); or 
(3) to incentivize landowners to engage in living 
shoreline projects. 
(f) MONITORING AND REPORTING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall re-
quire each eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this section to carry out a living shoreline project (or 
a representative of the entity)— 
(A) to monitor the project and to collect 
data on— 
(i) the ecological, climate, and eco-
nomic benefits of the project; and 
(ii) the protection provided by the 
project for the coastal community where 
the project is carried out; 
(B) to transmit to the Administrator data 
collected under the project; 
(C) to make data collected under the 
project available on a publicly accessible inter-
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net website of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration; and 
(D) upon the completion of the project, to 
submit to the Administrator a report on— 
(i) the monitoring and data collection 
activities carried out under subparagraph 
(A); and 
(ii) the effectiveness of the project in 
increasing protection of the coastal com-
munity where the project is carried out 
through living shorelines techniques, in-
cluding— 
(I) a description of— 
(aa) the project; 
(bb) the activities carried 
out under the project; and 
(cc) the techniques and ma-
terials used in carrying out the 
project; and 
(II) data on the performance of 
the project in providing protection to 
that coastal community. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 
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$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 
for purposes of carrying out this section. 
SEC. 4. LIVING SHORELINE AND NATURE-BASED INFRA-
STRUCTURE RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
Administrator 
shall 
award, on a competitive basis, research grants to eligible 
entities to carry out projects focused on developing and 
assessing the effectiveness of innovative approaches to na-
ture-based infrastructure for the purposes of— 
(1) preparing more climate-resilient, sustainable 
cities and climate-resilient communities; 
(2) reducing the costs associated with climate- 
related disasters, the degradation of built infrastruc-
ture, and human relocation; and 
(3) accomplishing improved climate resilience 
while maintaining ecosystem functions and habitats 
to the greatest extent possible. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, an eligible entity is any of the following: 
(1) An institution of higher education. 
(2) A nonprofit organization. 
(3) A State, local, or Tribal government. 
(4) A for-profit organization. 
(5) A United States territory. 
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(6) A Federal agency that is authorized by stat-
ute to receive transfers of funds. 
(c) RESEARCH
PRIORITIES.—The Administrator 
shall award grants to eligible entities for projects that 
focus on one or more of the following: 
(1) Assessing the effectiveness of installed na-
ture-based infrastructure in addressing, as applica-
ble, coastal resilience, shoreline erosion, storm dam-
age, including windstorms, inland flooding, water 
quality, impact on local ecosystems, and such other 
criteria as the Administrator determines appro-
priate. 
(2) Novel approaches to nature-based infra-
structure and living shorelines aimed at optimizing 
resilience to climate change, extreme weather, and 
ecosystem sustainability. 
(3) Interdisciplinary research, including engi-
neering, environmental and ecosystem sciences, biol-
ogy, and social science. 
(4) Regional, community, and industry partner-
ships to create locally informed solutions. 
(d) REPORTS FOR INFORMING GRANT SELECTION.— 
(1) REPORT REQUIRED.—An eligible entity that 
receives a grant for a project under this section 
shall, not later than the date on which such project 
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concludes, submit to the Administrator a report 
summarizing the findings of the project. 
(2) USE
OF
REPORTS.—The Administrator 
shall use each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
to inform the selection and prioritization of living 
shoreline projects under section 2 and other nature- 
based infrastructure projects. 
(e) USE OF PROGRAMS.—In carrying out this section, 
the Administrator is encouraged to use— 
(1) the National Oceanographic Partnership 
Program established under section 8931 of title 10, 
United States Code, as a means for collaboration 
and coordination to leverage partnerships between 
public institutions of higher education and Federal 
agencies; 
(2) the Coastlines and People initiative of the 
National Science Foundation as a tool to use ongo-
ing interdisciplinary research; 
(3) the national sea grant college program 
maintained under the National Sea Grant College 
Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.) as a resource 
to help foster collaboration between public institu-
tions of higher education and Federal agencies; and 
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(4) the Community Resilience Center of Excel-
lence of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 
for purposes of carrying out this section. 
Æ 
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