contained in section 224.105 of title 50, Code of Federal 
Regulations, in effect during the fiscal year ending on Sep-
tember 30, 2022, may not be amended, updated, modified, 
or replaced. 
SEC. 2. NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE AND OTHER 
LARGE 
CETACEAN 
SPECIES 
GRANT 
PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
establish a competitive grant program to award amounts, 
on an annual basis, to eligible entities for the eligible uses 
described in subsection (e). 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall enter 
into a cooperative agreement with the Foundation pursu-
ant to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Estab-
lishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) for the Foundation 
to manage and administer the Program. 
(c) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 
the Program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Foun-
dation an application in such form, at such time, and con-
taining such information as the Foundation determines 
appropriate. 
(d) FUNDING.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—After the Secretary enters 
into a cooperative agreement with the Foundation 
under subsection (b)— 
(A) for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
provide to the Foundation the amounts made 
available under this section to carry out the 
Program in an advance payment of the entire 
amount on October 1, or as soon as practicable 
thereafter, of each such fiscal year; and 
(B) the Foundation shall invest and rein-
vest excess such amounts for the benefit of the 
Program. 
(2) APPLICATION
OF
NATIONAL
FISH
AND 
WILDLIFE
FOUNDATION
ESTABLISHMENT
ACT.— 
Amounts received by the Foundation under this sec-
tion to carry out the Program shall be subject to the 
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establish-
ment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), except for sec-
tion 10(a) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 3709(a)). 
(e) ELIGIBLE USES.—An eligible entity that is 
awarded a grant under the Program may use such grant 
to develop, assess, and carry out activities that reduce le-
thal and sub-lethal interactions between ocean users and 
North Atlantic right whales and other large cetacean spe-
cies, including— 
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(1) funding research to identify, deploy, or test 
innovative avoidance technologies that reduce or 
eliminate harmful interactions between ocean users 
and North Atlantic right whales and other large ce-
tacean species; 
(2) efforts to enhance awareness of existing 
North Atlantic right whale management measures 
and rules; 
(3) developing on-the-water approaches to sup-
port the coexistence of ocean users and North Atlan-
tic right whales and other large cetacean species; 
(4) funding the expansion of infrastructure and 
capacity to disseminate management and other rel-
evant information that reduces harmful interactions 
between ocean users and North Atlantic right whales 
and other large cetacean species, especially such 
interactions that can lead to lethal or sub-lethal in-
jury; and 
(5) other uses the Foundation, in consultation 
with the Secretary and relevant eligible entities, de-
termines appropriate. 
(f) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under the Pro-
gram, the Foundation shall give priority to applications— 
(1) with a substantial likelihood of reducing le-
thal and sub-lethal interactions between ocean users 
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and North Atlantic right whales and other large ce-
tacean species; 
(2) that include cooperation among ocean users; 
and 
(3) that demonstrate, or have the potential to 
provide, economic benefits to small businesses reliant 
upon fishing, tourism, and maritime-related activi-
ties based in the United States. 
(g) PROHIBITED USES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), an eligible entity that is awarded a grant 
under the Program may not use such grant to dis-
tribute resources to an entity or individual that is 
not a United States person. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—An eligible entity that is 
awarded a grant under the Program may use such 
grant to distribute resources to a partnership that 
includes an entity or individual that is not a United 
States person if the resources are distributed di-
rectly to a partner in the partnership that is a 
United States person. 
(h) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of the enactment of this section, and every 2 years there-
after, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Nat-
ural Resources and the Committee on Transportation and 
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Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate a report regarding the results and effectiveness 
of projects carried out with a grant awarded under the 
Program and work carried out pursuant to section 201 
of division JJ of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2023 (16 U.S.C. 1393) and section 11303 of the James 
M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2023 (16 U.S.C. 1391). 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this sec-
tion $10,000,000, to remain available until ex-
pended. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—Each fiscal 
year, of the amounts made available to carry out 
this section under paragraph (1), the Foundation 
may use not more than 5 percent or $80,000, which-
ever is greater, of such amounts for the administra-
tive expenses of the Program. 
(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a State, regional, local, or Tribal gov-
ernment; 
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