I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2233
To assist in the conservation of coral reefs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 23, 1997
Mr. SAXTON (for himself and Mr. ABERCROMBIE) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To assist in the conservation of coral reefs.
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 ‘‘Coral Reef Conserva-
tion Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are the following:
(1) To preserve, sustain, and restore the health
of coral reef ecosystems.
(2) To assist in the conservation and protection
of coral reefs by supporting conservation programs.
(3) To provide financial resources for those pro-
grams.
(4) To establish a formal mechanism for collect-
ing and allocating monetary donations from the pri-
vate sector to be used for coral reef conservation
projects.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) CORAL.—The term ‘‘coral’’ means species
of the phylum Cnidaria, including—
(A) all species of the orders Antipatharia
(black corals), Scleractinia (stony corals),
Gorgonacea 
(horny 
corals), 
Stolonifera
(organpipe 
corals 
and 
others), 
and
Coenothecalia 
(blue 
coral), 
of 
the 
class
Anthozoa; and
(B) all species of the order Hydrocorallina
(fire corals and hydrocorals), of the class
Hydrozoa.
(2) CORAL
REEF.—The term ‘‘coral reef’’
means any reef or shoal composed primarily of the
skeletal material of species of the order Scleractinia
(class Anthozoa).
(3) CORAL
REEF
ECOSYSTEM.—The term
‘‘coral reef ecosystem’’ means the complex of species
associated with coral reefs and their environment
that—
(A) functions as an ecological unit in na-
ture; and
(B) is necessary for that function to con-
tinue.
(4) CORALS AND CORAL PRODUCTS.—The term
‘‘corals and coral products’’ means any living or
dead specimens, parts, or derivatives, or any product
containing specimens, parts, or derivatives, of any
species referred to in paragraph (1).
(5) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conservation’’
means the use of methods and procedures necessary
to preserve or sustain corals and species associated
with coral reefs as diverse, viable, and self-perpet-
uating coral reef ecosystems, including all activities
associated with resource management, such as con-
servation, protection, restoration, and management
of habitat; habitat monitoring; assistance in the de-
velopment of management plans for marine pro-
tected areas and fishery resources; law enforcement
through community participation; conflict resolution
initiatives; and community outreach and education.
(6) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Coral
Reef Conservation Fund established under section
5(a).
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Commerce.
SEC. 4. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, subject to the
availability of funds, shall use amounts in the Fund to
provide grants of financial assistance for projects for the
conservation of coral reefs for which final project propos-
als are approved by the Secretary in accordance with this
section.
(b) PROJECT PROPOSAL.—Any relevant natural re-
source management authority of a State or territory of
the United States or other government jurisdiction with
coral reefs whose activities directly or indirectly affect
coral reefs, or any nongovernmental organization or indi-
vidual with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of
coral reefs, may submit to the Secretary a project proposal
under this section. Each proposal shall include the follow-
ing:
(1) The name of the individual responsible for
conducting the project.
(2) A succinct statement of the purposes of the
project.
(3) A description of the qualifications of the in-
dividuals who will conduct the project.
(4) An estimate of the funds and time required
to complete the project.
(5) Evidence of support of the project by appro-
priate representatives of States or territories of the
United States or other government jurisdictions in
which the project will be conducted, if the Secretary
determines that the support is required for the suc-
cess of the project.
(6) Information regarding the source and
amount of matching funding available to the appli-
cant.
(7) Any other information the Secretary consid-
ers to be necessary for evaluating the eligibility of
the project for funding under this Act.
(c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall review
each final project proposal to determine if it meets
the criteria set forth in subsection (d).
(2) 
CONSULTATION; 
APPROVAL
OR
DIS-
APPROVAL.—Not later than 6 months after receiving
a final project proposal, and subject to the availabil-
ity of funds, the Secretary shall—
SEC. 5. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION FUND.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the
general fund of the Treasury a separate account, to be
known as the ‘‘Coral Reef Conservation Fund’’, which
shall consist of amounts deposited into the Fund by the
Secretary of the Treasury under subsection (b).
(b) DEPOSITS INTO THE FUND.—The Secretary of
the Treasury shall deposit into the Fund—
(1) all amounts received by the Secretary in the
form of monetary donations under subsection (d);
and
(2) other amounts appropriated to the Fund.
(c) USE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),
the Secretary may use amounts in the Fund without
further appropriation to provide assistance under
section 4.
(2) ADMINISTRATION.—Of amounts in the
Fund available for each fiscal year, the Secretary
may use not more than 3 percent to administer the
Fund.
(d) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF MONETARY DONA-
TIONS.—The Secretary may accept and use monetary do-
nations to provide assistance under section 4. Amounts re-
ceived by the Secretary in the form of donations shall be
transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury for deposit
into the Fund.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998, 1999, 2000,
2001, and 2002 to carry out this Act, which may remain
available until expended.
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