I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8977 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to establish a 
grant program to fund youth fishing projects, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 
Ms. SALAZAR (for herself, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mrs. DIN-
GELL, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mrs. 
RADEWAGEN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. 
CARTER of Georgia, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N, Mr. SUOZZI, Ms. PORTER, 
Mr. GIMENEZ, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Ms. BARRAGA´N, and Mr. 
AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, to establish a grant program to fund 
youth fishing projects, 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 ‘‘Youth Coastal Fishing 
Program Act of 2022’’. 
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SEC. 2. YOUTH COASTAL FISHING GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, act-
ing through the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (in this section referred 
to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), shall establish a program to award 
grants and provide technical assistance to eligible entities 
for the purpose of establishing youth fishing projects. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity seeking a 
grant under this section shall submit an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Secretary may require. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary shall, for 
purposes of determining whether an entity is eligible to 
receive a grant under this section, develop criteria to make 
that determination in consultation with relevant offices of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
such as the Office of Coastal Management, the National 
Sea Grant Office, the National Marine Fisheries Service, 
and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. 
(d) USE
OF
FUNDS.—Eligible entities receiving 
grants under this section shall use grant funds for pur-
poses related to conducting a youth fishing project, includ-
ing the— 
(1) purchase or rental of fishing equipment; 
(2) cost of transporting participants to and 
from a youth fishing project; 
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(3) fees associated with boat rental, pier access, 
or other facilities; 
(4) fishing license purchases; 
(5) fishing guide costs; or 
(6) other expenses related to conducting a 
youth fishing project as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(e) PRIORITY.—In making grants under this section, 
the Secretary shall give priority to applications containing 
proposals for youth fishing projects focused on an under-
served community. 
(f) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report on— 
(1) which eligible entities received grants; 
(2) the amount each eligible entity received; 
(3) how eligible entities used funds as described 
in subsection (d); and 
(4) the number of participants in youth fishing 
projects funded by grants under this section. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a nonprofit organization; 
(B) an educational institution; 
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(C) a State, local, Tribal, or Territorial 
government; or 
(D) a Native Hawaiian organization. 
(2) UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘‘underserved community’’ means populations shar-
ing a particular characteristic, and geographic com-
munities, that have been systematically denied a full 
opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, so-
cial, and civic life, such as— 
(A) racial and ethnic minorities; 
(B) persons with access and functional 
needs; or 
(C) persons otherwise adversely affected by 
persistent poverty or inequality. 
(3) YOUTH
FISHING
PROJECT.—The term 
‘‘youth fishing project’’ means a project that pro-
vides youth with— 
(A) a recreational fishing experience con-
ducted from a shore, pier, or boat located in the 
Great Lakes, coastal waters, ocean waters, or a 
tidal river; 
(B) education about marine science, con-
servation, and fishing regulations; and 
(C) information on where and how to con-
tinue fishing. 
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