agencies, as determined by the Administrator, shall, 
to the maximum extent practicable, cooperate and 
coordinate activities, including monitoring activities, 
related to the implementation of a comprehensive 
conservation and management plan approved by the 
Administrator. The Environmental Protection Agen-
cy shall serve as the lead coordinating agency under 
this paragraph. 
‘‘(3) CONSIDERATION
OF
PLANS
IN
AGENCY 
BUDGET REQUESTS.—In making an annual budget 
request for a Federal agency referred to in para-
graph (2), the head of such agency shall consider 
the responsibilities of the agency under this section, 
including under comprehensive conservation and 
management plans approved by the Administrator. 
‘‘(4) MONITORING.—The heads of the Federal 
agencies referred to in paragraph (2) shall collabo-
rate on the development of tools and methodologies 
for monitoring the ecological health and water qual-
ity conditions of estuaries covered by a management 
conference convened under this section.’’. 
(e) GRANTS.— 
(1) RECIPIENTS.—Section 320(h)(1) of such 
Act (as redesignated by subsection (d) of this sec-
tion) is amended by striking ‘‘other public’’ and all
that follows before the period at the end and insert-
ing ‘‘and other public or nonprofit private agencies, 
institutions, and organizations’’. 
(2) EFFECTS OF PROBATIONARY STATUS.—Sec-
tion 320(h) of such Act (as redesignated by sub-
section (d) of this section) is further amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) EFFECTS OF PROBATIONARY STATUS.— 
‘‘(A) REDUCTIONS IN GRANT AMOUNTS.— 
The Administrator shall reduce, by an amount 
to be determined by the Administrator, grants 
for the implementation of a comprehensive con-
servation and management plan developed by a 
management conference convened under this 
section if the Administrator determines that the 
management conference is in probationary sta-
tus under subsection (f)(5). 
‘‘(B) TERMINATION OF MANAGEMENT CON-
FERENCES.—The Administrator shall terminate 
a management conference convened under this 
section, and cease funding for the implementa-
tion of the comprehensive conservation and 
management plan developed by the manage-
ment conference, if the Administrator deter-
mines that the management conference has
been in probationary status for 2 consecutive 
years.’’. 
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 320(i) 
of such Act (as redesignated by subsection (d) of 
this section) is amended by striking ‘‘subsection (g)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection (h)’’. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
320(j) of such Act (as redesignated by subsection (d) of 
this section) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator $50,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2011 through 2016 for— 
‘‘(A) expenses related to the administration 
of management conferences under this section, 
except that such expenses shall not exceed 10 
percent of the amount appropriated under this 
subsection; 
‘‘(B) making grants under subsection (h); 
and 
‘‘(C) monitoring the implementation of a 
conservation and management plan by the man-
agement conference, or by the Administrator in 
any case in which the conference has been ter-
minated.
‘‘(2) ALLOCATIONS.—Of the sums authorized to 
be appropriated under this subsection, the Adminis-
trator shall provide— 
‘‘(A) at least $1,250,000 per fiscal year, 
subject to the availability of appropriations, for 
the development, implementation, and moni-
toring of each conservation and management 
plan eligible for grant assistance under sub-
section (h); and 
‘‘(B) up to $5,000,000 per fiscal year to 
carry out subsection (k).’’. 
(g) RESEARCH.—Section 320(k)(1)(A) of such Act 
(as redesignated by subsection (d) of this section) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘paramenters’’ and inserting 
‘‘parameters’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(including monitoring of both 
pathways and ecosystems to track the introduction 
and establishment of nonnative species)’’ before ‘‘, to 
provide the Administrator’’. 
(h) NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM EVALUATION.— 
Section 320 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) is amended by 
inserting after subsection (k) (as redesignated by sub-
section (d) of this section) the following: 
‘‘(l) NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM EVALUATION.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, and 
every 4 years thereafter, the Administrator shall 
complete an evaluation of the national estuary pro-
gram established under this section. 
‘‘(2) SPECIFIC
ASSESSMENTS.—In conducting 
an evaluation under this subsection, the Adminis-
trator shall— 
‘‘(A) assess the effectiveness of the na-
tional estuary program in improving water 
quality, natural resources, and sustainable uses 
of the estuaries covered by management con-
ferences convened under this section; 
‘‘(B) identify best practices for improving 
water quality, natural resources, and sustain-
able uses of the estuaries covered by manage-
ment conferences convened under this section, 
including those practices funded through the 
use of technical assistance from the Environ-
mental Protection Agency and other Federal 
agencies, and assess the reasons why such prac-
tices result in the achievement of program 
goals; and 
‘‘(C) identify any redundant requirements 
for reporting by recipients of a grant under this