SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alan S. Lowenthal 
Blue Whales, Blue Skies Act’’. 
SEC. 2. BLUE WHALES AND BLUE SKIES PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 
of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation 
with the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Admin-
istrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall es-
tablish the Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program, to— 
(1) reduce air pollution, greenhouse gasses, 
harmful underwater acoustic impacts, and the risk 
of fatal whale strikes by encouraging voluntary re-
duction in the speed of eligible vessels transiting the 
Program area; and 
(2) annually award Blue Whales and Blue Skies 
Excellence Awards for verified successful participa-
tion in, and compliance with, the Program by eligible 
vessels. 
(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—The Under Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) model the Program after the Protecting 
Blue Whales and Blue Skies Vessel Speed Reduction 
Program, which is administered by the Air Pollution 
Control Districts of Santa Barbara, Ventura, San 
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Luis Obispo, Monterey Bay Counties and the Bay 
Area Air Quality Management District, the Channel 
Islands, Monterey Bay, Cordell Bank, and Greater 
Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries, and the 
California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the Envi-
ronmental Defense Center (a nonprofit corporation 
established under the laws of the State of California 
as in effect on the date of the enactment of this 
Act), and the National Marine Sanctuary Founda-
tion; and 
(2) develop the Program in consultation with 
the entities referred to in paragraph (1). 
(c) ANNUAL AWARDS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Under the Program, the 
Under Secretary shall annually award Blue Whales 
and Blue Skies Excellence Awards to owners of eligi-
ble vessels that have met the requirements during 
the preceding year. 
(2) AWARD CONDITIONS.—As a condition of an 
award under this subsection, each eligible vessel of 
the awardee shall, at a minimum transit the Pro-
gram area at a speed of 10 knots or lower, or, in 
certain circumstances described by the Under Sec-
retary in guidance established under the Program, 
below a different maximum speed. 
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(d) OFFICIAL LOGO.—The Under Secretary shall cre-
ate an official logo to be recognized as the symbol of excel-
lence in compliance with the Program. 
(e) USE
OF
OFFICIAL
LOGO.—Subject to any 
licencing requirements, the logo described in subsection 
(d) may be used by shipping companies with eligible ves-
sels for which a Blue Whales and Blue Skies Excellence 
Award is awarded under this section, as long as the logo 
is displayed alongside— 
(1) the name of the shipping company; 
(2) the year for which such award was made; 
and 
(3) the percentage of distance traveled by a 
participating vessel at a reduced speed through the 
Program area by eligible vessels of the shipping 
company in such year that the shipping company 
was in compliance with the Program, calculated as 
the percentage of distance traveled by a vessel at 10 
knots or lower through the Program area by all ves-
sels of the shipping company in such year, excluding 
transits directed by the Coast Guard to proceed in 
excess of the speed requirements of the Program. 
(f) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—No later than 4 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under 
Secretary shall— 
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(1) consider the feasibility of extending the pro-
gram to encompass all shipping channels along the 
United States Pacific coast between Canada and 
Mexico; and 
(2) report the findings and recommendations 
under paragraph (1) to the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure and the Committee on 
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, 
and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate. 
(g) LIMITATIONS.—Nothing in this section shall be 
construed— 
(1) to require participation in the Program; 
(2) to authorize appropriations for, or the pro-
vision of, any financial incentive for participation in 
the Program; or 
(3) to authorize any action that affects naviga-
tion safety. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE VESSEL.—The term ‘‘eligible ves-
sel’’ means a vessel that is 300 gross tons or greater 
and has been approved by the Under Secretary to 
participate in the program. 
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(2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program estab-
lished under this section. 
(3) PROGRAM
AREA.—The term ‘‘Program 
area’’— 
(A) means the marine area surrounding 
the western coast of the United States, as is 
designated by the Under Secretary for purposes 
of this section; and 
(B) includes, at a minimum, the geo-
graphic area identified in the existing Vessel 
Reduction Program described in subsection 
(b)(1). 
Æ 
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