persons who are required to provide information for 
the inventory. 
(3) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit a re-
port to Committee on Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the 
findings of the review under this subsection. The re-
port shall include the following: 
(A) Recommendations on whether the in-
ventory should be maintained by the Secretary 
or by another person under contract. 
(B) How the Secretary would oversee 
maintenance of the inventory carried out under 
contract. 
(C) How public access and access by Fed-
eral agencies to the inventory can be main-
tained if the inventory is maintained under con-
tract. 
(D) How the Secretary can minimize dupli-
cation on the information the Secretary receives 
from public display facilities and reduce the 
paper work burden on those facilities. 
(E) An estimate of the cost of maintaining 
the inventory.
(F) A description of how the Secretary will 
ensure the secure maintenance of the data in 
the inventory. 
(G) An analysis of the potential that online 
availability of the information in the inventory 
could adversely affect the safety of the animals. 
(c) 
LIMITATION
ON
NOTIFICATION
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Section 104(c) (16 U.S.C. 1374(c)) is amended 
in paragraph (2)(E) in the first sentence, and in para-
graph (8)(B)(i)(II), by inserting before the period at the 
end the following: ‘‘, except that if the transport is for 
purposes of public display and the transfer is between fa-
cilities where the ownership and care of the marine mam-
mal will be under the same license or registration issued 
under the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) 
then only a notice of transport is required’’. 
SEC. 8. FINES AND PENALTIES. 
(a) FINES AND PENALTIES, GENERALLY.—Section 
105 (16 U.S.C. 1375) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(1) by striking ‘‘$10,000’’ 
and inserting ‘‘$20,000’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘$20,000’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$30,000’’.
(b) VESSEL PENALTY.—Section 106(b) (16 U.S.C. 
1376(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘$25,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$35,000’’. 
SEC. 9. MARINE MAMMAL GRANTS. 
Section 110(a) (16 U.S.C. 1380(a)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE; ANNUAL RE-
PORT.—
‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
ASSISTANCE.—The 
Secretary may make grants, or provide financial as-
sistance in such other form as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate, to any Federal or State agency, 
public or private institution, or other person for the 
purpose of assisting such agency, institution, or per-
son to undertake research in subjects that are rel-
evant to the protection and conservation of marine 
mammals. 
‘‘(2) REPORTS.—
‘‘(A) REPORTS BY SECRETARY.—The Sec-
retary shall include a description of the results 
of research carried out with assistance under 
this section in the annual report required under 
section 103(f). 
‘‘(B) REPORTS BY FEDERAL AGENCIES.—
The head of each Federal agency that conducts
and provides funds for research on marine 
mammals shall report annually to the Com-
mittee on Resources of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate on 
funding provided and research conducted re-
garding marine mammals during the preceding 
year. 
‘‘(3) CONTRIBUTIONS.—For purposes of car-
rying out this section, the Secretary may accept, so-
licit, receive, hold, administer, and use gifts, devises, 
and bequests.’’. 
SEC. 10. FISHERIES GEAR DEVELOPMENT. 
Section 111 (16 U.S.C. 1381) is amended as follows: 
(1) Subsection (a) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) FISHING GEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Com-
merce (in this section referred to as the ‘Secretary’) 
shall—
‘‘(A) carry out a program for the purpose 
of devising improved fishing gear and methods 
so as to reduce to the maximum extent prac-
ticable the incidental taking of marine mam-
mals in connection with fishing operations; and
‘‘(B) make every practicable effort to de-
velop, evaluate, and make available to owners 
and operators of fishing vessels such gear and 
fishing method improvements as quickly as pos-
sible. 
‘‘(2) 
COORDINATION
WITH
OTHER
COUN-
TRIES.—The Secretary may coordinate with other 
countries to foster gear technology transfer initia-
tives to reduce to the maximum extent practicable 
the incidental mortality and serious injury of marine 
mammals throughout the full extent of their range.’’. 
(2) By adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) GEAR IMPROVEMENT MINI-GRANT PROGRAM.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability 
of appropriations, the Secretary may establish a 
grant program to provide financial assistance for de-
veloping, manufacturing, testing, or designing new 
types of fishing gear designed to reduce to the max-
imum extent practicable the incidental taking (in-
cluding incidental mortality and serious injury) of 
marine mammals. 
‘‘(2) GRANT
AMOUNT
AND
PURPOSES.—The 
amount of a grant under this subsection may not ex-
ceed $20,000.