SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Young Fishermen’s 
Development Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) SEA GRANT INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘Sea 
Grant Institution’’ means a sea grant college or sea 
grant institute, as those terms are defined in section 
203 of the National Sea Grant College Program Act 
(33 U.S.C. 1122). 
(2) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
organization’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘trib-
al organization’’ in section 4 of the Indian Self-De-
termination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 5304). 
(3) YOUNG
FISHERMAN.—The term ‘‘young 
fisherman’’ means an individual who— 
(A) desires to participate in the commer-
cial fisheries of the United States, including the 
Great Lakes fisheries; 
(B) has worked as a captain, crew mem-
ber, or deckhand on a commercial fishing vessel 
for not more than 10 years of cumulative serv-
ice; or 
(C) is a beginning commercial fisherman.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 
The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Na-
tional Sea Grant Office, shall establish a program to pro-
vide training, education, outreach, and technical assist-
ance initiatives for young fishermen, to be known as the 
‘‘Young Fishermen’s Development Grant Program’’ (re-
ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’). 
SEC. 4. GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the Program, the 
Secretary shall make competitive grants to support new 
and established local and regional training, education, out-
reach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fisher-
men, including programs, workshops, and services relating 
to— 
(1) seamanship, navigation, electronics, and 
safety; 
(2) vessel and engine care, maintenance, and 
repair; 
(3) innovative conservation fishing gear engi-
neering and technology; 
(4) sustainable fishing practices; 
(5) entrepreneurship and good business prac-
tices; 
(6) 
direct 
marketing, 
supply 
chain, 
and 
traceability;
(7) financial and risk management, including 
vessel, permit, and quota purchasing; 
(8) State and Federal legal requirements for 
specific fisheries, including reporting, monitoring, li-
censes, and regulations; 
(9) State and Federal fisheries policy and man-
agement; 
(10) mentoring, apprenticeships, or internships; 
and 
(11) any other activities, opportunities, or pro-
grams, as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.— 
(1) APPLICANTS.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under the Program, a recipient shall be a col-
laborative State, Tribal, local, or regionally based 
network or partnership of public or private entities, 
which may include— 
(A) a Sea Grant Institution; 
(B) a Federal or State agency or a Tribal 
organization; 
(C) a community-based nongovernmental 
organization; 
(D) fishermen’s cooperatives or associa-
tions;
(E) an institution of higher education (in-
cluding an institution awarding an associate’s 
degree), or a foundation maintained by an insti-
tution of higher education; or 
(F) any other appropriate entity, as the 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
(2) PARTICIPANTS.—All young fishermen seek-
ing to participate in the commercial fisheries of the 
United States and the Great Lakes are eligible to 
participate in the activities funded through grants 
provided for in this section, except that participants 
in such activities shall be selected by each grant re-
cipient. 
(c) MAXIMUM TERM AND AMOUNT OF GRANT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant under this section 
shall— 
(A) have a term of no more than 3 fiscal 
years; and 
(B) be in an amount that is not more than 
$200,000 for each fiscal year. 
(2) CONSECUTIVE GRANTS.—An eligible recipi-
ent may receive consecutive grants under this sec-
tion. 
(d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section, a recipient shall provide
a match in the form of cash or in-kind contributions from 
the recipient in the amount equal to or greater than 25 
percent of the funds provided by the grant. 
(e) REGIONAL BALANCE.—In making grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent 
practicable, ensure geographic diversity. 
(f) COOPERATION AND EVALUATION CRITERIA.—In 
carrying out this section and in developing criteria for 
evaluating grant applications, the Secretary shall consult, 
to the maximum extent practicable, with— 
(1) Sea Grant Institutions and extension agents 
of such institutions; 
(2) community-based nongovernmental fishing 
organizations; 
(3) Federal and State agencies, including Re-
gional Fishery Management Councils established 
under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1851 et seq.); 
(4) institutions of higher education with fish-
eries expertise and programs; and 
(5) partners, as the Secretary determines. 
(g) PROHIBITION.—A grant under this section may 
not be used to purchase any fishing license, permit, quota, 
or other harvesting right.
SEC. 5. FUNDING. 
(a) AUTHORIZATIONS.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $2,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 
(b) DERIVATION.—Funds to carry out the activities 
under this Act shall be derived from amounts authorized 
to be appropriated pursuant to the preceding subsection 
that are enacted after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives December 10, 
2020. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1240 
AN ACT 
To preserve United States fishing heritage through 
a national program dedicated to training and as-
sisting the next generation of commercial fisher-
men.