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‘‘(A) stressors related to vessel traffic; and 
‘‘(B) vessel strike mortality, and serious 
injury; or 
‘‘(2) monitoring— 
‘‘(A) sound; and 
‘‘(B) vessel interactions with marine mam-
mals. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—The Administrator shall prioritize 
assistance under this section for projects that— 
‘‘(1) is based on the best available science on 
methods to reduce threats related to vessels traffic; 
‘‘(2) collect data on the reduction of such 
threats; 
‘‘(3) reduce— 
‘‘(A) disturbances from vessel presence; 
‘‘(B) mortality risk; or 
‘‘(C) serious injury from vessel strikes; or 
‘‘(4) conduct risk assessments, or tracks 
progress toward threat reduction. 
‘‘(d) BRIEFING.—The Administrator shall provide to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, an an-
nual briefing that includes the following:
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‘‘(1) The name and location of each entity re-
ceiving a grant under this section. 
‘‘(2) The amount of each such grant. 
‘‘(3) A description of the activities carried out 
with assistance provided under this section. 
‘‘(4) An estimate of the impact that a project 
carried out with such assistance has on the reduc-
tion of threats to marine mammals. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to 
carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2022 through 2026, to remain available until expended.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
chapter 541 of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘54102. Assistance to reduce impacts of vessel strikes and noise on marine 
mammals.’’. 
(c) NEAR REAL-TIME MONITORING AND MITIGATION 
PROGRAM FOR LARGE WHALES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Part of A of subtitle V of 
title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘CHAPTER 507—MONITORING AND 
MITIGATION 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘50701. Near real-time monitoring and mitigation program for large whales. 
‘‘50702. Pilot project.
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‘‘§ 50701. Near real-time monitoring and mitigation 
program for large whales 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of the 
Maritime Administration, in consultation with the Com-
mandant of the Coast Guard, shall design and deploy a 
near real-time large whale monitoring and mitigation pro-
gram (in this section referred to as the Program) informed 
by the technologies, monitoring methods, and mitigation 
protocols developed pursuant to the pilot program required 
under section 50702. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Program will be 
to reduce the risk to large whales of vessel collisions and 
to minimize other impacts. 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS.—In designing and deploying 
the Program, the Administrator shall— 
‘‘(1) prioritize species of large whales for which 
vessel collision impacts are of particular concern; 
‘‘(2) prioritize areas where such vessel impacts 
are of particular concern; 
‘‘(3) develop technologies capable of detecting 
and alerting individuals and enforcement agencies of 
the probable location of large whales on a near real- 
time basis, to include real time data whenever pos-
sible; 
‘‘(4) inform sector-specific mitigation protocols 
to effectively reduce takes of large whales; and
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‘‘(5) integrate technology improvements as such 
improvements become available. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORITY.—The Administrator may make 
grants or enter into and contracts, leases, or cooperative 
agreements as may be necessary to carry out the purposes 
of this section on such terms as the Administrator con-
siders appropriate, consistent with Federal acquisition 
regulations. 
‘‘§ 50702. Pilot project 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of the 
Maritime Administration shall carry out a pilot monitoring 
and mitigation project for North Atlantic right whales (in 
this section referred to as the ‘Pilot Program’) for pur-
poses of informing a cost-effective, efficient, and results- 
oriented near real-time monitoring and mitigation pro-
gram for large whales under 50701. 
‘‘(b) PILOT PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying 
out the pilot program, the Administrator, in coordination 
with the Commandant of the Coast Guard, using best 
available scientific information, shall identify and ensure 
coverage of— 
‘‘(1) core foraging habitats of North Atlantic 
right whales, including— 
‘‘(A) the South of the Islands core foraging 
habitat;