H. R. 2903
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand
An Act
To reauthorize the Striped Bass Conservation Act, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Striped Bass Conservation,
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Management, and Marine Mammal
Rescue Assistance Act of 2000’’.
TITLE I—ATLANTIC COASTAL
FISHERIES
Subtitle A—Atlantic Striped Bass
Conservation
SEC. 101. REAUTHORIZATION OF ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS CONSERVA-
TION ACT.
Section 7(a) of the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act
(16 U.S.C. 1851 note) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—For each of fiscal years 2001, 2002, and
2003, there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
Act—
‘‘(1) $1,000,000 to the Secretary of Commerce; and
‘‘(2) $250,000 to the Secretary of the Interior.’’.
SEC. 102. POPULATION STUDY OF STRIPED BASS.
(a) STUDY.—The Secretaries (as that term is defined in the
Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act), in consultation with the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, shall conduct a study
to determine if the distribution of year classes in the Atlantic
striped bass population is appropriate for maintaining adequate
recruitment and sustainable fishing opportunities. In conducting
the study, the Secretaries shall consider—
(1) long-term stock assessment data and other fishery-
dependent and independent data for Atlantic striped bass; and
(2) the results of peer-reviewed research funded under the
Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in consultation with the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, shall submit to the
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate
H. R. 2903—2
the results of the study and a long-term plan to ensure a balanced
and healthy population structure of Atlantic striped bass, including
older fish. The report shall include information regarding—
(1) the structure of the Atlantic striped bass population
required to maintain adequate recruitment and sustainable
fishing opportunities; and
(2) recommendations for measures necessary to achieve
and maintain the population structure described in paragraph
(1).
(c) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary of Commerce $250,000 to carry out this section.
Subtitle B—Atlantic Coastal Fisheries
Cooperative Management
SEC. 121. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘Atlantic Coastal Fisheries
Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 122. REAUTHORIZATION OF ATLANTIC COASTAL FISHERIES
COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT ACT.
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 811 of the
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (16 U.S.C.
5108) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘SEC. 811. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this title, there are authorized
to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through
2005.
‘‘(b) COOPERATIVE STATISTICS PROGRAM.—Amounts authorized
under subsection (a) may be used by the Secretary to support
the Commission’s cooperative statistics program.’’.
(b) TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Such Act is amended—
(A) in section 802(3) (16 U.S.C. 5101(3)) by striking
‘‘such resources in’’ and inserting ‘‘such resources is’’; and
(B) by striking section 812 and the second section
811.
(2) AMENDMENTS TO REPEAL NOT AFFECTED.—The amend-
ments made by paragraph (1)(B) shall not affect any amend-
ment or repeal made by the sections struck by that paragraph.
(3) SHORT
TITLE
REFERENCES.—Such Act is further
amended by striking ‘‘Magnuson Fishery’’ each place it appears
and inserting ‘‘Magnuson-Stevens Fishery’’.
(c) REPORTS.—
(1) ANNUAL
REPORT
TO
THE
SECRETARY.—The Secretary
shall require, as a condition of providing financial assistance
under this subtitle, that the Commission and each State
receiving such assistance submit to the Secretary an annual
report that provides a detailed accounting of the use of the
assistance.
(2) BIENNIAL REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS.—The Secretary
shall submit biennial reports to the Committee on Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the use
of Federal assistance provided to the Commission and the
H. R. 2903—3
States under this subtitle. Each biennial report shall evaluate
the success of such assistance in implementing this subtitle.
TITLE II—JOHN H. PRESCOTT MARINE
MAMMAL 
RESCUE 
ASSISTANCE
GRANT PROGRAM
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Marine Mammal Rescue Assist-
ance Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 202. JOHN H. PRESCOTT MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE ASSISTANCE
GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title IV of the Marine Mammal Protection
Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1371 et seq.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating sections 408 and 409 as sections 409
and 410, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 407 the following:
‘‘SEC. 408. JOHN H. PRESCOTT MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE ASSISTANCE
GRANT PROGRAM.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Subject to the availability of appropria-
tions, the Secretary shall conduct a grant program to be known
as the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant
Program, to provide grants to eligible stranding network partici-
pants for the recovery or treatment of marine mammals, the collec-
tion of data from living or dead stranded marine mammals for
scientific research regarding marine mammal health, and facility
operation costs that are directly related to those purposes.
‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall ensure that, to the greatest extent
practicable, funds provided as grants under this subsection are
distributed equitably among the stranding regions designated as
of the date of the enactment of the Marine Mammal Rescue Assist-
ance Act of 2000, and in making such grants shall give preference
to those facilities that have established records for rescuing or
rehabilitating sick and stranded marine mammals in each of the
respective regions, or subregions.
‘‘(B) In determining priorities among such regions, the Secretary
may consider—
‘‘(i) any episodic stranding or any mortality event other
than an event described in section 410(6), that occurred in
any region in the preceding year;
‘‘(ii) data regarding average annual strandings and mor-
tality events per region; and
‘‘(iii) the size of the marine mammal populations inhabiting
a geographic area within such a region.
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant under this section, a
stranding network participant shall submit an application in such
form and manner as the Secretary may prescribe.
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall consult with the
Marine Mammal Commission, a representative from each of the
designated stranding regions, and other individuals who represent
public and private organizations that are actively involved in rescue,
rehabilitation, release, scientific research, marine conservation, and
forensic science regarding stranded marine mammals, regarding