I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1996
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide for debt relief 
to developing countries that take action to protect critical coral reef habitats. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2005
Mr. KIRK (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. SAXTON, Ms. 
BORDALLO, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. WELLER, and 
Mr. OWENS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide 
for debt relief to developing countries that take action 
to protect critical coral reef habitats.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. DEBT REDUCTION FOR DEVELOPING COUN-
TRIES 
WITH 
CORAL 
REEFS 
AND 
OTHER 
COASTAL MARINE RESOURCES. 
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘PART VI—DEBT REDUCTION FOR DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES WITH CORAL REEFS AND OTHER 
COASTAL MARINE RESOURCES 
‘‘SEC. 901. SHORT TITLE. 
‘‘This part may be cited as the ‘Coral Reef and 
Coastal Marine Conservation Act of 2005’. 
‘‘SEC. 902. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
‘‘(1) It is the established policy of the United 
States to support and seek the protection and res-
toration of natural coastal marine areas, in par-
ticular coral reefs and other critically imperiled 
coastal marine resources around the world, as dem-
onstrated by the establishment of the United States 
Government’s Coral Reef Task Force under Execu-
tive Order 13089 (June 11, 1998) and by the em-
phasis given to coral reefs at the Conference on 
Oceans held in Monterey, California. 
‘‘(2) Coral reefs and other coastal marine re-
sources provide a wide range of benefits to mankind 
by—
‘‘(A) harboring a major share of the 
world’s marine biological diversity, and by act-
ing as seed-grounds and nurseries for many 
deep-sea species; and
‘‘(B) serving as the basis for major activi-
ties of critical economic, social, and cultural im-
portance, including fishing, pharmaceutical re-
search, recreation, tourism, and the natural pu-
rification and recharge of waters. 
‘‘(3) International organizations and assistance 
programs to conserve coral reefs and other coastal 
marine resources have proliferated in recent years, 
but the rapid destruction of these resources nonethe-
less continues in many countries. 
‘‘(4) Poverty and economic pressures on many 
developing countries, including the burden of official 
debts, has promoted inefficient, unsustainable over-
exploitation of coral reefs and other coastal marine 
resources, while also denying necessary funds to pro-
tection efforts. 
‘‘(5) Reduction of official, government-to-gov-
ernment debts can help reduce economic pressures 
for over-exploitation of coral reefs and other coastal 
marine resources and can mobilize additional re-
sources for their protection. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this part are—
‘‘(1) to recognize the values received by United 
States citizens from protection of coral reefs and 
other coastal marine resources;
‘‘(2) to facilitate greater protection of remain-
ing coral reefs and other coastal marine resources, 
and the recovery of damaged areas, by providing for 
the alleviation of debt in countries where these re-
sources are located, thus allowing for the use of ad-
ditional resources to protect and restore such coral 
reefs and other coastal marine resources, and to re-
duce 
economic 
pressures 
that 
have 
led 
to 
unsustainable exploitation; and 
‘‘(3) to ensure that resources freed from debt in 
such countries are rechanneled to protection of coral 
reefs and other coastal marine resources. 
‘‘SEC. 903. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this part: 
‘‘(1) ADMINISTERING BODY.—The term ‘admin-
istering body’ means the entity provided for in sec-
tion 908(c). 
‘‘(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’ means—
‘‘(A) the Committee on International Rela-
tions and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives; and
‘‘(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate. 
‘‘(3) BENEFICIARY COUNTRY.—The term ‘bene-
ficiary country’ means an eligible country with re-
spect to which the authority of section 906(a) or 
paragraph (1) or (2) of section 907(a) of this part 
is exercised. 
‘‘(4) BOARD.—The term ‘Board’ means the 
board referred to in section 910. 
‘‘(5) CORAL.—The term ‘coral’ means species 
of the phylum Cnidaria, including—
‘‘(A) all species of the orders Antipatharia 
(black corals), Scleractinia (stony corals), 
Alcyonacea (soft corals), Gorgonacea (horny 
corals), Stolonifera (organpipe corals and oth-
ers), and Coenothecalia (blue coral), of the class 
Anthozoa; and 
‘‘(B) 
all 
species 
of 
the 
order 
Hydrocorallina (fire corals and hydrocorals) of 
the class Hydrozoa. 
‘‘(6) CORAL
REEF.—The term ‘coral reef’ 
means any reef or shoal composed primarily of cor-
als.
‘‘(7) DEVELOPING
COUNTRY
WITH
A
CORAL 
REEF OR OTHER COASTAL MARINE RESOURCE.—The 
term ‘developing country with a coral reef or other 
coastal marine resource’ means—
‘‘(A)(i) a country that has a per capita in-
come of $725 or less in 1994 United States dol-
lars (commonly referred to as ‘low-income coun-
try’), as determined and adjusted on an annual 
basis by the International Bank for Reconstruc-
tion and Development in its World Development 
Report; or 
‘‘(ii) a country that has a per capita in-
come of more than $725 but less than $8,956 
in 1994 United States dollars (commonly re-
ferred to as ‘middle-income country’), as deter-
mined and adjusted on an annual basis by the 
International Bank for Reconstruction and De-
velopment in its World Development Report; 
and 
‘‘(B) a country that contains at least one 
coral reef or other coastal marine resource that 
is of conservation concern. 
‘‘(8) ELIGIBLE COUNTRY.—The term ‘eligible 
country’ means a country designated by the Presi-
dent in accordance with section 905.