105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2233
AN ACT
To assist in the conservation of coral reefs.
associated with resource management, such as con-
servation, protection, restoration, and management
of habitat; habitat monitoring; assistance in the de-
velopment of management strategies for marine pro-
tected areas and marine resources consistent with
the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C.
1431 et seq.) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.); law enforcement through community par-
ticipation; conflict resolution initiatives; and commu-
nity outreach and education.
(6) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Coral
Reef Conservation Fund established under section
5(a).
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Commerce.
SEC. 4. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, subject to the
availability of funds, shall use amounts in the Fund to
provide grants of financial assistance for projects for the
conservation of coral reefs for which final project propos-
als are approved by the Secretary in accordance with this
section.
(b) PROJECT PROPOSAL.—Any relevant natural re-
source management authority of a State or territory of
the United States or other government jurisdiction with
coral reefs whose activities directly or indirectly affect
coral reefs, or any nongovernmental organization or indi-
vidual with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of
coral reefs, may submit to the Secretary a project proposal
under this section. Each proposal shall include the follow-
ing:
(1) The name of the individual responsible for
conducting the project.
(2) A succinct statement of the purposes of the
project.
(3) A description of the qualifications of the in-
dividuals who will conduct the project.
(4) An estimate of the funds and time required
to complete the project.
(5) Evidence of support of the project by appro-
priate representatives of States or territories of the
United States or other government jurisdictions in
which the project will be conducted, if the Secretary
determines that the support is required for the suc-
cess of the project.
(6) Information regarding the source and
amount of matching funding available to the appli-
cant.
(7) Any other information the Secretary consid-
ers to be necessary for evaluating the eligibility of
the project for funding under this Act.
(c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall review
each final project proposal to determine if it meets
the criteria set forth in subsection (d).
(2) 
CONSULTATION; 
APPROVAL
OR
DIS-
APPROVAL.—Not later than 6 months after receiving
a final project proposal, and subject to the availabil-
ity of funds, the Secretary shall—
(A) request written comments on the pro-
posal from each State or territory of the United
States or other government jurisdiction, includ-
ing the relevant regional fishery management
councils established under the Magnuson-Ste-
vens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), within which the
project is to be conducted;
(B) provide for the merit-based peer review
of the proposal and require standardized docu-
mentation of that peer review;
(C) after reviewing any written comments
and recommendations based on merit review,
approve or disapprove the proposal; and
(D) provide written notification of that ap-
proval or disapproval to the person who submit-
ted the proposal, and each of those States, ter-
ritories, and other government jurisdictions.
(d) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—The Secretary may
approve a final project proposal under this section if the
project will enhance programs for conservation of coral
reefs by assisting efforts to—
(1) implement conservation programs;
(2) address the conflicts arising from the use of
environments near coral reefs or from the use of cor-
als, species associated with coral reefs, and coral
products;
(3) enhance compliance with laws that prohibit
or regulate the taking of corals, species associated
with coral reefs, and coral products or regulate the
use and management of coral reef ecosystems;
(4) develop sound scientific information on the
condition of coral reef ecosystems or the threats to
such ecosystems; or
(5) promote cooperative projects on coral reef
conservation that involve foreign governments, af-
fected local communities, nongovernmental organiza-
tions, or others in the private sector.
(e) PROJECT
SUSTAINABILITY.—In determining
whether to approve project proposals under this section,
the Secretary shall give priority to projects which promote
sustainable development and ensure effective, long-term
conservation of coral reefs.
(f) PROJECT REPORTING.—Each grantee under this
section shall provide periodic reports, as the Secretary
considers necessary, to the Secretary. Each report shall
include all information required by the Secretary for evalu-
ating the progress and success of the project.
(g) MATCHING FUNDS.—The Secretary may not ap-
prove a project proposal under this section unless the Sec-
retary determines that there are non-Federal matching
funds available to pay at least 50 percent of the total cost
of the project.
SEC. 5. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION FUND.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the
general fund of the Treasury a separate account, to be
known as the ‘‘Coral Reef Conservation Fund’’, which
shall consist of amounts deposited into the Fund by the
Secretary of the Treasury under subsection (b).
(b) DEPOSITS INTO THE FUND.—The Secretary of
the Treasury shall deposit into the Fund—
(1) all amounts received by the Secretary in the
form of monetary donations under subsection (d);
and
(2) other amounts appropriated to the Fund.
(c) USE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),
the Secretary may use amounts in the Fund without
further appropriation to provide assistance under
section 4.
(2) ADMINISTRATION.—Of amounts in the
Fund available for each fiscal year, the Secretary
may use not more than 3 percent to administer the
Fund.
(d) ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF MONETARY DONA-
TIONS.—The Secretary may accept and use monetary do-
nations to provide assistance under section 4. Amounts re-
ceived by the Secretary in the form of donations shall be
transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury for deposit
into the Fund.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998, 1999, 2000,