(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents
in the first section of the Marine Mammal Protection Act
of 1972 (86 Stat. 1027) is amended by striking the items
relating to sections 408 and 409 and inserting the fol-
lowing:
‘‘Sec. 408. John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Pro-
gram.
‘‘Sec. 409. Authorization of appropriations.
‘‘Sec. 410. Definitions.’’.
SEC. 203. STUDY OF THE EASTERN GRAY WHALE POPU-
LATION.
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act and subject to the availability
of appropriations, the Secretary of Commerce shall initiate
a study of the environmental and biological factors respon-
sible for the significant increase in mortality events of the
eastern gray whale population and other potential impacts
these factors may be having on the eastern gray whale
population.
(b) CONSIDERATION OF WESTERN POPULATION IN-
FORMATION.—The Secretary should ensure that, to the
greatest extent practicable, information from current and
future studies of the western gray whale population is con-
sidered in the study under this section, so as to better
understand the dynamics of each population and to test
different hypotheses that may lead to an increased under-
standing of the mechanism driving their respective popu-
lation dynamics.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addi-
tion to other amounts authorized under this title, there
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry
out this section—
(1) $290,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
(2) $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2002
through 2004.
SEC. 204. CONVEYANCE OF FISHERY RESEARCH VESSEL TO
AMERICAN SAMOA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce (in
this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) may convey
to the Government of American Samoa in accordance with
this section, without consideration, all right, title, and in-
terest of the United States in and to a retired National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fishery research
vessel in operable condition, for use by American Samoa.
(b) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not convey a
vessel under this section before the date on which a new
replacement fishery research vessel has been delivered to
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and put in active service.
(c) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.—The Govern-
ment of the United States shall not be responsible or liable
for any maintenance or operation of a vessel conveyed
under this section after the date of the delivery of the ves-
sel to American Samoa.
SEC. 205. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RE-
LATING TO NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
DESIGNATION STANDARDS.
(a) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 303(a) of the
National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1433(a)) is
amended by striking ‘‘the Secretary—’’ and all that fol-
lows through the end of the sentence and inserting the
following: ‘‘the Secretary determines that—
‘‘(1) the designation will fulfill the purposes and
policies of this title;
‘‘(2) the area is of special national significance
due to—
‘‘(A) its conservation, recreational, ecologi-
cal, historical, scientific, cultural, archeological,
educational, or esthetic qualities;
‘‘(B) the communities of living marine re-
sources it harbors; or
‘‘(C) its resource or human-use values;
‘‘(3) existing State and Federal authorities are
inadequate or should be supplemented to ensure co-
ordinated and comprehensive conservation and man-
agement of the area, including resource protection,
scientific research, and public education;
‘‘(4) designation of the area as a national ma-
rine sanctuary will facilitate the objectives stated in
paragraph (3); and
‘‘(5) the area is of a size and nature that will
permit comprehensive and coordinated conservation
and management.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such Act is fur-
ther amended—
(1) in section 304(a)(1)(C) (as amended by sec-
tion 6(a) of the National Marine Sanctuaries
Amendments Act of 2000) by striking ‘‘the Sec-
retary shall’’; and
(2) in section 304(a)(2)(E) (as amended by sec-
tion 6(b) of the National Marine Sanctuaries
Amendments Act of 2000) by striking ‘‘findings’’
and inserting ‘‘determinations’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect
immediately after the National Marine Sanctuaries
Amendments Act of 2000 takes effect.
SEC. 206. WESTERN PACIFIC PROJECT GRANTS.
Section 111(b)(1) of the Sustainable Fisheries Act
(16 U.S.C. 155 note) is amended by striking the last sen-
tence and inserting ‘‘There are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section $500,000 for each fiscal
year.’’.
Passed the House of Representatives October 31,
2000.
Attest:
Clerk.