110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1205 
AN ACT 
To reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Coral Reef Conserva-
tion Amendments Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF CORAL REEF CONSERVATION PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) PROJECT DIVERSITY.—Section 204(d) of the 
Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6403(d)) 
is amended— 
(1) in the heading by striking ‘‘GEOGRAPHIC 
AND BIOLOGICAL’’ and inserting ‘‘PROJECT’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(3) Remaining funds shall be awarded for— 
‘‘(A) projects (with priority given to com-
munity-based local action strategies) that ad-
dress emerging priorities or threats, including 
international 
and 
territorial 
priorities, 
or 
threats identified by the Administrator in con-
sultation with the Coral Reef Task Force; and 
‘‘(B) other appropriate projects, as deter-
mined by the Administrator, including moni-
toring and assessment, research, pollution re-
duction, education, and technical support.’’. 
(b) APPROVAL CRITERIA.—Section 204(g) of that 
Act (16 U.S.C. 6403(g)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon in 
paragraph (9); 
(2) by striking paragraph (10); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(10) promoting activities designed to minimize 
the likelihood of vessel impacts on coral reefs, par-
ticularly those areas identified under section 210(b), 
including the promotion of ecologically sound naviga-
tion and anchorages near coral reefs; or 
‘‘(11) promoting and assisting entities to work 
with local communities, and all appropriate govern-
mental and nongovernmental organizations, to sup-
port community-based planning and management 
initiatives for the protection of coral reef eco-
systems.’’. 
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY RESPONSE. 
Section 206 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 
2000 (16 U.S.C. 6405) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 206. EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may under-
take or authorize action necessary— 
‘‘(1) to minimize the destruction or loss of, or 
injury to, a coral reef from—
‘‘(A) vessel impacts, derelict fishing gear, 
vessel anchors, and anchor chains; and 
‘‘(B) from unforeseen or disaster-related 
circumstances; and 
‘‘(2) to stabilize, repair, recover, or restore such 
coral reef. 
‘‘(b) VESSEL REMOVAL; RESTABILIZATION.—Action 
authorized by subsection (a) includes vessel removal and 
emergency restabilization of the vessel or any impacted 
coral reef. 
‘‘(c) PARTNERING WITH OTHER FEDERAL AGEN-
CIES.—When possible, action by the Administrator under 
this section should— 
‘‘(1) be conducted in partnership with other 
government agencies as appropriate, including— 
‘‘(A) the Coast Guard, the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency, the Army Corps of 
Engineers, and the Department of the Interior; 
and 
‘‘(B) agencies of States and territories of 
the United States; and 
‘‘(2) leverage resources of other agencies. 
‘‘(d) EMERGENCY RESPONSE ASSISTANCE BY OTHER 
FEDERAL AGENCIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The head of any other Fed-
eral agency may assist the Administrator in emer-
gency response actions under this section, using 
funds available for operations of the agency con-
cerned. 
‘‘(2) REIMBURSEMENT.—The Administrator, 
subject to the availability of appropriations, may re-
imburse a Federal agency for assistance provided 
under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(e) LIABILITY FOR COSTS AND DAMAGES TO CORAL 
REEFS.— 
‘‘(1) TREATMENT OF CORAL REEFS UNDER NA-
TIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT.—For purposes 
of the provisions set forth in paragraph (2), and 
subject to paragraph (3), each of the terms ‘sanc-
tuary resources’, ‘resource’, ‘sanctuary resource 
managed under law or regulations for that sanc-
tuary,’ ‘national marine sanctuary’, ‘sanctuary re-
sources of the national marine sanctuary’, and ‘sanc-
tuary resources of other national marine sanctuaries’ 
is deemed to include any coral reef that is subject 
to the jurisdiction of the United States or any State, 
without regard to whether such coral reef is located 
in a national marine sanctuary.
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE
PROVISIONS
OF
NATIONAL 
MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT.—The provisions referred 
to in paragraph (1) are the following provisions of 
the National Marine Sanctuaries Act: 
‘‘(A) Paragraphs (6) and (7) of section 
302 (16 U.S.C. 1432). 
‘‘(B) Paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of 
section 306 (16 U.S.C. 1436). 
‘‘(C) Section 307 (16 U.S.C. 1437). 
‘‘(D) Section 312 (16 U.S.C. 1443). 
‘‘(3) STATE CONSENT REQUIRED.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—This subsection shall 
not apply to any coral reef that is subject to the 
jurisdiction of a State unless the Governor of 
that State notifies the Secretary that the State 
consents to that application. 
‘‘(B) REVOCATION
OF
CONSENT.—The 
governor of a State may revoke consent under 
subparagraph (A) by notifying the Secretary of 
such revocation. 
‘‘(4) CONSISTENCY WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW 
AND TREATIES.—Any action taken under the au-
thority of this subsection must be consistent with 
otherwise applicable international law and treaties.