SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Regional Ocean Part-
nership Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS; PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) The ocean and coastal waters of the United 
States are foundational to the economy, security, 
global competitiveness, and well-being of the United 
States and continuously serve the people of the 
United States and other countries as an important 
source of food, energy, economic productivity, recre-
ation, culture, beauty, and enjoyment. 
(2) Over many years, the resource productivity 
and water quality of the ocean and coastal areas of 
the United States have been diminished by pollution, 
increasing population demands, economic develop-
ment, and natural and man-made hazard events, 
both acute and chronic. 
(3) Ocean and coastal areas of the United 
States are managed by State and Federal resource 
agencies and regulated on an interstate and regional 
scale by various overlapping Federal authorities, 
thereby creating a significant need for interstate co-
ordination to enhance regional priorities, including 
the ecological and economic health of those areas. 
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(4) Tribes and Indigenous communities have 
unique expertise and knowledge important for the 
stewardship of our ocean and coastal waters. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the United States should seek to support 
interstate coordination of shared regional priorities 
relating to the management, conservation, resilience, 
and restoration of ocean and coastal areas to maxi-
mize efficiencies through collaborative regional ef-
forts by regional ocean partnerships, in consultation 
with Federal and State agencies, Tribal govern-
ments, and local authorities; 
(2) such efforts would enhance existing and ef-
fective State coastal management efforts based on 
shared regional priorities; and 
(3) regional ocean partnerships should either 
directly include representation from Tribal govern-
ments or have dedicated consultation with such gov-
ernments. 
(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this subtitle are as 
follows: 
(1) To complement and expand cooperative vol-
untary efforts intended to manage and restore ocean 
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and coastal areas spanning across multiple State 
boundaries. 
(2) To expand Federal support for monitoring, 
data management, and restoration activities in ocean 
and coastal areas. 
(3) To commit the United States to a com-
prehensive cooperative program to achieve improved 
water quality in, and improvements in the produc-
tivity of living resources of, all coastal ecosystems. 
(4) To authorize regional ocean partnerships as 
intergovernmental coordinators for shared interstate 
and regional priorities relating to the collaborative 
management of the large marine ecosystems, thereby 
reducing duplication of efforts and maximizing op-
portunities to leverage support in the ocean and 
coastal regions. 
(5) To empower States and Tribes to take a 
lead role in managing oceans and coasts. 
(6) To incorporate Tribal interests in the man-
agement of our oceans and coasts and provide fund-
ing to support Tribal and Indigenous ocean and 
coastal resiliency activities in coordination with re-
gional ocean partnerships. 
(7) To enable regional ocean partnerships, or 
designated fiscal management entities of such part-
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nerships, to receive Federal funding to conduct the 
scientific research, conservation and restoration ac-
tivities, and priority coordination on shared regional 
priorities necessary to achieve the purposes described 
in paragraphs (1) through (4). 
SEC. 3. REGIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIPS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘coastal State’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 304 of the Coastal Zone 
Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453); and 
(2) the term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-De-
termination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 5304). 
(b) REGIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIPS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A coastal State may partici-
pate in a regional ocean partnership with one or 
more other coastal States that share a common 
ocean or coastal area with the coastal State, without 
regard to whether the coastal States are contiguous. 
(2) APPLICATION.—The Governor of a coastal 
State, or the Governors of a group of coastal states 
may apply to the Secretary of Commerce on behalf 
of a partnership of such States, for the partnership 
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to receive designation as a regional ocean partner-
ship if the partnership— 
(A) meets the requirements under para-
graph (3); and 
(B) submits an application for such des-
ignation in such manner, in such form, and 
containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. 
(3) REQUIREMENTS.—A partnership is eligible 
for designation as a regional ocean partnership by 
the Secretary under paragraph (2) if the partner-
ship— 
(A) is established to coordinate the inter-
state management of coastal resources; 
(B) focuses on the environmental issues af-
fecting the ocean and coastal areas of the mem-
bers participating in the partnership; 
(C) complements existing State coastal and 
ocean management efforts on an interstate 
scale, focusing on shared regional priorities; 
(D) does not have a regulatory function; 
and 
(E) is not duplicative of an existing re-
gional ocean partnership designated under 
paragraph (4), as determined by the Secretary. 
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(4) DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN ENTITIES AS RE-
GIONAL
OCEAN
PARTNERSHIPS.—Notwithstanding 
paragraph (2) or (3), the following entities are des-
ignated as regional ocean partnerships: 
(A) The Gulf of Mexico Alliance, comprised 
of the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Texas. 
(B) The Northeast Regional Ocean Coun-
cil, comprised of the States of Maine, Vermont, 
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, 
and Rhode Island. 
(C) The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on 
the Ocean, comprised of the States of New 
York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and 
Virginia. 
(D) The West Coast Ocean Alliance, com-
prised of the States of California, Oregon, and 
Washington and the coastal Indian Tribes 
therein. 
(c) GOVERNING BODIES OF REGIONAL OCEAN PART-
NERSHIPS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A regional ocean partnership 
designated under subsection (b) shall be governed by 
a governing body. 
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(2) MEMBERSHIP.—A governing body described 
in paragraph (1)— 
(A) shall be comprised, at a minimum, of 
voting members from each coastal State partici-
pating in the regional ocean partnership, des-
ignated by the Governor of the coastal State; 
and 
(B) may include such other members as 
the partnership considers appropriate. 
(d) FUNCTIONS.—A regional ocean partnership des-
ignated under subsection (b) may perform the following 
functions: 
(1) Promote coordination of the actions of the 
agencies of coastal states participating in the part-
nership with the actions of the appropriate officials 
of Federal agencies and State and Tribal govern-
ments in developing strategies— 
(A) to conserve living resources, expand 
and protect valuable habitats, enhance coastal 
resilience, and address such other issues related 
to the shared ocean or coastal area as are de-
termined to be a shared, regional priority by 
those States; and 
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(B) to manage regional data portals and 
develop associated data products for purposes 
that support the priorities of the partnership. 
(2) In cooperation with appropriate Federal and 
State agencies, Tribal governments, and local au-
thorities, develop and implement specific action 
plans to carry out coordination goals. 
(3) Coordinate and implement priority plans 
and projects, and facilitate science, research, mod-
eling, monitoring, data collection, management and 
sharing, and other activities that support the goals 
of the partnership through the provision of grants 
and contracts under subsection (f). 
(4) Engage, coordinate, and collaborate with 
relevant governmental entities and stakeholders to 
address ocean and coastal related matters that re-
quire interagency or intergovernmental solutions. 
(5) Implement engagement programs for public 
information, education, and participation to foster 
stewardship of the resources of the ocean and coast-
al areas, as relevant. 
(6) Develop and make available, through publi-
cations, technical assistance, and other appropriate 
means, information pertaining to cross-jurisdictional 
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issues being addressed through the coordinated ac-
tivities of the partnership. 
(7) Serve as a liaison with, and provide infor-
mation to, international and foreign counterparts, as 
appropriate on priority issues for the partnership. 
(e) CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT.—A regional 
ocean partnership designated under subsection (b) shall 
maintain mechanisms for consultation with Federal and 
Tribal governments as well as engagement with non-
governmental entities, including academic organizations, 
nonprofit organizations, and businesses. 
(f) GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A regional ocean partnership 
designated under subsection (b) may, in coordination 
with existing Federal and State management pro-
grams, from amounts made available to the partner-
ship by the Administrator or the head of another 
Federal agency— 
(A) provide grants to eligible persons de-
scribed in paragraph (2) for the purposes de-
scribed in paragraph (3); and 
(B) enter into contracts with such persons 
for such purposes. 
(2) ELIGIBLE PERSONS.—The eligible persons 
described in this paragraph (1)(A) are the following: 
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(A) Indian Tribes. 
(B) State and local governments. 
(C) Nongovernmental organizations. 
(D) Institutions of higher education. 
(E) Individuals. 
(F) Private entities. 
(3) PURPOSES.—The purposes described in 
paragraph (1)(A) include any of the following: 
(A) Monitoring the water quality and living 
resources of multi-State ocean and coastal eco-
systems and to coastal communities. 
(B) Conducting research and development 
with respect to human-induced environmental 
changes to— 
(i) ocean and coastal ecosystems; and 
(ii) coastal communities. 
(C) Developing and executing cooperative 
strategies that— 
(i) address regional data issues identi-
fied by the partnership; and 
(ii) will result in more effective man-
agement of common ocean and coastal 
areas. 
(g) REPORTS AND ASSESSMENTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 5 
years thereafter until 2040, the Administrator, in 
coordination with the regional ocean partnerships 
designated under subsection (b), shall— 
(A) assess the effectiveness of the partner-
ships in supporting regional priorities relating 
to the management of common ocean and coast-
al areas; and 
(B) submit to Congress a report on that 
assessment. 
(2) REPORT REQUIREMENTS.—The report re-
quired under paragraph (1)(B) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(A) An assessment of the overall status of 
the work of the regional ocean partnerships des-
ignated under subsection (b). 
(B) An assessment of the effectiveness of 
the strategies that the regional ocean partner-
ships are supporting or implementing and the 
extent to which the priority needs of the regions 
covered by such partnerships are being met 
through such strategies. 
(C) Such recommendations as the Admin-
istrator may have for the improvement of ef-
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forts of the regional ocean partnerships to sup-
port the purposes of this Act. 
(D) An assessment of how the efforts of 
the regional ocean partnerships support or en-
hance Federal and State efforts in line with the 
purposes of this Act. 
(E) Recommendations for improvements to 
the collective strategies that support the pur-
poses of this Act in coordination and consulta-
tion with all relevant Federal, State, and Tribal 
entities. 
(h) AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDS.—In addition 
to amounts made available to regional ocean partnerships 
designated under subsection (b) by the Administrator 
under this section, the head of any other Federal agency 
may provide grants to, enter into contracts with, or other-
wise provide funding to such partnerships. 
(i) AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in this section estab-
lishes any new legal or regulatory authority of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or of the 
regional ocean partnerships designated under subsection 
(b), other than— 
(1) the authority of the Administrator to pro-
vide amounts to the partnerships; and 
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(2) the authority of the partnerships to provide 
grants and enter into contracts under subsection (e). 
(j) FUNDING.— 
(1) REGIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIPS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the fol-
lowing amounts for regional ocean partnerships des-
ignated under subsection (b) or designated fiscal 
management entities of such partnerships to carry 
out activities of the partnerships under this Act: 
(A) $10,100,000 for fiscal year 2022. 
(B) $10,202,000 for fiscal year 2023. 
(C) $10,306,040 for fiscal year 2024. 
(D) $10,412,160 for fiscal year 2025. 
(E) $10,520,404 for fiscal year 2026. 
(2) DISTRIBUTION
OF
AMOUNTS.—Amounts 
made available under paragraph (1) shall be divided 
evenly among the regional ocean partnerships des-
ignated under subsection (b). 
(3) TRIBAL CONSULTATION.—There are author-
ized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each fiscal 
year 2021 through 2025 to the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration for Indian Tribes 
and Indigenous communities to be distributed for 
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purposes of participation in or engagement with the 
regional ocean partnerships. 
Æ 
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