MAST Act
Bill: H.R.629 | Sponsor: Rep. Young, Don (R-AK)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Marine Access and State Transparency or the MAST Act
This bill requires the President, before a national monument may be designated on public land, to obtain congressional approval and certify compliance with environmental review requirements.
The bill bars the President from declaring any area of the exclusive economic zone to be a national monument unless
The bill prohibits the Department of the Interior or the Department of Commerce, with respect to any area of the exclusive economic zone that is designated as a national monument, from implementing any restrictions on the public use of such a national monument until the expiration of an appropriate review period providing for public input and congressional approval.


To amend title 54, United States Code, to provide for congressional 
approval of national monuments and restrictions on the use of national 
monuments, to establish requirements for declaration of marine national 
                   monuments, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Marine Access and State 
Transparency'' or the ``MAST Act''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF DECLARATIONS OF NATIONAL 
              MONUMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC USE.

    (a) Declarations of National Monuments.--Section 320301 of title 
54, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``The President may'' 
        and inserting ``After obtaining congressional approval of a 
        proposed national monument and certifying compliance with the 
        National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
        seq.) with respect to the proposed national monument, and 
        subject to subsection (e), the President may''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Requirements for Declarations of Marine National Monuments.--
            ``(1) Requirements.--The President may not declare any area 
        of the exclusive economic zone to be a national monument 
        unless--
                    ``(A) such declaration is specifically authorized 
                by an Act of Congress;
                    ``(B) the President has submitted a proposal to 
                make such declaration to the Governor of each State, 
                and of each territory, any part of which is located 
                within 200 nautical miles of that area;
                    ``(C) each such Governor submits to the President 
                notice that the legislature of that State or territory 
                has approved the proposal; and
                    ``(D) the declaration is substantially the same as 
                the proposal.
            ``(2) Exclusive economic zone defined.--In this subsection 
        the term `exclusive economic zone' means the zone established 
        by Proclamation Numbered 5030, dated March 10, 1983.''.
    (b) Restrictions on Public Use.--Chapter 3203 of title 54, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 320304. Restrictions on public use
    ``The Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Commerce with 
respect to any area of the exclusive economic zone (as defined in 
section 320301(e)) designated as a national monument, shall not 
implement any restrictions on the public use of a national monument 
until the expiration of an appropriate review period (as determined by 
such Secretary) providing for public input and congressional 
approval.''; and
            (2) in the analysis at the beginning of the chapter, by 
        adding at the end the following:

``320304. Restrictions on public use.''.
                                 <all>