Title: Crab Emergency Disaster Assistance Act of 2017
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Crab Emergency Disaster Assistance Act of 2017
This bill appropriates funds to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide disaster relief funds to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. These funds will assist fisherman and small businesses, including restaurants, which have suffered economic hardship due to the shutdown of the commercial Dungeness and rock crab season on the U.S. West Coast. These funds become available when the Department of Commerce makes a determination declaring a fishery disaster for either the Dungeness crab fishery or the rock crab fishery.
Dungeness and rock crab fisheries on the West Coast may contain dangerous levels of domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms that can cause shellfish poisoning. The bill appropriates funds to NOAA for the sampling and monitoring of domoic acid found in the fisheries. In addition, NOAA must distribute grants for research on harmful algal blooms and domoic acid toxicity.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2344 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2344

To make funds available for fisheries resource disaster assistance for 
 the 2015-16 Dungeness crab and rock crab fisheries disaster, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 3, 2017

Ms. Speier (for herself and Mr. Huffman) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To make funds available for fisheries resource disaster assistance for 
 the 2015-16 Dungeness crab and rock crab fisheries disaster, 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 ``Crab Emergency Disaster Assistance 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FISHERY RESOURCE DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR THE 2015-16 DUNGENESS 
              CRAB AND ROCK CRAB FISHERIES DISASTER.

    (a) Disaster Assistance.--
            (1) Appropriation of funds.--In addition to any other funds 
        available for such purpose, there is appropriated to the 
        Secretary of Commerce $117,393,750 to make a lump sum payment 
        to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.
            (2) Distribution.--The Commission shall distribute such 
        amount among fishing communities, Indian Tribes, small 
        businesses, including fishermen, fish processors, and related 
        businesses, individuals, and other entities, for assistance for 
        the economic and social effects of the fishery resource 
        disaster for the 2015-16 Dungeness crab and rock crab fisheries 
        as determined by the Secretary of the Commerce on January 18, 
        2017, and to mitigate the economic losses to such communities, 
        Tribes, businesses, individuals, or other entities caused by 
        fishing closures or other restrictions on the harvesting of 
        Dungeness crab or rock crab.
            (3) Availability.--Amounts appropriated by this subsection 
        shall remain available for the period with respect to which the 
        determination referred to in paragraph (2) is made.
            (4) Unused funds.--Any amount appropriated by this 
        subsection that is not expended or otherwise obligated for the 
        purpose described in paragraph (1) shall be returned to the 
        Treasury of the United States.
    (b) Research.--
            (1) Appropriation of funds.--There is appropriated to the 
        Secretary of Commerce--
                    (A) $1,000,000 for West Coast domoic acid sampling 
                and monitoring; and
                    (B) $5,000,000 for competitive grants for projects, 
                activities, and research that advance the capacity--
                            (i) to predict the occurrence of harmful 
                        algal blooms in the offshore waters of 
                        California, Washington, and Oregon; and
                            (ii) to evaluate the toxicity of domoic 
                        acid bioaccumulation and transmission to humans 
                        through the food supply.
            (2) Establishment of grant program.--The Secretary shall 
        establish a grant program with amounts appropriated by 
        paragraph (1)(B) not later than 90 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (c) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--The Secretary of 
Commerce may not use more than 4 percent of the amount appropriated 
under each of subsections (a) and (b) for administrative expenses.
                                 <all>