Title: COASTS Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Creating Opportunity And Sustainability Through Science Act or the COASTS Act
This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to implement a competitive grant program focused on interdisciplinary coastal resilience and sustainability and a grant program for (1) activities that strengthen coastal communities, and (2) restoration of coastal habitats to provide vital habitat for fish and strengthen the resilience of coastal ecosystems.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3919 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3919

To require research in coastal sustainability and resilience, to ensure 
that the Federal Government continues to implement and advance coastal 
              resiliency efforts, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2019

 Mr. Moulton (for himself and Mr. Graves of Louisiana) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
  Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require research in coastal sustainability and resilience, to ensure 
that the Federal Government continues to implement and advance coastal 
              resiliency efforts, 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 ``Creating Opportunity And 
Sustainability Through Science Act'' or the ``COASTS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) coastal cities and communities are particularly 
        vulnerable to hazards and extreme weather events, accelerating 
        the degradation of natural and built infrastructure that 
        coastal economies and populations depend upon; and
            (2) such degradation harms community resiliency and exposes 
        coastal cities and their inhabitants to more frequent and more 
        severe hazards, impacting the ecosystems that provide 
        livelihoods, food, and energy, and other essential benefits.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH 
              PROGRAMS.

    (a) Coastal Science and Assessment: Competitive External 
Research.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce, acting through 
        applicable National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        programs within the National Ocean Service, the Office of 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and the National Marine 
        Fisheries Service, shall carry out an extramural competitively 
        awarded grants program focused on interdisciplinary coastal 
        resilience and sustainability.
            (2) Objective.--The objective of the program shall be to 
        develop scalable, best practices--
                    (A) to prepare more resilient, sustainable cities 
                and resilient communities; and
                    (B) to reduce disaster recovery costs.
            (3) Collaboration.--The Secretary shall conduct the program 
        in collaboration with business and industry, government 
        agencies, academic institutions, and coastal community 
        stakeholders.
            (4) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this 
        subsection, an applicant must be an institution of higher 
        education, nonprofit organization, State, local, or Tribal 
        Government, for-profit organization, United States Territory, 
        or Federal agency that has statutory authority to receive 
        transfers of funds.
    (b) Coastal Resilience Research Competitive Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce, acting through 
        the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall 
        annually award competitive grants for--
                    (A) activities that strengthen coastal communities; 
                and
                    (B) restoration of coastal habitats to provide 
                vital habitat for fish and strengthen the resilience of 
                coastal ecosystems.
            (2) Priorities.--In awarding grants under this subsection, 
        the Secretary shall give priority to funding projects for--
                    (A) protecting life and critical infrastructure 
                that, if destroyed or damaged, would have a 
                debilitating impact on economic security, undermine 
                community resiliency and adaptation, and threaten 
                public health or safety;
                    (B) assessing the effects of local land-use 
                considerations on coastal and marine resources;
                    (C) developing decision-support tools useful to 
                coastal communities;
                    (D) determining societal, ecological, and 
                resiliency benefits of coastal restoration and natural, 
                nature-based, and man-made infrastructure, and how 
                these benefits affect the sustainability of coastal 
                ecosystems;
                    (E) citizen-science monitoring of coastal and 
                marine resources as part of efforts to protect coastal 
                communities;
                    (F) evaluating potential outcomes associated with 
                developing new commercial and recreational fishery 
                resources, including aquaculture and targeting invasive 
                and range-expanding species;
                    (G) monitoring and developing ecosystem-based 
                approaches to managing coastal ecosystems to promote 
                sustainability;
                    (H) assessing the capacity of human communities to 
                adapt to coastal hazards;
                    (I) assessing coastal vulnerability and risk;
                    (J) evaluating adaptation and restoration 
                approaches to reduce risk, including through the use of 
                natural, nature-based, and man-made features; and
                    (K) minimizing costs associated with damages 
                incurred from natural disasters, flooding, and sea 
                level rise.

SEC. 4. DONATIONS.

    The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, may accept and use donations of funds to 
implement this Act.
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