Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments of 2009

Bill: 111-s-859
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2009-04-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Animals
Subjects: Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Department of Commerce
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Government trust funds
Mammals
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2009-04-22
text: 
Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments of 2009 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to require the collection and updating of existing practices and procedures for rescuing and rehabilitating stranded or entangled (under current law, only stranded) marine mammals. Authorizes entanglement response agreements. Broadens the allowed uses and sources of amounts in the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund. 
 
Renames the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program as the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Funding Program and revises provisions, including adding providing for stranding or entangling events requiring emergency assistance to the program's duties. Authorizes carrying out the program through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other arrangements.
 
Establishes in the Treasury the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund.
 
Limits support for an individual project under the program to $200,000 for any 12-month period. (Current law limits support to $100,000 and makes no reference to a time period.) 
 
Defines the term &quot;emergency assistance&quot; as assistance for a stranding or entangling event that: (1) is not an unusual mortality event, leads to an immediate increase in required costs in excess of regularly scheduled costs, may be cyclical or endemic, and may involve out-of-habitat animals; or (2) is found to qualify for such assistance.

action_date: 2009-08-06
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments of 2009 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to require the collection and updating of existing practices and procedures for rescuing and rehabilitating stranded or entangled (under current law, only stranded) marine mammals. Authorizes entanglement response agreements. Broadens the sources and allowed uses of amounts in the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund. 
 
Renames the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program as the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Funding Program and authorizes appropriations to it for FY2010-FY2014. Adds providing for stranding or entangling events requiring emergency assistance to the program's duties. Authorizes carrying out the program through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other arrangements.
 
Establishes in the Treasury the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund.
 
Limits support for an individual project under the program to $200,000 for any 12-month period. (Current law limits support to $100,000 and makes no reference to a time period.) 
 
Defines the term &quot;emergency assistance&quot; as assistance for a stranding or entangling event that: (1) is not an unusual mortality event, leads to an immediate increase in required costs in excess of regularly scheduled costs, may be cyclical or endemic, and may involve out-of-habitat animals; or (2) is found to qualify for such assistance.
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2010-FY2014 for provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect and rescue stranded and entangled marine mammals, including the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund and the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-08-06
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 154.
action_date: 2009-08-06
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller without amendment. With written report No. 111-70.
action_date: 2009-08-06
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller without amendment. With written report No. 111-70.
action_date: 2009-05-20
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2009-04-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4578-4579)
action_date: 2009-04-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4578)
action_date: 2009-04-22
text: Introduced in Senate