National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-2990
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]
Introduced: 2023-04-28
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses

Atmospheric science and weather

Congressional oversight

Crime prevention

Crime victims

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Department of Commerce

Employment discrimination and employee rights

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government studies and investigations

Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

Marine and inland water transportation

Right of privacy

Sex offenses

Transportation safety and security

Worker safety and health
Latest action: action_date: 2023-10-25
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-04-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 202</b><strong></strong><b>3</b></p> <p>This bill addresses sexual harassment and sexual assault involving personnel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).</p> <p>The bill specifies that NOAA's sexual harassment prevention and response policy applies to personnel such as observers, at-sea monitors, and voting members and staff of regional fishery management councils.</p> <p>The bill removes the requirement that certain acts, such as assault, intimidation, and sexual harassment of an observer or a data collector, be forcible in nature to be unlawful.</p> <p>The bill also requires NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations to establish a policy for reporting to the Coast Guard the names of NOAA personnel who are the subject of certain claims. Specifically, such reports must identify employees or contractors who are the subject of a claim of an act or offense detrimental to good discipline and safety at sea (e.g., a claim of sexual assault substantiated by an investigation) or any other substantiated claim of an act or offense for which suspension or revocation of a credential is either mandatory or sought pursuant to certain Coast Guard regulations. </p> <p>Additionally, the bill directs NOAA to develop a restricted reporting system that allows employees and other personnel to confidentially report sexual harassment or assault and receive services without triggering an investigation.</p> <p>Finally, the bill also expands reporting requirements on sexual harassment, sexual assault, and equal employment.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2990 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 28, 2023 Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mrs. González-Colón , Mr. Huffman , and Ms. Salazar ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources , and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure , 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 amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 to address sexual harassment involving National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2023 . 2. References Except as otherwise specifically provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a provision of subtitle C of title XXXV of Public Law 114–328 ( 33 U.S.C. 894 et seq. ). 3. Policy on the prevention of and response to sexual harassment involving National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel Section 3541(f) ( 33 U.S.C. 894(f) ) is amended— (1) by inserting and equal employment after sexual harassment each place it appears; and (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively; and (B) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following: (C) A synopsis of each case and the disciplinary action taken, if any, in each case. . 4. Annual report on sexual assaults, sexual harassment, and equal employment Section 3548 ( 33 U.S.C. 894e ) is amended— (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the following: Annual report on sexual assaults, sexual harassment, and equal employment in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ; (2) in subsection (a), by striking the sexual assaults involving and inserting sexual assault and sexual harassment involving and the equal employment of ; and (3) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (4), by inserting , including a synopsis of each case and the disciplinary action taken, if any, in each case before the period at the end; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (5) A summary of the number of change of station, unit transfer, and change of work location requests submitted to the Under Secretary under section 3544(a), including the number of such requests that were denied. (6) A summary of the number of cases referred to the Coast Guard under this section. (7) The number of alleged sexual assaults and sexual harassment cases involving fisheries observers, protected species observers, and endangered species observers, including— (A) a synopsis of each case and the status of such case; (B) the disposition of any investigation; and (C) a description of the fishery management region and fishery or the geographic region and type of permitted operation in which the sexual assault or sexual harassment is alleged to have occurred, as appropriate. . 5. Investigation and criminal referral requirements (a) Technical amendment Sections 3548 and 3549 (33 U.S.C. 894e and 894f) are redesignated as sections 3551 and 3552, respectively. (b) In general Subtitle C of title XXXV ( 33 U.S.C. 894 et seq. ) is amended by inserting after section 3547 ( 33 U.S.C. 894d–2 ) the following: 3548. Exceptions regarding anonymity of survivors in certain cases (a) In general In any case in which an employee, member of the commissioned officer corps of the Administration, or covered personnel elects restricted or unrestricted reporting under section 3541(b)(3)(B) or 3542(b)(5)(B), disclosure of the personally identifying information of such individual is authorized to the following persons or organizations when disclosure would be for the following reasons: (1) To Administration staff or law enforcement personnel, if authorized by the survivor in writing. (2) To Administration staff or law enforcement personnel to prevent or lessen a serious or imminent threat to the health or safety of the survivor or another person. (3) To a survivor advocate or healthcare provider, if required for the provision of survivor services. (4) To a State or Federal court, if pursuant to a court order or if disclosure is required by Federal or State statute. (b) Notice of disclosure and privacy protection In any case in which information is disclosed under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— (1) make reasonable attempts to provide notice to the individual whose personally identifying information is disclosed; and (2) take such action as is necessary to protect the privacy and safety of the individual. 3549. Restricted reporting (a) In general Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2023 , the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, shall develop a mechanism to provide a system of restricted reporting. (b) Restricted reporting defined In this section the term restricted reporting means a system of reporting that allows employees of the Administration, members of the commissioned officer corps of the Administration, and covered personnel who allege that they have been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted to confidentially disclose the details of such sexual harassment or sexual assault to specified individuals and receive the services outlined in this subtitle— (1) without the dissemination of the personally identifying information of such individual except as necessary for the provision of such services and as provided by section 3548(a); and (2) without automatically triggering an investigative process. 3550. Mariner referral The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, acting through the Director of the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and in consultation with the Commandant of the Coast Guard, shall, not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2023 , develop and implement a policy to report to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in accordance with section 10104 of title 46, United States Code, the names of personnel of the Administration who— (1) are the subject of a claim of an act or offense detrimental to good discipline and safety at sea, such as sexual harassment or sexual assault that is substantiated by an investigation under section 3546, or any other substantiated claim of an act or offense for which suspension or revocation of a credential is either mandatory or sought pursuant to part 5 of title 46, Code of Federal Regulations; and (2) are— (A) employees or contractors of the Administration required to hold a valid merchant mariner credential as a condition of employment; or (B) crew of a vessel that, at the time of such act or offense, was operating under a contract with the Administration. . 6. Definitions Section 3552 is amended to read as follows: 3552. Definitions In this subtitle: (1) Administration The term Administration means the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2) Covered personnel The term covered personnel means an individual who works with or conducts business on behalf of the Administration and includes— (A) observers, at-sea monitors, and catch monitors required by the National Marine Fisheries Service to operate on or in commercial fishing vessels, other privately owned vessels, barges, or platforms, and shoreside processing facilities for— (i) commercial fisheries observation required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. ); (ii) protected species or endangered species observation required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 ( 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. ) or the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1351 et seq. ); or (iii) platform removal observation; and (B) voting members and executive and administrative staff of regional fishery management councils established by section 302 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1852 ). (3) Sexual assault The term sexual assault has the meaning given the term in section 40002(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 ( 42 U.S.C. 13925(a) ). . 7. Conforming and clerical amendments (a) Conforming amendments Subtitle C of title XXXV ( 33 U.S.C. 894 et seq. ) is amended— (1) by striking individuals who work with or conduct business on behalf of the Administration each place it appears and inserting covered personnel ; (2) by striking National Oceanic and Atmospheric each place it appears, except— (A) when it appears as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2023 ; (B) in section 3551, in the section heading; and (C) in section 3552(1); (3) by striking the term victims each place it appears and inserting survivors ; (4) in section 3541(b)(2)(B), by striking victim and inserting target of sexual harassment ; (5) in section 3542— (A) in subsection (b)(9)— (i) by striking Victim and inserting Survivor ; and (ii) by striking victim and inserting survivor ; and (B) in subsection (c)— (i) in the heading, by striking Victim and inserting Survivor ; (ii) in paragraph (2), in the heading, by striking Victim and inserting Survivor ; and (iii) by striking the term victim each place it appears and inserting survivor ; (6) in section 3543— (A) in the heading, by striking victim and inserting survivor ; and (B) by striking victim and inserting survivor ; and (7) in section 3544— (A) in subsection (a)— (i) by striking victims and inserting survivors ; and (ii) in paragraph (1), by striking was each place it appears and inserting is ; and (B) by striking victim each place it appears and inserting survivor . (b) Clerical amendment Each of the tables of contents in section 2(b) and at the beginning of title XXXV of Public Law 114–328 are amended— (1) by striking the item relating to section 3543 and inserting the following: Sec. 3543. Rights of the survivor of a sexual assault. ; and (2) by striking the items relating to sections 3548 and 3549 and inserting the following: Sec. 3548. Exceptions regarding anonymity of survivors in certain cases. Sec. 3549. Restricted reporting. Sec. 3550. Mariner referral. Sec. 3551. Annual report on sexual assaults, sexual harassment, and equal employment in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Sec. 3552. Definitions. . 8. Prohibited acts Section 307(1)(L) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1857(1)(L) ) is amended— (1) by striking forcibly ; and (2) by striking on a vessel . 9. Prohibition on service in the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses Section 261(a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002 ( 33 U.S.C. 3071(a) ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (26) as paragraph (27); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (25) the following: (26) Section 657, relating to prohibition on service by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses. . 10. Definition of responsible entity of a vessel Section 10104(g) of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking or at the end; (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (3) the Director of the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, with respect to each vessel owned or operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. .