Marine Debris Act Reauthorization Amendments of 2012 - Reauthorizes appropriations through FY2015 for, and revises provisions of, the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act.
(Sec. 3) Renames such Act as the Marine Debris Act. Replaces provisions establishing within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program with provisions establishing the Marine Debris Program to identify, determine sources of, assess, prevent, reduce, and remove the occurrence and adverse impacts of marine debris on the U.S. economy, the marine environment, and navigation safety.
(Sec. 5) Revises Program components, including by requiring the Administrator of NOAA to provide national and regional coordination to assist states, Indian tribes, and regional organizations in identification, determination of sources, assessment, prevention, reduction, and removal of marine debris.
Amends the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987 to repeal the plastic pollution public education program.
(Sec. 7) Replaces provisions of the Marine Debris Program concerning interagency coordination with provisions establishing the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee under the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987.
Requires such Committee to submit biennial (currently annual) progress reports.
(Sec. 8) Requires the Administrator to ensure the confidentiality of information submitted into the federal information clearinghouse on marine debris. (Currently, the Administrator is required to take steps to ensure the confidentiality of only such information that is submitted by the fishing industry.)
(Sec. 9) Defines the term "marine debris" as any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1171 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1171
To reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and
Reduction Act.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 17, 2011
Mr. Farr (for himself, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. Rohrabacher, Ms.
Bordallo, Mrs. Christensen, and Mr. Pierluisi) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources,
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 reauthorize and amend the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and
Reduction Act.
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 Debris Act Reauthorization
Amendments of 2011''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
Section 2 of the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction
Act (33 U.S.C. 1951) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
``The purposes of this Act are--
``(1) to address the adverse impacts of marine debris to
the marine environment, navigation safety, and the economy
through investigation and source identification, assessment,
reduction, removal, and prevention;
``(2) to continue the Interagency Marine Debris
Coordinating Committee; and
``(3) to develop and maintain the Federal marine debris
information clearinghouse.''.
SEC. 3. NOAA MARINE DEBRIS PROGRAM.
Section 3 of the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction
Act (33 U.S.C. 1952) is amended by striking so much as precedes
subsection (c) and inserting the following:
``SEC. 3. NOAA MARINE DEBRIS PROGRAM.
``(a) Establishment of Program.--There is established, within the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a Marine Debris
Program to--
``(1) investigate, identify sources of, assess, reduce,
remove, and prevent the occurrence of marine debris; and
``(2) address, and where practicable prevent, adverse
impacts of marine debris on the marine environment, navigation
safety, and the economy.
``(b) Program Components.--
``(1) Investigations and assessment.--The Administrator
shall, in consultation with relevant Federal agencies,
undertake marine debris investigation and assessment efforts,
with a focus on marine debris posing a threat to the marine
environment, navigation safety, and the economy, including--
``(A) investigation, analysis, and assessment of
derelict fishing gear;
``(B) investigation, analysis, and assessment of
plastics, as pertains to the health of the marine
environment;
``(C) the establishment of a process for
maintaining an inventory of marine debris types and
their impacts found in the navigable waters of the
United States and the United States exclusive economic
zone, including impacts on the marine environment,
navigation safety, and the economy; and
``(D) measures to identify the source, location,
and projected movement of marine debris within United
States navigable waters, the United States exclusive
economic zone, and the high seas, including the use of
oceanographic, atmospheric, satellite, and remote
sensing data.
``(2) Prevent, reduce, and remove occurrence and impacts.--
The Administrator shall improve efforts to prevent, reduce, and
remove marine debris, including activities to address the
adverse impacts of derelict fishing gear, including--
``(A) working with other Federal agencies to
address land-based sources of marine debris;
``(B) developing fishing gear modifications or
alternatives to conventional fishing gear posing a
threat to the marine environment;
``(C) developing effective nonregulatory measures
and incentives to cooperatively reduce the volume of
lost and discarded fishing gear and to aid in its
recovery; and
``(D) developing and implementing strategies,
methods, priorities, and a plan for preventing and
removing marine debris in or likely to enter United
States navigable waters or the United States exclusive
economic zone, including development of local or
regional protocols for removal of derelict fishing gear
and other marine debris.
``(3) National and regional coordination.--The
Administrator shall undertake national and regional
coordination to assist States, Indian tribes, and regional
organizations to address marine debris issues that are
particular to their areas, including--
``(A) facilitating information exchange within and
among States and Indian tribes on issues relating to
marine debris investigation and assessment, prevention,
reduction, and removal activities; and
``(B) serving as an expert resource to State,
tribal, and local governments, nongovernment
organizations, fishing communities, industry, and other
entities with an interest in marine debris.
``(4) Development of tools and products.--The Administrator
shall develop tools and products to improve efforts to address
marine debris, and make these available to researchers, the
marine debris community, and the general public. The tools and
products may include--
``(A) best practices;
``(B) protocols for monitoring marine debris;
``(C) technology; and
``(D) reporting methods.
``(5) International cooperation.--The Administrator, acting
through the Marine Debris Program, may lead the development and
implementation of a strategy, in coordination with other
relevant programs, that may be pursued by the United States
with other nations and in appropriate international and
regional forums, to promote international action to reduce the
incidence of marine debris, including--
``(A) the adoption of effective marine debris
prevention and removal measures in international and
regional agreements, including fisheries agreements and
maritime agreements;
``(B) the development of standardized national
reporting and information guidelines that will assist
in improving information collection and identification
and monitoring of marine debris;
``(C) consistent with the information clearinghouse
established under section 6, the promotion of `best
practices to address marine debris';
``(D) the establishment of public-private
partnerships and funding sources for pilot programs
that will assist in implementation of marine debris
prevention and removal measures in international
agreements and guidelines;
``(E) when appropriate, provision of assistance to
the responsible Federal agency in bilateral and
multilateral efforts to effectively address marine
debris prevention; and
``(F) actions to implement the relevant
recommendations of the National Research Council report
entitled `Tackling Marine Debris in the 21st Century'
and dated 2008.''.
SEC. 4. GLOBAL MARINE DEBRIS COORDINATION CONFERENCE.
The Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act (33
U.S.C. 1951 et seq.) is amended by redesignating sections 7, 8, and 9
in order as sections 8, 9, and 10, and by inserting after section 6 the
following new section:
``SEC. 7. GLOBAL MARINE DEBRIS COORDINATION CONFERENCE.
``The Administrator, in coordination with representatives of the
domestic and nondomestic marine debris community, shall host a Global
Marine Debris Coordination Conference not less often than every four
years, beginning in 2015. The Conference shall be developed with a
steering committee composed of domestic and nondomestic marine debris
experts, led by the Administrator.''.
SEC. 5. DEFINITION OF MARINE DEBRIS.
Section 8 of the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction
Act, as redesignated by section 4 of this Act, is amended--
(1) by moving paragraph (3) (relating to the definition of
``United States exclusive economic zone'') to appear as the
last paragraph of the section;
(2) by moving paragraph (6) (relating to the definition of
``territorial sea'') to appear immediately before such last
paragraph, as so moved;
(3) by amending the paragraphs after paragraph (2) as
paragraphs (4) through (10);
(4) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);
(5) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraph:
``(2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the
meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).'';
and
(6) by inserting after paragraph (3), as so redesignated,
the following new paragraph:
``(4) Marine debris.--The term `marine debris' means any
man-made object that--
``(A) intentionally or unintentionally, is
discarded, disposed of, or abandoned; and
``(B) enters the coastal or marine environment--
``(i) directly from a vessel, a facility,
or shore; or
``(ii) indirectly, by being carried via a
river, stream, or storm drain or by other
means.''.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 10 of the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction
Act, as redesignated by section 4 of this Act, is amended by striking
``for each fiscal year 2006 through 2010'' and inserting ``for each of
fiscal years 2012 through 2016''.
<all>
Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs Discharged.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 112-584, Part I.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 112-584, Part I.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H. Rept. 112-584, Part II.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H. Rept. 112-584, Part II.
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Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 432.
Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5609-5612)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1171.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5609-5610)
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5609-5610)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.