Gulf Coast Restoration Act

Gulf Coast Restoration Act - Establishes in the Treasury the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund. Requires transfer into such Fund of not less than 80% of all amounts collected as federal penalties, settlements, or fines in relation to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill caused by the Deepwater Horizon drilling unit that began on April 20, 2010.

Establishes the Gulf Coast Restoration Task Force. Directs the Task Force to use the Fund for activities related to Gulf coast economic development, tourism promotion, and ecosystem restoration, by way of grants to the Gulf states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Prohibits any state from receiving less than 5% or more than 30% of available amounts.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1762 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1762

  To establish a Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2011

   Mr. Bonner (for himself, Mr. Bachus, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Rogers of 
Alabama, Ms. Sewell, Mrs. Roby, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. 
Palazzo, Mr. Harper, Mr. Nunnelee, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Paul, and Mr. 
 Southerland) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
 Committees on Natural Resources and Energy and Commerce, 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 establish a Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, 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 ``Gulf Coast Restoration Act''.

SEC. 2. GULF COAST RESTORATION FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the 
United States a fund to be known as the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund.
    (b) Transfers to Fund.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the Secretary of the Treasury shall deposit into the Fund amounts equal 
to not less than 80 percent of any amounts collected by the United 
States before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act as 
penalties, settlements, or fines under sections 309 and 311 of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1319, 1321) in relation 
to the Gulf oil spill.
    (c) Authorized Uses.--
            (1) In general.--The Fund shall be available to the Task 
        Force, as provided in appropriations Acts, only for activities 
        related to Gulf coast economic development, tourism promotion, 
        and ecosystem restoration.
            (2) Grants to states.--
                    (A) In general.--The Task Force shall distribute 
                the amounts made available for expenditure from the 
                Fund to the Gulf States to be used in accordance with 
                this subsection.
                    (B) Allocation among states.--The Task Force shall 
                allocate the amounts to be distributed to each Gulf 
                State under this paragraph such that no single Gulf 
                State receives less than 5 percent, nor more than 30 
                percent, of the available amounts.
                    (C) Allocation within states.--The Governor of each 
                Gulf State shall allocate amounts distributed to the 
                State as follows:
                            (i) Not more than 20 percent of such 
                        amounts may be used by the Governor for 
                        statewide economic development, tourism 
                        promotion, and ecosystem restoration 
                        activities.
                            (ii) Not less than 80 percent of such 
                        amounts shall be distributed to local 
                        governments in counties directly affected by 
                        the Gulf oil spill for local economic 
                        development, tourism promotion, and ecosystem 
                        restoration activities.

SEC. 3. GULF COAST RESTORATION TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Gulf Coast Restoration 
Task Force.
    (b) Membership.--The Task Force shall consist of the following 
members, or in the case of a Federal agency, a designee at the level of 
Assistant Secretary or the equivalent:
            (1) The Secretary of the Interior.
            (2) The Secretary of Commerce.
            (3) The Secretary of the Army.
            (4) The Attorney General.
            (5) The Secretary of Homeland Security.
            (6) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency.
            (7) The Commandant of the Coast Guard.
            (8) The Secretary of Transportation.
            (9) The Secretary of Agriculture.
            (10) The Secretary of the Navy.
            (11) Two representatives of each of the Gulf States, 
        appointed by the Governor of each such State.
            (12) Two representatives, from within each of the Gulf 
        States, of local governments having jurisdiction over areas 
        directly affected by the Gulf oil spill, appointed by the 
        Governor of each State, respectively.
    (c) Duties.--The Task Force shall administer the Fund in accordance 
with section 2.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than 180 days after receiving funds under section 2, the 
Governor of each Gulf State shall submit to Congress a report 
describing the use of such funds.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Ecosystem restoration.--The term ``ecosystem 
        restoration'' means any projects and activities for the 
        conservation, protection, or restoration of coastal areas, 
        including wetlands; the mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, 
        or natural resources; the planning assistance and the 
        administrative costs of complying with this section; or the 
        implementation of a federally approved marine, coastal, or 
        comprehensive conservation management plan.
            (2) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Gulf Coast 
        Restoration Fund established by section 2(a).
            (3) Gulf oil spill.--The term ``Gulf oil spill'' means the 
        oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the mobile offshore 
        drilling unit Deepwater Horizon that began on April 20, 2010.
            (4) Gulf states.--The term ``Gulf States'' means the States 
        of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
            (5) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the Gulf 
        Coast Restoration Task Force established by section 3(a).
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