Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2015
This bill amends the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 to require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct and update at least once every seven years an ocean acidification coastal community vulnerability assessment with a corresponding public report. The assessment must identify: (1) U.S. coastal communities that are most dependent on coastal and ocean resources that may be impacted by ocean acidification; (2) the nature of those communities' social and economic vulnerabilities; (3) impacts from changes in ocean and coastal marine resources that are not managed by the federal government; and (4) key knowledge gaps where research could be devoted to better understand the possible ocean acidification impacts, risks, threats, and possible adaptation strategies for the communities.
NOAA's ocean acidification program is expanded to include an ongoing mechanism that allows affected industry members, coastal stakeholders, non-federal resource managers, and outside scientific experts not employed by the federal government to provide input on research, data, and monitoring necessary to support on-the-ground management, decision making, and adaptation related to ocean acidification and its impacts.
The strategic plan for ocean acidification research and monitoring developed by the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council must make recommendations for research to address the key knowledge gaps identified in the community vulnerability assessment report.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2553 Introduced in House (IH)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2553
To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to conduct
coastal community vulnerability assessments related to ocean
acidification, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 21, 2015
Ms. Pingree (for herself, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr.
King of New York, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Curbelo of Florida, and Mr.
Crenshaw) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to conduct
coastal community vulnerability assessments related to ocean
acidification, 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 ``Coastal Communities Ocean
Acidification Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. COASTAL COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.
(a) In General.--Section 12406 of the Federal Ocean Acidification
Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3705) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Community Vulnerability Assessment.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, through the program
established under subsection (a), shall conduct an ocean
acidification coastal community vulnerability assessment, and
issue a corresponding public report, that shall be updated at
least once every 7 years.
``(2) Requirements.--The assessment conducted under
paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) identify the United States coastal
communities, including island communities, low-
population rural communities, and subsistence
communities, that are most dependent on coastal and
ocean resources that may be impacted by ocean
acidification;
``(B) assess the nature of those communities'
social and economic vulnerabilities;
``(C) identify the ocean acidification impacts that
might harm those communities, including impacts from
changes in ocean and coastal marine resources that are
not managed by the Federal Government;
``(D) identify key knowledge gaps where research
could be devoted to better understand the possible
impacts of ocean acidification on these vulnerable
communities, the risks and threats facing these
communities, and possible adaptation strategies for
these communities; and
``(E) be conducted in collaboration with experts
who are familiar with the unique economic, social,
ecological, geographic, and resource concerns of the
Nation's coastal communities, including representatives
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service and
the Office for Coastal Management.''.
(b) Ongoing Input Mechanism.--Section 12404(b)(5) of the Federal
Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C.
3703(b)(5)) is amended by adding at the end before the period the
following: ``, also including an ongoing mechanism that allows affected
industry members, coastal stakeholders, non-Federal resource managers,
and scientific experts not employed by the Federal Government to
provide input on research, data, and monitoring that is necessary to
support on-the-ground management, decisionmaking, and adaptation
related to ocean acidification and its impacts''.
(c) Strategic Research Plan.--Section 12405(b) of the Federal Ocean
Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3704(b))
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(10) make recommendations for research that should be
conducted, including in the social sciences and economics, to
address the key knowledge gaps identified in the community
vulnerability assessment report conducted under subsection (b)
of section 12406.''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.
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