This Act may be cited as the “Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act of 2021”.

In this Act, the term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Table of contents.

(a) Establishment.—The Administrator shall establish and maintain a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to further conservation and restoration objectives for fish and wildlife habitat and coastal resilience, including the development of ways to incorporate ecosystem services from carbon storage into existing domestic and international policies, programs, and activities.

(b) Additional authority.—In conducting the program, the Administrator may enter into and perform such contracts, leases, grants, or cooperative agreements as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this title on such terms as Administrator considers appropriate.

(c) Activities.—The Administrator shall lead the development and coordination of the strategic plan described in section 106(e) and shall—

(1) collaborate with Federal agencies, the interagency working group, State agencies, Indian Tribes, and non-governmental organizations on research, restoration, and protection efforts relating to blue carbon ecosystems;

(2) develop a database of blue carbon stocks and fluxes in the United States;

(3) assist in exploration of the potential for a market for carbon credits and other financial instruments for protection and restoration initiatives, including research, development of protocols, and evaluation of protocols and the efficacy of blue carbon markets as a tool for protecting ecosystems;

(4) develop and provide informational materials and guidance relating to using blue carbon ecosystems as a tool to further conservation objectives;

(5) use existing models or develop new models to assess blue carbon storage potential that include quantification, verifiability, additionality as compared to a historical baseline, and permanence of those benefits;

(6) quantify current total and net ecosystem carbon storage and sequestration in coastal and marine areas;

(7) project future total and net ecosystem carbon storage and sequestration under different scenarios influenced by human population growth, sea level rise, and other system-wide changes;

(8) protect and restore habitats, waters, and organisms that are long-term carbon sinks or will be subject to habitat change as a result of climate change and development;

(9) provide staff and technical expertise to the interagency working group;

(10) quantify co-benefits of blue carbon ecosystems, including flood risk reduction, habitat protection and restoration for endangered and threatened species, habitat protection and restoration for commercial and recreational fisheries, water quality improvements, habitat maintenance and restoration, cycling of nutrients other than carbon, commercial and recreational fishing and boating benefits;

(11) assess regional and national ecosystem and socioeconomic impacts of carbon sequestration and storage;

(12) research variability, long-term storage, and innovative techniques for effective, long-term, natural ocean or coastal ecosystem-based carbon sequestration;

(13) identify areas of particularly high rates of carbon sequestration and storage;

(14) assess legal issues of landownership in blue carbon markets, and develop guidelines to help landowners navigate the requirements of such markets; and

(15) assess the impacts of protection and restoration efforts in blue carbon ecosystems on methane emissions.

(a) National map.—The Administrator, in consultation with the interagency working group established under section 106, shall—

(1) produce and maintain (by updating every three years) a national map and inventory of coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystems including—

(A) with respect to each such ecosystem—

(i) the species and types of habitat in the ecosystem;

(ii) the condition of such habitats including whether a habitat is degraded, drained, eutrophic, or tidally restricted;

(iii) the type of public or private ownership relating to such ecosystem and any protected status;

(iv) the size of the ecosystem;

(v) the salinity boundaries of the ecosystem;

(vi) the tidal boundaries of the ecosystem;

(vii) an assessment of carbon sequestration potential, methane production, and net greenhouse gas effects of the ecosystem—

(I) quantifying the amount of carbon stored in a particular geographic area;

(II) the degree to which such amounts can be verified;

(III) determination of how much additional carbon may be stored in such an area due to further carbon sequestration; and

(IV) the permanence of such existing and future carbon storage;

(viii) an assessment of the ecosystem co-benefits, such as fish habitat for commercial, recreational, indigenous, and Tribal fisheries, flood risk reduction, wave stress, storm protection, shoreline stabilization, public access, water and air pollution filtration, contributions to traditional and cultural practices, and recreational use and benefits of the ecosystem;

(ix) the potential for landward migration of each ecosystem as a result of sea level rise;

(x) any upstream structures detrimental to the watershed process and conditions, including dams, dikes, and levees;

(xi) any upstream pollution sources that threaten the health of each ecosystem;

(xii) proximity of the ecosystem to aquaculture uses or lease areas; and

(xiii) a depiction of the effects of human stressors, including the conversion of blue carbon ecosystems to other land uses and the cause of such conversion; and

(B) a depiction of the effects of climate change, including sea level rise, ocean acidification, ocean warming, and other environmental stressors on the sequestration rate, carbon storage, and carbon sequestration and storage potential of blue carbon ecosystems; and

(2) in carrying out paragraph (1)—

(A) incorporate, to the extent possible, data collected through federally and State funded research, including data collected from—

(i) the Coastal Change Analysis Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

(ii) the National Wetlands Inventory of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;

(iii) biologic carbon sequestration information of the United States Geological Survey;

(iv) information from the Center for LIDAR Information Coordination and Knowledge of the United States Geological Survey and Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(v) biological and environmental research from the Department of Energy;

(vi) national aquatic resource surveys of the Environmental Protection Agency; and

(vii) data from the National Coastal Blue Carbon Assessment of the Department of Agriculture; and

(B) engage regional experts for additional peer-reviewed data to ensure that best available scientific information is incorporated.

(b) Use.—The interagency working group shall use the national map and inventory created pursuant to subsection (a)—

(1) to assess the existing and potential carbon sequestration of different blue carbon ecosystems, and account for any regional differences;

(2) to assess and quantify emissions from degraded and destroyed blue carbon ecosystems;

(3) to assist in the development of regional assessments and to provide technical assistance to regional, State, Tribal, and local government agencies, regional information coordination entities (as such term is defined in section 12303(6) of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act (33 U.S.C. 3602)), and agencies, organizations, and other entities that support communities that may not have adequate resources, including low-income communities, communities of color, Tribal communities, Indigenous communities, and rural communities;

(4) to assist in efforts to assess degraded coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystems and their potential for restoration, including developing scenario modeling to identify vulnerable areas where management, protection, and restoration efforts should be focused, including the potential for an ecosystem to migrate inland to adapt to sea level rise; and

(5) to produce predictions of blue carbon ecosystems and carbon sequestration rates in the context of climate change, environmental stressors, and human stressors.

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act and every two years thereafter, the Administrator, in consultation with the interagency working group, shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing the following:

(1) A summary of federally funded coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystem research, monitoring, conservation, and restoration activities, including the budget for each of these activities and describe the progress in advancing the national priorities established by the interagency working group.

(2) With respect to each blue carbon ecosystem, the type, location, and ownership of the ecosystem (whether privately owned lands, State lands, Tribal lands, or Federal lands.

(3) An assessment of the vulnerability of coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystems to climate impacts such as sea-level rise, acidification, and saltwater intrusion, and other environmental and human stressors, such as development, water pollution, and aquaculture.

(4) An assessment of the greatest anthropogenic threats to blue carbon ecosystems, including the Federal agency actions that have historically caused and presently cause great adverse effects on such ecosystems.

(5) An assessment of the carbon sequestration potential of coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystems and the probable changes to sequestration under climate change scenarios.

(6) An assessment of biophysical, social, and economic impediments including water storage and flood control structures to coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystem protection and restoration and opportunities to restore and enhance the resilience of and sequestration potential of blue carbon ecosystems.

(7) An assessment of aging or outdated artificial structures, including dikes, levees, dams, culverts, water storage structures, shoreline hardening projects, impediments to fish passage, and other infrastructure that impede the ecological or sequestration functions of blue carbon areas and the feasibility of repairing, retrofitting, or removing such structures.

(8) The economic, social, and environmental co-benefits that these blue carbon ecosystems provide including—

(A) protection of coasts from storms and flooding;

(B) tourism and recreational use;

(C) benefits to fisheries;

(D) nutrient removal;

(E) the number of jobs that are directly or indirectly attributable to blue carbon ecosystems; and

(F) the total economic activity that is attributable to such blue carbon ecosystems.

(9) An assessment of the social and economic makeup of the communities served by blue carbon ecosystems.

(a) Establishment.—The Administrator shall establish a competitive grant program entitled the “Blue Carbon Partnership Grant Program” to provide funds to eligible entities for projects that—

(1) protect and restore blue carbon stocks, oceanic blue carbon, and blue carbon ecosystems and increase the long-term carbon storage and sequestration; and

(2) contribute to priorities identified in the most recent strategic plan developed by the interagency working group pursuant to section 106(e).

(b) Eligible recipients.—A person or entity is eligible to receive a grant under the grant program if such person or entity is—

(1) a voluntary private landowner or group of landowners;

(2) a State agency responsible for managing natural resources or wildlife;

(3) an Indian Tribe;

(4) a unit of local government;

(5) a nonprofit organization or land trust;

(6) an institution of higher education and research; or

(7) any group of entities described in paragraphs (1) through (6).

(c) Requirements.—In administering the grant program under this section, the Administrator shall develop criteria, guidelines, contracts, reporting requirements, and evaluation metrics developed by the interagency working group.

(d) Selection criteria.—In evaluating applications for the program from eligible entities, the Administrator shall give priority to proposed eligible protection and restoration activities that—

(1) would result in long-term protection and sequestration of carbon stored in coastal and marine environments; and

(2) (A) would protect key habitats for fish, wildlife, and the maintenance of biodiversity;

(B) would provide coastal protection from development, storms, flooding, and land-based pollution;

(C) would protect coastal resources of national, historical, and cultural significance;

(D) would benefit communities of color, low-income communities, Tribal or Indigenous communities, or rural communities; or

(E) would capitalize on existing established public-private partnerships.

(e) Report to Congress.—

(1) REPORT REQUIRED.—The Administrator shall submit annually to Congress a report containing a State-by-State analysis of—

(A) the total number of acres of land or water protected or restored through fee title acquisition, easement, restoration or other activities under the program;

(B) the status of restoration projects under this program; and

(C) the amount of blue carbon captured or protected over a 100-year time period as a result of this program.

(2) PUBLICATION OF REPORT.—The Administrator shall make available to the public each report required by paragraph (1).

(f) Acreage requirements.—To the maximum extent possible, Administrator shall award grants under the grant program established by this section to conduct blue carbon ecosystem protection and restoration on 1,500,000 acres over 10 years.

(g) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $300,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 to 2026 to carry out this section.

The Administrator shall—

(1) establish integrated pilot programs that develop best management practices, including design criteria and performance functions, for coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystem protection and restoration, nature-based adaptation strategies, living shoreline projects, landward progression or migration of blue carbon ecosystems, and identify potential barriers to protection and restoration efforts;

(2) ensure that the pilot programs cover geographically, ecologically, culturally, and economically representative locations with significant ecological, economic, and social benefits and maximize potential for long-term carbon storage and sequestration;

(3) establish a procedure for reviewing applications for the pilot program, taking into account—

(A) quantifying the amount of carbon stored in a particular geographic area;

(B) the degree to which such amounts can be verified;

(C) determination of how much additional carbon may be stored in such an area due to further carbon sequestration; and

(D) the permanence of such existing and future carbon storage;

(4) ensure, through consultation with the interagency working group, that the goals, metrics, monitoring, and outcomes of the pilot programs are communicated to the appropriate State, Tribal, and local governments, and to the general public; and

(5) coordinate with relevant Federal agencies on the interagency working group to prevent unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal agencies and departments with respect to protection and restoration programs.

(a) Establishment.—The President shall establish an interagency working group on coastal and marine blue carbon.

(b) Purposes.—The interagency working group shall—

(1) oversee the development of and updates to a national map (including all insular areas of the United States) of coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystems, including habitat types with a regional focus in analysis that is usable for local level planning, protection, and restoration;

(2) use such map to inform the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s creation of the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks;

(3) establish national coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystem protection and restoration priorities, including an assessment of current Federal funding being used for protection and restoration efforts;

(4) assess the biophysical, social, statutory, regulatory, and economic impediments to coastal and marine blue carbon ecosystem protection and restoration;

(5) study the effects of climate change and environmental and human stressors on carbon sequestration rates;

(6) identify priority blue carbon ecosystems for protection;

(7) develop a national strategy for foundational science necessary to study, synthesize, and evaluate the effects of climate change, environmental, and human stressors on sequestration rates and capabilities of blue carbon ecosystems protection;

(8) develop an assessment of current legal authorities to protect and restore blue carbon ecosystems and make recommendations for additional authorities if current authorities are determined to be insufficient; and

(9) ensure the continuity, use, and interoperability of data assets through Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse of the Smithsonian Institution and other databases.

(c) Membership.—The interagency working group shall be comprised of representatives of the following (or their designees):

(1) The Administrator.

(2) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

(3) The Director of the National Science Foundation.

(4) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

(5) The Director of the United States Geological Survey.

(6) The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

(7) The Director of the National Park Service.

(8) The Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

(9) The Administrator of the Smithsonian Institution.

(10) The Assistant Administrator Insular and International Affairs of the Department of the Interior.

(11) The Chief of Engineers of the Army Corps of Engineers.

(12) The Administrator of Agriculture.

(13) The Administrator of Defense.

(14) The Administrator of Transportation.

(15) The Administrator of State.

(16) The Administrator of Energy.

(17) The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

(18) The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(19) The Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.

(d) Chair.—The interagency working group shall be chaired by the Administrator.

(e) Strategic plan.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The interagency working group shall create a strategic plan for Federal investments in basic research, development, demonstration, long-term monitoring and stewardship, and deployment of blue carbon ecosystem and marine blue carbon projects for the 5-year period beginning on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act. The plan shall include—

(A) an assessment of the use of existing Federal programs to protect, restore, enhance, and preserve blue carbon ecosystems;

(B) an analysis of potential sea level rise migration corridors for blue carbon ecosystems;

(C) an analysis of anticipated fish and wildlife uses of blue carbon ecosystems;

(D) identification of priority strategies and investments for preserving, restoring, and enhancing the resilience and carbon sequestration potential of such blue carbon ecosystems; and

(E) an analysis of the role of methane emissions in blue carbon ecosystem carbon budgets.

(2) TIMING.—The interagency working group shall—

(A) submit the strategic plan required under paragraph (1) to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on a date that is not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act; and

(B) submit a revised version of such plan to such committees every five years thereafter.

(3) FEDERAL REGISTER.—Not less than 90 days before the strategic plan, or any revision thereof, is submitted under paragraph (2), the interagency working group shall publish such plan in the Federal Register and solicit public comments on such plan for a period of not less than 60 days.

(a) Designation.—The Administrator shall designate as a blue carbon area of significance any area that is—

(1) in the coastal zone (as such term is defined in section 304 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453)), in territorial waters of the United States, or in the exclusive economic zone of the United States;

(2) the location of water, a substrate, or an ecosystem that—

(A) provides for long-term storage and sequestration of significant amounts of ecosystem carbon; and

(B) (i) limits erosion and facilitates future landward migration;

(ii) provides a buffer against storm surge, especially for communities of color, low-income communities, and Tribal and Indigenous communities; or

(iii) provides a spawning, breeding, feeding, or nesting habitat for wildlife; and

(3) not exclusive of coastal or other resources that are significant in for mitigating or adapting to climate change.

(b) Guidelines.—The Administrator, in consultation with the interagency working group, shall, not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, establish by regulation guidelines based on the best available science to describe and identify blue carbon areas of significance and measures to ensure the protection of blue carbon areas of significance.

(c) Review and update.—The Administrator, in consultation with the interagency working group, shall review and update guidelines established under subsection (b) not less frequently than once every 5 years or when new information warrants such an update.

(d) Schedule.—The Administrator, in consultation with the interagency working group, shall establish a schedule for the identification of blue carbon areas of significance under subsection (b) and for reviews and updates under subsection (c), and shall make initial designations of a blue carbon area of significance in each coastal State not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act.

(e) Recommendations and information.—The Administrator, in consultation with the interagency working group, shall, with respect to each coastal carbon area of significance, provide recommendations and information regarding the adverse impacts and threats to the carbon storage, ecosystem services, and habitat capacity of the area, and the actions that should be considered to avoid adverse impacts and ensure the conservation and enhancement of that area.

(f) Programs administered by NOAA.—The Administrator, in consultation with the interagency working group, shall use programs administered by the Administrator to carry out this section and ensure the conservation and enhancement of each blue carbon area of significance.

(g) Requirements for Federal actions.—With respect to any proposed agency action that has the potential to cause an adverse impact on the carbon storage, carbon sequestration, ecosystem services, or habitat capacity of any blue carbon area of significance, each Federal agency shall comply with the following requirements:

(1) NOTIFICATION.—Such Federal agency shall notify the Administrator of such proposed agency action.

(2) DETERMINATION OF ADVERSE IMPACT.—The Administrator, in consultation with the proposing agency and subject to public comment, shall determine whether the proposed agency action will cause an adverse impact on the carbon storage, carbon sequestration, ecosystem, or habitat of a blue carbon area of significance.

(3) ALTERNATIVE.—With respect to any proposed action the Administrator determines will have an adverse impact under paragraph (2), the proposing agency, in consultation with the Administrator, shall determine whether there is an alternative action that would prevent such adverse impact and fulfill the purpose of the proposed action. The proposing agency shall not take an action that would cause an adverse impact if an alternative that would not cause such adverse impact is available and would fulfill the purpose of such action.

(4) CARBON STORAGE OFFSETS.—With respect to a proposed action for which the agency determines no alternative is available under paragraph (3), the proposing agency shall—

(A) in consultation with the Administrator, take measures to mitigate such adverse impact;

(B) take such action as the Administrator determines necessary to create a coastal or marine blue carbon ecosystem storage offset that, taken in conjunction with the proposed action, results in a long term net increase in carbon storage, lasting an equivalent time period as the carbon storage lost by the adverse impact;

(C) demonstrate quantitatively, using the best available science, that the carbon storage offset will result in a net increase in ecological carbon storage and is located in close proximity to the original site to keep the affected communities whole;

(D) maintain such carbon storage offset for a period of time to be determined by the Administrator but not less than 100 years; and

(E) publish the agency’s proposed course of mitigation in the Federal Register for public notice and comment.

(h) Requirement for authorization or appropriation.—Any requests for a new authorization or appropriation from a Federal agency transmitted to the Office of Management and Budget shall include, if such authorization or appropriation may affect a coastal carbon area of significance, a certification that such agency will use such authorization or appropriation in compliance with this section.

(i) Required restrictions.—A Federal agency may not enter into a lease, easement, right-of-way, or sale of any land designated as a blue carbon area of significance unless such agency attaches appropriate restrictions to the use of the property to protect the blue carbon area of significance.

(j) Exception.—Preparation, revision, implementation, or enforcement of a fishery management plan under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) that applies to an area that is subject to a prohibition on all bottom-tending fishing gear shall not be treated as an action that is subject to subsection (g).

(a) In general.—The Administrator of the Smithsonian Institution, in coordination with the Administrator and the interagency working group, shall provide for the long-term stewardship, continuity, use, and interoperability of, and access to, data relating to blue carbon ecosystems and national mapping, including United States Territories and Tribal lands, by supporting the maintenance of the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse.

(b) Coastal carbon data clearinghouse duties.—The Administrator of the Smithsonian Institution in coordination with the Administrator and interagency working group shall process, store, archive, provide access to, and incorporate all coastal and marine blue carbon data collected through federally funded research by a Federal agency, State, local agency, Tribe, scientist, or other relevant entity.

(c) Global and national data assets.—The Administrator of the Smithsonian Institution, in coordination with the Administrator and the interagency working group, shall ensure that existing global and national data assets are incorporated into the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse.

(d) Establishment of standards, protocols, and procedures.—The Administrator of the Smithsonian Institution, in coordination with the Administrator and members of the interagency working group, shall establish standards, protocols, and procedures for the processing, storing, archiving, and providing access to data in the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse and best practices for sharing such data with State, local, and Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, coastal stakeholders, non-Federal resource managers, and academia. The Administrator shall publish, update, and keep current such data on a publicly available website.

(e) Digital tools and resources.—The Administrator of the Smithsonian Institution, in coordination with the Administrator and members of the interagency working group, shall develop digital tools and resources to support the public use of the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse.

(f) Authorization of appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Smithsonian Institution $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out this section.

(a) In general.—The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Director of the National Park Service, and the Administrator shall each conduct coastal and marine restoration and protection activities on land and water managed by each such agency to achieve at least one of the following:

(1) The sequestration of additional carbon dioxide through—

(A) the active restoration of degraded blue carbon ecosystems; and

(B) the protection of threatened blue carbon ecosystems.

(2) The halting of ongoing carbon dioxide emissions, and the resumption of the natural rate of carbon capture, through the restoration of drained coastal wetlands.

(3) The halting of ongoing methane emissions, and the resumption of the natural rate of carbon storage, through the restoration of formerly tidal wetland that has lost tidal connectivity and become fresh wetland (commonly known as “impounded wetland”).

(b) Funding.—For each fiscal year 2022 through 2026, there is authorized to be appropriated for blue carbon ecosystem protection and restoration—

(1) to the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service $200,000,000 for on lands managed by such Director;

(2) to the Director of the National Park Service $200,000,000 for lands managed by such Director; and

(3) to the Administrator $200,000,000 for lands and water managed by such Administrator.

In addition to amounts authorized to be appropriated for specific activities under sections 104, 108, and 109, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 to 2026 to carry out the remainder of this title.

Nothing in this title affects the application of the requirements of section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344); the National Environmental Policy Act, or any regulations issued under either such Act.

In this title, the following definitions apply:

(1) BLUE CARBON AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE.—The term “blue carbon area of significance” means any area designated by the Administrator under section 107 as a blue carbon area of significance.

(2) BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEM.—The term “blue carbon ecosystem” means vegetated coastal habitats including mangroves, tidal marshes, seagrasses, kelp forests, and other tidal or salt-water wetlands that have the capacity to sequester carbon from the atmosphere for a period of not less than 100 years.

(3) BLUE CARBON STOCKS.—The term “blue carbon stocks” means coastal and marine vegetation and wildlife, and underlying sediment that has the capacity to sequester and store atmospheric carbon.

(4) CARBON SEQUESTRATION.—The term “carbon sequestration” means the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

(5) CARBON STORAGE.—The term “carbon storage” means sequestered carbon that remains out of the atmosphere, stored either in biogenic material or sediments.

(6) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.—The term “interagency working group” means the interagency working group on blue carbon established under section 106.

Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(q) Prohibition of Oil and Gas Leasing in Certain Areas of the Outer Continental Shelf.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or any other law, the Secretary may not issue a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any planning area, except in the Central or Western planning areas of the Gulf of Mexico (as such planning areas are described in the document entitled ‘2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program’, dated November 2016, or a subsequent oil and gas leasing program developed under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344)).”.

Section 11 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1340) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(i) Best available technology.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or any other law, the Secretary shall require each holder of a lease or permit under this section for geophysical and geological exploration on the outer Continental Shelf to use the best commercially available technology with respect to reducing acoustic pressure levels to conduct such exploration.”.

(a) Findings.—Congress finds that—

(1) the United States should aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions from United States public lands and oceans and strive to achieve net-zero emissions as soon as possible;

(2) the United States can and must address this climate crisis by putting people to work building the necessary infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions;

(3) the United States offshore wind resources must be responsibly harnessed in order to both rapidly reduce our carbon emissions and put people back to work; and

(4) achieving the goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 is anticipated to result in the creation of tens of thousands of living wage, family-supporting union jobs while positioning America to lead a clean energy revolution and tackle the climate crisis.

(b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) the United States should rapidly develop its offshore wind resources as a key part of achieving a national goal of net-zero emissions;

(2) offshore wind lease areas should be determined by a robust and transparent stakeholder process that incorporates early engagement and input from diverse user groups as well as Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments;

(3) development of offshore wind resources must ensure ecosystem health and the protection of threatened and endangered species and their habitats; and

(4) permitting agencies must have sufficient resources to carry out a robust and efficient review and permitting process.

(a) Targets.—The Secretary of the Interior shall seek to grant leases under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337) for—

(1) not less than 12.5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity on the Outer Continental Shelf by January 1, 2025; and

(2) not less than 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity on the Outer Continental Shelf by January 1, 2030.

(b) Report.—Not later than December 1, 2021, and each year thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the Secretary’s progress in meeting the targets described in subsection (a).

Section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1881a(b)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)—

(A) in subparagraph (G), by striking “or”;

(B) in subparagraph (H), by striking the period at the end and insert “; or”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(I) to the Secretary of the Interior for use relating to siting, exploration, production, or promotion of offshore wind energy on the outer Continental Shelf.”; and

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “(H)” and inserting “(I)”.

Beginning on the date that is 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, with respect to the total amount paid as bonus bids for each offshore wind lease sale under section 8(p) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)), $5,000,000 of each such amount shall be available, to the extent and in such amounts as are provided in advance in appropriations Acts, to be used by the Secretary of the Interior to fund research on the interaction between offshore wind energy and—

(1) federally protected marine resources (including all listed species and designated critical habitats under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.));

(2) marine mammals protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.);

(3) managed fishery resources, seabirds and migratory bird species, and the habitats on which these species depend; and

(4) technology for data collection and other scientific and permitting needs, as determined necessary by the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Energy, to support responsible development and long-term use of offshore wind resources on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Section 113 of Division G of Public Law 113–76 is amended to read as follows:

(a) In general.—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall prepare a report that reviews, compiles, and synthesizes existing research on—

(1) the effect of offshore wind energy on wildlife, habitat, and threatened and endangered species; and

(2) best practices for minimizing and mitigating such effects.

(b) Requirements.—The report shall—

(1) provide a quantitative assessment of the contributions of offshore wind energy in—

(A) reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the electricity sector; and

(B) helping to improve human health and wildlife populations in communities that are near offshore wind energy areas; and

(2) include a quantitative assessment of the efficacy of existing methodologies to measure direct and indirect effects of offshore wind energy on wildlife and their habitats, and provide recommendations regarding best practices to monitor, avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts on wildlife and their habitat.

(a) Application of Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act with respect to Territories of the United States.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331) is amended—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) by striking “The term” and inserting the following:

“(1) THE TERM.—”;

(ii) by inserting after “control” the following: “or lying within the exclusive economic zone of the United States and the outer Continental Shelf adjacent to any territory or possession of the United States”; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following:

“(2) The term ‘outer Continental Shelf’ does not include any area conveyed by Congress to a territorial government for administration;”;

(B) in subsection (p), by striking “and” after the semicolon at the end;

(C) in subsection (q), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(D) by adding at the end the following:

“(r) The term ‘State’ means the several States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”.

(2) EXCLUSIONS.—Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(i) This section shall not apply to the scheduling of any lease sale in an area of the outer Continental Shelf that is adjacent to any insular area of the United States.”.

(b) Wind lease sales for areas of the Outer Continental Shelf.—The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Section 8(p)(2) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(C) With respect to a lease under this subsection for the production of wind energy, 30 percent of the revenue received by the Federal Government as a result of payments from such lease shall be deposited in the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund established by section 904 of the National Oceans and Coastal Security Act (16 U.S.C. 7503).”.

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) American wild-caught seafood is integral to the Nation’s food supply and to American food security;

(2) the seafood supply chain is often long and complex;

(3) American caught and American-processed seafood can be a sustainable healthy source of protein and micronutrients;

(4) fresh, frozen, dried, and canned domestic seafood can be produced, processed, packaged, and transported in a manner that has a low carbon footprint;

(5) marine species that are small, at lower trophic levels, and pelagic typically have the smallest carbon footprint; and

(6) therefore, any executive agency that purchases seafood products should, to the extent practicable, buy local American-caught or American-harvested and American-processed seafood products from fisheries that are not overfished or experiencing overfishing in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the supply chain of seafood products.

Section 2(c)(1) of the Act of August 11, 1939 (15 U.S.C. 713c–3(c)(1)) is amended to read as follows:

“(1) The Secretary shall make grants from the fund established under subsection (b) to—

“(A) assist persons in carrying out research and development projects addressed to any aspect of United States marine fisheries, including harvesting, processing, packaging, marketing, and associated infrastructures; or

“(B) assist persons to market and promote the consumption of—

“(i) local or domestic marine fishery products;

“(ii) environmentally and climate-friendly marine fishery products that minimize and employ efforts to avoid bycatch and impacts on marine mammals;

“(iii) invasive species;

“(iv) well-managed but less known species; or

“(v) plant-based feed for aquaculture operations.”.

(a) In general.—Section 102(b) of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4201(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(23) FISH SUBSIDIES.—The principal negotiating objectives of the United States with respect to fish subsidies are the following:

“(A) To eliminate subsidies that contribute to overfishing, or illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, such as subsidies that—

“(i) increase the marine fishing capacity of fishing vessels or support the acquisition of equipment that increases the ability of fishing vessels to find fish;

“(ii) support the construction of fishing vessels, importation of fishing vessels, or government repurchase of fishing vessels outside of a binding and effective fishing capacity reduction program that includes the corresponding elimination of fishing rights and a binding and effective prohibition on the reuse of vessels for fishing to increase capacity in any fishery;

“(iii) affect fish stocks in any fishery—

“(I) in an overfished or worse condition; or

“(II) whose stock levels are declining;

“(iv) are provided to fishing enterprises engaged in long-distance fishing, either on the high seas or in the exclusive economic zone of a third country;

“(v) support the transfer or reflagging of fishing vessels to third countries, including through the creation of joint ventures with partners of those countries;

“(vi) are provided to the fishing enterprises or to owners or operators of vessels that have been determined to have engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing by a coastal state or a regional fisheries management organization; or

“(vii) reduce fuel, insurance, or other operating costs solely for fishing enterprises except where intended to reduce the carbon footprint of existing fishing operations.

“(B) To require parties to trade agreements—

“(i) to report to an environmental affairs committee established under the agreement, on an annual basis, all marine fishing-related subsidies provided by the parties, including fleet capacity and trade data concerning the fisheries that the subsidies affect;

“(ii) to establish an independent body to make assessments of the health of fish stocks in each domestic fishery and report such assessments to such environmental affairs committee;

“(iii) with respect to shared or international fisheries in which each party is involved in fishing activities, to commit to cooperating with third countries, regional fisheries management organizations, and assessment bodies in annual assessments of the health of fish stocks and associated species in such fisheries; and

“(iv) to certify to such environmental affairs committee that they have made and continue to make adequate progress toward the goal of protecting and conserving, through well-connected and effective system of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030, with the focus on areas particularly important for biodiversity.

“(C) To require parties to trade agreements that are also members of the World Trade Organization to work collaboratively at the Organization to establish and maintain robust disciplines on fisheries subsidies.”.

(b) Effective date.—The amendments made by subsection (a)—

(1) take effect on the date of enactment of this Act; and

(2) apply with respect to negotiations for trade agreements subject to the provisions of section 103 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4202) entered into on or after such date of enactment.

Section 53708(b)(2) of title 46, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A) by striking “or” at the end;

(2) in subparagraph (B) by striking “increased fuel efficiency or improved safety.” and inserting “improved safety; or”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) increasing fuel efficiency and reducing fuel usage, which may include—

“(i) installation of solar panels;

“(ii) engine replacement or retrofit, including the installation of new fuel-efficient, low-emission engines, including hybrid electric marine engines or generators;

“(iii) gearbox or propeller replacement;

“(iv) modifications to hull shape; and

“(v) modifications to fishing gear.”.

Title IV of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1881 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(a) Climate-Ready fisheries innovation program.—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a program, including grants, to develop innovative tools and approaches designed to increase the adaptive capacity of fishery management to the impacts of climate change. In administering such program, the Administrator shall—

(1) develop science and management tools and approaches that address regional and national priorities to improve the conservation and management of fishery resources under existing and anticipated climate impacts;

(2) provide for routine input from fishery managers and scientists in order to maximize opportunities to incorporate results of the program in fishery management actions;

(3) promote adoption of methods developed under the program in fishery management plans developed by the Regional Fishery Management Councils;

(4) provide information and outreach to the private sector and academic sector to encourage development of tools and approaches to manage the effects of climate change on fisheries; and

(5) provide information and outreach to fishery participants to increase understanding of and encourage adoption and use of tools and approaches developed under the program.

(b) Coordination of the program.—

(1) The Administrator shall establish a process to ensure coordination with and outreach to—

(A) regional offices and science centers of the National Marine Fisheries Service;

(B) the Regional Fishery Management Councils;

(C) the scientific and statistical committees of such Fishery Management Councils; and

(D) other relevant programs, including the cooperative research and management program under section 318 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1867), the Integrated Ocean Observing System, and programs within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designed to address ocean acidification.

(2) Such coordination should include identification of multi-year research priorities to study and understand the current and anticipated impacts of climate change on fisheries, fisheries interactions, habitats, fishery participants, fishing communities, fisheries science and monitoring, or other relevant priority. Such priorities should be routinely reviewed in a timeframe not to exceed 5 years and updated as necessary.

(c) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a report to Congress—

(1) assessing whether and how fish stocks have shifted and are expected to shift as a result of climate change, the magnitude and timing of shifts, and a list of shifting stocks by region;

(2) evaluating the impacts range shifts are having on fisheries stock assessments and describing how survey methods are being modified to capture range shifts in fisheries;

(3) assessing factors that promote resilience of fish stocks undergoing range shift;

(4) assessing existing federal policies on fishing permits and licenses in each region, including allocation between states and jurisdictions, and whether those rules facilitate the resilience and adaptive capacity of fisheries when stocks shift; and

(5) identifying actions that could be taken to facilitate the shifting, splitting or transitioning of permits to fishermen in the regions where stocks have shifted, consistent with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and other applicable law.

Section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1855(b)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)(A)—

(A) by inserting “every five years” after “updating”; and

(B) by inserting “, changes to habitat, in part due to climate change,” after “evidence”;

(2) in paragraph (1)(D), by inserting “and such agencies shall take action” after “agencies”;

(3) by striking paragraphs (2) through (4) and inserting after paragraph (1) the following:

“(2) CONSULTATIONS REGARDING FEDERAL AGENCY ACTION WITH ADVERSE EFFECTS ON ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT.—

“(A) REQUIREMENT TO AVOID OR MITIGATE ADVERSE EFFECTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any Federal agency shall consult with the Secretary to ensure that any action authorized, funded, or undertaken by such agency avoids the adverse effect of such action on essential fish habitat or, to the extent that the adverse effect cannot be avoided, the agency shall minimize and mitigate the adverse effect. In the case of habitat areas of particular concern, the agency shall further—

“(i) conduct or require monitoring for possible adverse effects, and, if adverse effects occur, undertake additional actions to minimize and mitigate any such adverse effects of the action on the habitat area of particular concern and species for which the habitat area of particular concern is designated for the duration of time over which adverse impacts are likely to occur; and

“(ii) evaluate the effectiveness of measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts to the habitat area of particular concern and species for which the habitat area of particular concern is designated, and report the results of such evaluation to the Secretary on an annual basis.

“(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In completing the requirements under subparagraph (A) for projects seeking to restore and improve the long-term resilience of habitat, particularly in estuarine environments heavily impacted by sea level rise and other climate change factors, each Federal agency shall, in consultation with the Secretary, take into account the consequences of not pursuing such restoration and habitat resilience projects and the long-term positive impacts on fish populations of such activities.

“(C) AGENCY CONSULTATION.—Each Federal agency shall consult with the Secretary with respect to any action authorized, funded, or undertaken, or proposed to be authorized, funded, or undertaken, by such agency that may adversely affect any essential fish habitat identified under this chapter.

“(D) REGULATIONS REGARDING CONSULTATION PROCESS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act of 2021, the Secretary shall establish regulations for the consultation process, including procedures to ensure that recommendations made by the Secretary would result in the avoidance, if possible, of adverse effects on essential fish habitat and, if avoidance is not possible, the minimization and mitigation of any such adverse effects.

“(3) INPUT FROM APPROPRIATE COUNCILS.—When engaging in a consultation required under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall provide the relevant Council or Councils with information regarding the proposed action and the potential adverse effects, and the Council or Councils shall comment on and make recommendations to the Secretary and any Federal or State agency concerning—

“(A) the underlying action if, in the view of the Council, such action may affect the habitat of a fishery resource under the authority of such Council; and

“(B) the proposed action if, in the view of the Council, such action is likely to adversely affect the habitat of an anadromous fishery resource under the authority of such Council.

“(4) INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES.—

“(A) RECEIPT OF INFORMATION.—

“(i) If the Secretary receives information from a Council or Federal or State agency, or determine from another source, or as result of the consultation required in paragraph (2), that an action authorized, funded, or undertaken, or proposed to be authorized, funded, or undertaken by any Federal agency adversely affects an essential fish habitat identified under this chapter, the Secretary shall recommend to such agency measures can be taken by such agency to avoid such the adverse effects of the action on such habitat or, to the extent that adverse effects cannot be avoided, minimize and mitigate the adverse effects.

“(ii) Any recommendations made by the Secretary shall be made available to the public on the website of the National Marine Fisheries Service at the time the recommendations are made

“(B) REQUIRED RESPONSE.—

“(i) Within 30 days after receiving a recommendation under subparagraph (A), a Federal agency shall provide a detailed response in writing to any Council comment under paragraph (3) and the Secretary regarding the matter. The response shall include a description of measures proposed by the agency for avoiding the adverse effects, or to the extent the adverse effects cannot be avoided, minimizing and mitigating the adverse effects of the action on essential fish habitat. In the case of a response that is inconsistent with the recommendations of the Secretary, the Federal agency shall explain how the alternative measures proposed will avoid the adverse effects of such action on essential fish habitat or, to the extent that adverse effects cannot be avoided, mitigate the adverse effects.

“(ii) Such responses shall be made available to the public on the website of the National Marine Fisheries Service at the time that the recommendations are received.

“(C) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall make available to the public—

“(i) any recommendation made under subparagraph (A) on the date on which such recommendation is made; and

“(ii) any response made by an agency under subparagraph (B) on the date on which such response is received.

“(5) MONITORING FOR EFFECTIVENESS.—The Secretary shall monitor the effectiveness of measures taken by each Federal agency to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts to essential fish habitat.

“(6) ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT.—In this subsection, the term ‘habitat areas of particular concern’ means specific types of areas that are part of or within essential fish habitat that—

“(A) provide an important ecological function, including for maintaining and restoring the biomass, demographic, spatial, or genetic characteristics of fish populations;

“(B) are sensitive to human-induced environmental degradation;

“(C) are or will be significantly stressed by human activities;

“(D) due to prevailing or anticipated future environmental conditions, are or may become important to the health of managed species; or

“(E) are rare.

“(7) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such funds as may be necessary to carry out the requirements of this section.”.

(a) Establishment.—The Administrator shall establish a program to address opportunities, challenges, and innovation in restorative ocean aquaculture development, siting, and operations in the coastal waters and exclusive economic zone through—

(1) investment in research and technical assistance to ensure adverse impacts to the marine environment can be fully understood, anticipated, accounted for, and avoided and impacts to wild-capture fisheries and marine wildlife are minimized during the species selection, design, development, siting, and operation of aquaculture facilities; and

(2) the development and application of best management practices to ensure the species selection, design, development, siting, and operation of restorative ocean aquaculture maximizes potential benefits while minimizing potential adverse impacts to the marine environment, marine wildlife, and wild-capture fisheries.

(b) Use of existing programs.—The Administrator shall use grant and research programs available to the Administrator to support the design, development, siting, and operation of restorative ocean aquaculture using best management practices to maximize potential benefits and minimize potential adverse impacts to the marine environment.

(c) Prioritization in other programs.—In carrying out other programs relating to aquaculture research and development, the Administrator shall prioritize restorative ocean aquaculture, including in carrying out—

(1) the Small Business Innovation Research Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

(2) National Sea Grant College Program; and

(3) section 2 of the Act of August 11, 1939 (15 U.S.C. 713c–3).

(d) Prioritization within the program.—In carrying out the program established by this section, the Administrator shall prioritize support for research and technology development that includes—

(1) design analyses of restorative aquaculture systems to maximize ecosystem benefits while avoiding adverse impacts to the marine environment and wild-capture fisheries and marine wildlife;

(2) spatial analyses to understand and evaluate where siting of restorative aquaculture can minimize adverse impacts to migratory birds and waterbirds, marine birds and mammals, endangered species, and other aspects of the current and projected future marine ecosystem;

(3) design, spatial, and environmental analysis to understand and evaluate how siting and operations of land-based restorative aquaculture could impact surrounding communities and ecosystems;

(4) monitoring both the individual and cumulative environmental impacts of current and proposed small scale aquaculture operations to inform potential impacts of large-scale operations and siting;

(5) offshore monitoring, remediation, and mitigation technology development; and

(6) understanding and preparing for impacts that climate change may have on design development, siting, and operations of restorative aquaculture facilities and the marine environment.

(e) Report.—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Academies shall submit to the Administrator and to Congress a report that reviews, compiles, and synthesizes existing technologies and assessments of restorative ocean aquaculture to further inform ongoing research and technical assistance funded under subsection (c).

(f) Content.—The report required by subsection (e) shall include the following:

(1) A quantitative assessment of the capacity for sequestering and storing significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and ocean to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

(2) A comprehensive assessment of the blue carbon potential for an aquaculture project, including its potential environmental impacts and cumulative impacts on native marine species and marine habitat and the potential adverse wildlife interactions likely to result from the use of restorative aquaculture technologies in use or under development worldwide.

(3) A comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts, including cumulative impacts, to wild-capture fisheries and marine wildlife and the productivity thereof likely to result from the use of restorative aquaculture technologies in use or under development worldwide.

(4) An assessment of any known ecosystems services that have been derived from restorative ocean aquaculture and design, including siting and size parameters that maximize those benefits.

(5) A detailed discussion of the mitigation measures available currently to reduce any negative environmental or wild-capture fisheries and marine wildlife impacts identified and their degree of efficacy, as well as the real-time facility monitoring options available.

(6) Recommendations of regionally relevant siting, installation, and operations standards necessary to ensure that restorative ocean aquaculture facilities are developed and operated in a manner which minimizes impacts to the marine environment and avoids and minimizes harmful interactions with marine wildlife and habitat or conflict with other existing ocean-user groups.

(7) Economic analysis identifying the potential benefits and impacts to commercial and recreational fishing and ocean recreation industries resulting from restorative ocean aquaculture.

(8) Recommendations for further research and assessments that should be supported.

(9) A sustainability classification system to assess the various types of restorative aquaculture on a range of life cycle ecological and social benefits and provides a composite score with which to rank such types of restorative aquaculture.

(g) Restorative ocean aquaculture defined.—The term “restorative ocean aquaculture” means ocean and coastal propagation of seaweed or shellfish farming that generates positive ecological and social impact.

(h) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

Section 3(1) of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3502(1)) is amended—

(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “means” and inserting “includes”;

(2) in subparagraph (A)—

(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting “bluff,” after “barrier spit,”; and

(B) in clause (ii), by inserting “and related lands” after “aquatic habitats”;

(3) in subparagraph (B), by inserting “, including areas that are and will be vulnerable to coastal hazards, such as flooding, storm surge, wind, erosion, and sea level rise” after “nearshore waters”; and

(4) in the matter following subparagraph (B), by striking “, and man’s activities on such features and within such habitats,”

(a) In general.—

(1) PROJECT.—The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Administrator and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall carry out a coastal hazard pilot project to propose definitions and criteria and produce draft digital maps of areas, including coastal mainland areas, which could be added to the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System that are and will be vulnerable to coastal hazards, such as flooding, storm surge, wind, erosion and sea level rise, and areas not in such System to which barriers and associated habitats are likely to migrate or be lost as sea level rises.

(2) NUMBER OF UNITS.—The project carried out under this section shall consist of the creation of maps for at least 10 percent of the System and may also identify additional new System units.

(b) Report.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report describing the results of the pilot project and the proposed definitions and criteria and costs of completing coastal hazard maps for the entire System.

(2) CONTENTS.—The report shall include a description of—

(A) the final recommended digital maps created under the coastal hazard pilot project;

(B) recommendations for the adoption of the digital maps created under this section by Congress;

(C) a summary of the comments received from the Governors of the States, other government officials, and the public regarding the definitions, criteria, and maps;

(D) a description of the criteria used for the project and any related recommendations; and

(E) the amount of funding necessary for completing coastal hazard maps for the entire System.

(c) Consultation.—The Secretary shall prepare the report required under subsection (b)—

(1) in consultation with the Governors of the States in which any System units newly identified areas are located; and

(2) after—

(A) providing an opportunity for the submission of public comments; and

(B) considering any public comments submitted under subparagraph (A).

(a) Definitions.—In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) PACIFIC TERRITORIES AND FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.—The term “Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States” means each of American Samoa, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau.

(2) UNDEVELOPED COASTAL BARRIER.—The term “undeveloped coastal barrier” has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3502) (as amended by section 501).

(b) Report.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall prepare and submit a report to Congress on ways to integrate the Pacific Coast of the United States, including in the Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States into the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System.

(c) Consultation.—The Secretary shall prepare the report required under subsection (b)—

(1) in consultation with the Governors of the affected States, territories, and Freely Associated States; and

(2) after providing an opportunity for the submission and consideration of public comments.

(d) Contents.—The report required under subsection (a) shall—

(1) examine the potential for loss of human life and damage to fish, wildlife, and other natural resources, and the potential for the wasteful expenditure of Federal revenues, along the Pacific Coast, giving particular attention to tsunami, flood, erosion, and storm damage, and sea level rise impacts;

(2) consider the biophysical processes needed to maintain habitat functions and coastal resiliency, accounting for climate and land use change; and

(3) evaluate ways in which the definition of the term “undeveloped coastal barrier” under section 3 of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3502) could be expanded to more accurately address the geology and functions of coastal barriers in areas along the Pacific Coast, including in the Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States, including the ways in which coastal bluffs, rocky outcroppings, beaches, wetlands, estuaries, coral reefs, mangroves, and other landforms in such areas function as coastal barriers by absorbing storm impacts, protecting inland communities from sea level rise impacts, providing habitat, and being subject to erosion.

(e) Preparation and submission of maps.—

(1) PREPARATION.—As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare maps identifying the boundaries of those undeveloped coastal barriers of the United States along the Pacific Coast, including in the Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States.

(2) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than three years after the date of submission of the report under subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to Congress maps identifying the boundaries of those undeveloped coastal barriers of the United States along the Pacific Coast, including the Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States, that the Secretary considers to be appropriate for inclusion in the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System.

Section 5 of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3504) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(c) Disclosure of limitations.—

“(1) REQUIREMENT.—No person shall sell any interest in real property located in the System unless the person has disclosed to the buyer that the property is in the System and subject to the limitations under this section.

“(2) NOTIFICATION TO THE SECRETARY.—Not later than 60 days after the date of sale of any interest in real property located in the System, the seller shall notify the Secretary using the online system required by paragraph (3) of such sale and shall certify to the Secretary that such seller complied with the requirements of paragraph (1).

“(3) ONLINE REPORTING SYSTEM.—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act of 2021, the Secretary shall establish and maintain an online reporting system to facilitate notifications to the Secretary required by paragraph (2).

“(4) CIVIL PENALTY.—Any person who violates this subsection shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000.”.

(a) In general.—Section 7 of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3506) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) by striking “the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990” and inserting “Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act of 2021”; and

(B) by striking “promulgate regulations” and inserting “revise or promulgate regulations and guidance, as necessary”; and

(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

“(b) Reports and certification.—

“(1) REPORTS.—The head of each Federal agency affected by this Act shall annually report to the Secretary that such agency is in compliance with this Act.

“(2) CERTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall annually certify whether each such agency is in compliance with this Act.

“(3) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—If the Secretary certifies that an agency is not in compliance with this Act, the head of the agency shall report to Congress not later than 90 days after the date of such certification regarding how the agency will achieve compliance.”.

(b) Technical correction.—Section 3 of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3502) is amended by striking “Committee on Resources” and inserting “Committee on Natural Resources”.

Section 4(e) of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3503(e)) is amended by adding at the end of subsection (e) the following new paragraph:

“(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of 3502(1) and 3503(g) of this Act, the term ‘undeveloped coastal barrier’ means any coastal barrier regardless of the degree of development.”.

Section 6(a) of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3505(a)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (6), by striking subparagraph (E) and redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respectively; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(7) Emergency actions necessary to the saving of lives and the protection of property and the public health and safety, if such actions are performed pursuant to sections 402, 403, and 502 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5107a; 5170b; and 5192) and are limited to actions that are necessary to alleviate the immediate emergency.”.

Section 9 of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3508) is amended by striking “$2,000,000” and all that follows through the end of the sentence and inserting “$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.”.

(a) Grants authorized.—The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(b) Guidance.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue guidance for the program established under the amendment made by subsection (a), including the criteria for awarding grants under such program based on consultation with Indian Tribes.

(c) Use of State grants To fulfill tribal objectives.—Section 306A(c)(2) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1455a(c)(2)) is amended by striking “and” after the semicolon at the end of subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (E) and inserting “; and”, and by adding at the end the following:

“(F) fulfilling any Tribal coastal zone objective (as that term is defined in section 320).”.

(d) Other programs not affected.—Nothing in this section and the amendments made by this section may be construed to affect the ability of an Indian Tribe to apply for, receive assistance under, or participate in any program authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) or other related Federal laws.

Section 304(4) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453(4)) is amended by inserting “the District of Columbia,” after “the term also includes”.

Section 307A of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1456–1) is amended—

(1) by striking the heading and inserting “Coastal and Estuarine Resilience and Restoration Program”;

(2) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

“(a) In general.—The Secretary may conduct a Coastal and Estuarine Resilience and Restoration Program, in cooperation with State, regional, and other units of government and the National Estuarine Research Reserves, for the purposes of—

“(1) protecting important coastal and estuarine areas that—

“(A) have significant conservation, recreation, coastal access, ecological, historical, or aesthetic value;

“(B) are threatened by conversion from their natural, undeveloped, or recreational state to other uses; or

“(C) could be managed or restored to effectively conserve, enhance, or restore ecological function or mitigate climate change; or

“(2) restoring developed property in vulnerable coastal and estuarine areas to a natural state to restore ecological function, allow for shoreline migration, and protect coastal communities.”;

(3) in subsection (c)—

(A) by amending paragraph (7) to read as follows:

“(7) Priority shall be given to lands that—

“(A) can be effectively managed and protected and that have significant recreation, ecological, historical, cultural, aesthetic, or community protection value;

“(B) to the maximum extent practicable, benefit communities that may not have adequate resources to prepare for or respond to coastal hazards or to access the coastline, including low income communities, communities of color, Tribal and Indigenous communities, and rural communities; and

“(C) (i) are under an imminent threat of conversion to a use that will degrade or otherwise diminish their natural, undeveloped, or recreational state;

“(ii) serve to mitigate the adverse impacts caused by coastal population growth in the coastal environment;

“(iii) are within a national estuarine research reserve designated under section 315, a national wildlife refuge, or a national estuary program, or are proposed for designation as such a reserve or other such protected area; or

“(iv) are under threat due to climate change or may serve to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, including through the storage of blue carbon, and to facilitate inland migration of coastal ecosystems in response to sea level rise.”; and

(B) in paragraph (10), by striking “triennially” and inserting “every 5 years”;

(4) in subsection (f)—

(A) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting “for any territory of the United States that is unable to provide such match,” after “community,”; and

(B) in paragraph (4)—

(i) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking “meets the criteria set forth in section 2(b)” and inserting “the goals set forth in subsection (b)”;

(ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B);

(iii) in subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated), by striking “described in (A)” and inserting “described in subparagraph (A)”; and

(iv) by inserting at the end the following new subparagraph:

“(C) The value of ecosystem services that the acquired land provides, including as a buffer for storm surge, habitat for economically valuable species, and as blue carbon sink.”;

(5) in subsection (g), by striking “15” and inserting “20”;

(6) in subsection (h), by striking the second sentence; and

(7) in subsection (l), by striking “fiscal years 2009 through 2013” and inserting “fiscal years 2022 through 2026”.

Section 308 of Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1456a) is amended to read as follows:

Section 318(a) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1464) is amended to read as follows:

“(a) Sums appropriated to the Secretary.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary, to remain available until expended—

“(1) for grants under sections 306, 306A, and 309, $95,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026; and

“(2) for grants under section 315, $37,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.”.

(a) Designation of additional reserves.—Not later than five years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall designate not less than 5 new national estuarine reserves under section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461) that ensure the National Estuarine Research Reserve System includes areas in—

(1) full representation of biogeographic regions, States, and Territories; and

(2) each coastal State or Territory (as that term is defined in that Act).

(b) Guidelines for tracking and modeling the impacts of climate change.—Section 315(c) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461(c)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) as paragraphs (4) through (6); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

“(3) the establishment of coordinated long-term data monitoring and methods throughout the System for tracking and modeling the impacts of climate change on estuarine systems, including impacts on lake levels and sea levels;”.

(c) Land acquisition and construction.—Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461) is amended by striking (g) and adding at the end the following:

“(g) Land Acquisition and construction.—The Secretary may use funds authorized under section 318 for land acquisition and the construction and renovations of facilities required to meet delivery of System programs and services, or to meet changing needs of program under this title. Such construction shall incorporate green design principles, materials, energy efficiency, and adaptive reuse strategies, and the development of innovative coastal technology and management strategies that enhance resilience of System facilities and lands.

“(h) Requirements for use of funds.—In using funds under subsection (g), the Secretary shall—

“(1) provide science-based information and technical assistance to coastal stakeholders and decisionmakers;

“(2) leverage the capabilities of nationwide protected area networks to address challenging coastal management issues such as climate change and vulnerability of coastal ecosystems and communities to coastal hazards;

“(3) serve as living laboratories and preferred places for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research and fellowships on coastal and estuarine systems;

“(4) serve as critical sentinel sites for detecting environmental change and developing and demonstrating adaptation and mitigation strategies;

“(5) identify priority places for land acquisition, especially those lands required to enhance resilience to environmental change; and

“(6) engage coastal communities, stakeholders, and the public in education programs to increase scientific literacy of coastal environments, and to develop and train capable environmental stewards.

“(i) Systemwide Elements of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.—The Secretary shall coordinate systemwide programs and activities in the System including—

“(1) the centralized management and dissemination of data from System observation and monitoring networks;

“(2) a competitive grant program employing the collaborative research model on coastal research and management priorities to be conducted at research reserve sites focused on the priorities determined by the Secretary; and

“(3) establish the Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Research Fellowship Program to address key coastal management questions and the coastal research and management priorities of the Reserve System and its place-based sites to help scientists and communities understand the coastal challenges that may influence future policy and management strategies.

“(j) Place-Based Program Elements of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.—Each National Estuarine Research Reserve shall establish and maintain place-based program elements that include—

“(1) a research, monitoring, and observation network that detects environmental change and informs suitable adaptation and mitigation strategies where appropriate, and that supports systemwide activities stated in subsection (e);

“(2) education, outreach, and interpretive programs that communicate the value and changing dynamics of coastal systems;

“(3) stewardship programs that provide science-based tools, habitat management, and restoration and that provide resources and information to inform coastal management;

“(4) coastal training programs that provide technical assistance to coastal communities, resource managers, and coastal decisionmakers; and

“(5) the lands and facilities that support such accessible research, monitoring, stewardship, education, and coastal training activities.

“(k) Definitions.—In this section, the following definitions apply:

“(1) COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH.—The term ‘collaborative research’ means the engagement of local decisionmakers and stakeholders directly in the research process so that their knowledge and needs will inform research questions, data analysis, and use of the products generated by the research.

“(2) SENTINEL SITE.—The term ‘sentinel site’ means a site with long-term research and monitoring capability to detect, document, and respond to emerging environmental changes that impact natural and human systems”.

The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

In this title, the following definitions apply:

(1) FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.—The term “Freely Associated States” means the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

(2) TERRITORY.—The term “Territory” means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands of the United States.

(3) INSULAR AREAS.—The term “Insular Areas” means the Territories and the Freely Associated States.

(a) Establishment of task force.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the following shall jointly establish the “Insular Area Climate Change Interagency Task Force” (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Task Force”):

(1) The Secretary of the Interior.

(2) The Secretary of Energy.

(3) The Secretary of State.

(4) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

(5) The Secretary of Agriculture.

(6) The Secretary of Commerce.

(7) The Secretary of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(8) The Secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency.

(b) Chairperson.—The Task Force shall be chaired by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(c) Duties.—The Task Force shall—

(1) evaluate all Federal programs regarding ways to provide greater access to Federal programs and equitable baseline funding in relation to States, to territories for climate change planning, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience;

(2) identify statutory barriers to providing territories greater access to Federal programs and equitable baseline funding; and

(3) provide recommendations related to climate change in Insular Areas.

(d) Comprehensive report.—Not later than one year after the establishment of the Task Force, the Task Force, in consultation with Insular Areas governments, shall issue a comprehensive report that—

(1) identifies Federal programs that have an impact on climate change planning, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, but exclude territories in regard to eligibility, funding, and assistance, or do not provide equitable baseline funding in relation to States; and

(2) provides advice and recommendations related to climate change in Insular Areas, such as new suggested Federal programs or initiatives.

(e) Publication; public availability.—The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall ensure that the report required under subsection (d) is—

(1) submitted to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;

(2) published in the Federal Register for public comment for a period of at least 60 days; and

(3) made available on a public website along with any comments received during the public comment period required under paragraph (2).

(a) In general.—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Committees on Natural Resources and Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, a report, prepared by independent experts not employed by the United States Government, on the impacts of climate change on the “Runit Dome” nuclear waste disposal site in Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, and on other environmental hazards in the vicinity thereof. The report shall include the following:

(1) A detailed scientific analysis of any threats to the environment, and to the health and safety of Enewetak Atoll residents, posed by each of the following:

(A) The “Runit Dome” nuclear waste disposal site.

(B) Crypts used to contain nuclear waste and other toxins on Enewetak Atoll.

(C) Radionuclides and other toxins present in the lagoon of Enewetak Atoll, including areas in the lagoon where nuclear waste was dumped.

(D) Radionuclides and other toxins, including beryllium, which may be present on the islands of Enewetak Atoll as a result of nuclear tests and other activities of the U.S. government, including tests of chemical and biological warfare agents, rocket tests, contaminated aircraft landing on Enewetak Island, and nuclear cleanup activities.

(E) Radionuclides and other toxins that may be present in the drinking water on Enewetak Island or in the water source for the desalination plant.

(F) Radionuclides and other toxins that may be present in the groundwater under and in the vicinity of the nuclear waste disposal facility on Runit Island.

(2) A detailed scientific analysis of the extent to which rising sea levels, severe weather events and other effects of climate change might exacerbate any of the threats identified above.

(3) A detailed plan, including costs, to relocate all of the nuclear waste and other toxic waste contained in—

(A) the “Runit Dome” nuclear waste disposal site;

(B) all of the crypts on Enewetak Atoll containing such waste; and

(C) the three dumping areas in Enewetak’s lagoon to a safe, secure facility to be constructed in an uninhabited, unincorporated territory of the United States.

(b) Marshallese participation.—The Secretary of the Interior shall allow scientists or other experts selected by the Republic of the Marshall Islands to participate in all aspects of the preparation of the report required by subsection (a), including, without limitation, developing the work plan, identifying questions, conducting research, and collecting and interpreting data.

(c) Publication.—The report required in subsection (a) shall be published in the Federal Register for public comment for a period of not fewer than 60 days.

(d) Public availability.—The Secretary of the Interior shall publish the study required under subsection (a) and results submitted under subsection (b) on a public website.

(e) Authorization of appropriation for report.—There is authorized to be appropriated for the Office of Insular Affairs of the Department of the Interior for fiscal year 2022 such sums as may be necessary to produce the report required in subsection (a).

(f) Indefinite authorization of appropriation for Runit Dome monitoring activities.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Energy such sums as may be necessary to comply with the requirements of section 103(f)(1)(B) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 (48 U.S.C. 1921b(f)(1)(B)).

(a) Technical assistance.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, acting through the Director of the Office for Coastal Management, shall provide technical assistance to Insular Areas to enhance coastal management and climate change programs of the Insular Areas.

(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

(b) Annual report.—The Administrator, acting through the Director of the Office for Coastal Management, shall submit a report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate every 5 years on the status of the following in Insular Areas:

(1) Wetland, mangrove, and estuary conditions.

(2) Climate change impacts, including ecological, economic and cultural impacts.

(a) In general.—The Administrator shall establish a Climate Change Insular Research Grant Program to provide grants to institutions of higher education in Insular Areas for monitoring, collecting, synthesizing, analyzing, and publishing local climate change data.

(b) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

(a) Technical assistance and outreach.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, acting through the Director of the Office for Coastal Management, shall provide technical assistance and outreach to Insular Areas of the United States through the San Juan, Tiyan, and Pago Pago Weather Forecast Offices of the National Weather Service. For the purposes of this section, the Administrator may also employ other agency entities as the Administrator considers necessary, in order to improve weather data collection, produce more accurate tropical weather forecasts, and provide science, data, information, and impact-based decision support services to reduce tsunami, hurricane, typhoon, drought, tide, and sea level rise impacts in Insular Areas.

(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

(b) Grants.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, may provide grants to academic, nonprofit, and local entities to conduct climate change research to improve weather data collection, produce more accurate tropical weather forecasts, and provide science, data, information, and impact-based decision support services to reduce tsunami, hurricane, typhoon, drought, tide, and sea level rise impacts in the Insular Areas.

(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

(a) Prize competitions.—The Administrator, acting through the Director of the Office of Science and Technology, shall work with the head of each Federal agency represented on the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force established under Executive Order 13089 (63 Fed. Reg. 32701) to establish prize competitions in accordance with section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), that promote coral reef research and conservation.

(b) Waiver of matching requirement.—Section 204(b) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6403(b)) is amended—

(1) by striking the enumerator and heading for paragraph (2) and inserting the following:

“(2) WAIVERS.—

“(A) NEED AND BENEFIT.—”; and

(2) by adding at the end of paragraph (2) the following:

“(B) SUSTAINING CORAL REEF MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING.—The Administrator shall waive all the matching requirement under paragraph (2) for grants to implement State and territorial coral reef conservation cooperative agreements to sustain coral reef management and monitoring in Florida, Hawaii, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.”.

Section 12204 of the Ocean and Coastal mapping Integration Act (33 U.S.C. 3503) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (12) by striking “and”;

(2) in paragraph (13) by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(14) The study of insular areas and the effects of climate change.”.

(a) In general.—The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Office of Insular Affairs Technical Assistance Program, shall provide technical assistance for climate change planning, mitigation, and adaptation to Territories and Freely Associated States under the jurisdiction of such Program.

(b) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

Section 501 of the Omnibus Territories Act of 1977 (48 U.S.C. 1469a), is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of the Insular Areas, any department or agency shall waive any requirement for non-Federal matching funds under $750,000 (including in-kind contributions) required by law to be provided by those jurisdictions.”.

Funding made available to an Insular Area for disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) shall not be subject to a non-Federal share funding requirement.

(a) In general.—The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 120 the following:

(b) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents in the first section of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 120 the following:

“Sec. 121. Conservation of marine mammals adversely affected by climate change.”.

(a) In general.—The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) is further amended by inserting after section 121 the following:

(b) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents in the first section of such Act is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 121 the following:

“Sec. 122. Vessel speed restrictions in marine mammal habitat.”.

(a) In general.—The Administrator shall maintain and expand an Ocean Noise Reference Station Network, utilizing and coordinating with the Integrated Ocean Observing System to—

(1) provide grants to expand the deployment of Federal and non-Federal observing and data management systems capable of collecting measurements of underwater sound in high-priority ocean and coastal locations for purposes of monitoring and analyzing baselines and trends in the underwater soundscape to protect and manage marine life;

(2) continue to develop and apply standardized forms of measurements to assess sounds produced by marine animals, physical processes, and anthropogenic activities; and

(3) coordinate and make accessible to the public the datasets, modeling and analysis, and user-driven products and tools, resulting from observations of underwater sound funded through grants authorized by this section.

(b) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to support integrated ocean observations activities carried out under this section, $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

(a) In General.—The Administrator shall, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, establish a grant program to provide assistance to up to ten seaports to develop and implement mitigation measures that will lead to a quantifiable reduction in threats to marine mammals from shipping activities and port operations.

(b) Eligible uses.—Grants provided under this section may be used to develop, assess, and carry out activities that quantifiably reduce threats and enhance the habitats of marine mammals by—

(1) reducing underwater noise related to marine traffic;

(2) reducing ship strike mortality and other physical disturbances;

(3) enhancing marine mammal habitat, including the habitat for prey of marine mammals; or

(4) monitoring underwater noise, vessel interactions with marine mammals, or other types of monitoring that are consistent with reducing the threats to and enhancing the habitats of marine mammals.

(c) Priority.—The Administrator shall prioritize assistance under this section for projects that—

(1) assist ports with higher relative threat levels to vulnerable marine mammals from vessel traffic;

(2) project higher levels of—

(A) reduction of noise from vessels;

(B) reduction of disturbance or ship strike mortality risk; and

(C) reduction of noise influence within MPAs; or

(3) allow eligible entities to conduct risk assessments, and track progress toward threat reduction and habitat enhancement; including protecting coral reefs from encroachment by commerce and shipping lanes.

(d) Outreach.—The Administrator shall conduct outreach to seaports to provide information on how to apply for assistance under this section, the benefits of the program under this section, and facilitation of best practices and lessons learned.

(e) Eligible entities.—A person shall be eligible for assistance under this section if the person is—

(1) a port authority for a seaport;

(2) a State, regional, local, or Tribal agency that has jurisdiction over a maritime port authority or a seaport; or

(3) a private or government entity, applying for a grant awarded under this section in collaboration with another entity described in paragraph (1) or (2), that owns or operates a maritime terminal.

(f) Report.—The Administrator shall submit annually to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a report that includes the following:

(1) The name and location of each entity receiving a grant.

(2) Amount of each grant.

(3) The name and location of the seaport in which the activities took place.

(4) A description of the activities carried out with the grant funds.

(5) An estimate of the impact of the project to reduce threats or enhance habitat of marine mammals.

(g) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator for carrying out this section, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, to remain available until expended.

(a) Establishment of the program.—The Administrator shall design and deploy a Near Real-Time Large Whale Monitoring and Mitigation Program in order to curtail the risk to large whales of vessel collisions, entanglement in commercial fishing gear, and to minimize other impacts, including but not limited to underwater noise from development activities. Such program shall be capable of detecting and alerting ocean users and enforcement agencies of the location of large whales on a near real-time basis, informing sector-specific mitigation protocols that can effectively reduce take of large whales, and continually integrating improved technology. The program shall be informed by the technologies, monitoring methods, and mitigation protocols developed pursuant to the pilot program required in subsection (b).

(b) Pilot project.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator shall first establish a pilot monitoring and mitigation project for North Atlantic right whales for the purposes of informing a cost-effective, efficient and results-oriented near real-time monitoring and mitigation program for large whales.

(1) PILOT PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.—In designing and deploying the monitoring system, the Administrator shall, using best available scientific information, identify and ensure coverage of—

(A) core foraging habitats of North Atlantic right whales, including but not limited to—

(i) the “South of the Islands” core foraging habitat;

(ii) the “Cape Cod Bay Area” core foraging habitat;

(iii) the “Great South Channel” core foraging habitat; and

(iv) the Gulf of Maine; and

(B) important feeding, breeding, calving, rearing, or migratory habitats of North Atlantic right whales that co-occur with areas of high risk of mortality, injury, or harassment of such whales from vessel strikes, disturbance from development activities, and entanglement in commercial fishing gear.

(2) PILOT PROJECT MONITORING COMPONENTS.—Within 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with relevant Federal agencies, Tribal governments, and with input from affected stakeholders, shall design and deploy a real-time monitoring system for North Atlantic right whales that includes near real-time monitoring methods, technologies and protocols that—

(A) comprise sufficient detection power, spatial coverage and survey effort to detect and localize North Atlantic right whales within core foraging habitats;

(B) are capable of detecting North Atlantic right whales visually, including during periods of poor visibility and darkness, and acoustically;

(C) take advantage of dynamic habitat suitability models that help to discern the likelihood of North Atlantic right whale occurrence in core foraging habitat at any given time;

(D) coordinate with the Integrated Ocean Observing System to leverage monitoring assets;

(E) integrate new near real-time monitoring methods and technologies as they become available;

(F) accurately verify and rapidly communicate detection data; and

(G) allow for ocean users to contribute data that is verified to be collected using comparable near real-time monitoring methods and technologies.

(3) PILOT PROGRAM MITIGATION PROTOCOLS.—The Administrator shall, in consultation with the Administrator of Homeland Security, Administrator of Defense, Administrator of Transportation, and Administrator of the Interior, and with input from affected stakeholders, develop and deploy mitigation protocols that make use of the near real-time monitoring system to direct sector-specific mitigation measures that avoid and significantly reduce risk of disturbance, injury and mortality to North Atlantic right whales.

(4) PILOT PROGRAM ACCESS TO DATA.—The Administrator shall provide access to data generated by the monitoring system for purposes of scientific research and evaluation, and public awareness and education, through the NOAA Right Whale Sighting Advisory System and WhaleMap or other successive public web portals.

(5) PILOT PROGRAM REPORTING.—

(A) Not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate, and make available to the public, an interim report that assesses the benefits and efficacy of the North Atlantic right whale near real-time monitoring and mitigation pilot program. The report shall include—

(i) a description of the monitoring methods and technology in use or planned for deployment;

(ii) analyses of the efficacy of the methods and technology in use or planned for deployment in detecting North Atlantic right whales both individually and in combination;

(iii) how the monitoring system is directly informing and improving species management and mitigation in near real-time across ocean sectors whose activities pose a risk to North Atlantic right whales; and

(iv) a prioritized identification of gaps in technology or methods requiring future research and development.

(B) Not later than three years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate, and make available to the public, a final report, addressing the components in subparagraph (A) for the subsequent one year following the publication of the interim report, and including the following—

(i) a strategic plan to expand the pilot program to provide near real-time monitoring and mitigation measures to additional large whale species, including a prioritized plan for acquisition, deployment, and maintenance of monitoring technologies, and the locations or species for which the plan would apply; and

(ii) a budget and description of appropriations necessary to carry out the strategic plan pursuant to the requirements of clause (i).

(c) Additional authority.—In carrying out this section, including, the Administrator may enter into and perform such contracts, leases, grants, or cooperative agreements as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section on such terms as the Administrator considers appropriate.

(d) Reporting.—Not later than one year after the deployment of the program described in subsection (b) (and after completion of the reporting requirements pursuant to paragraph (5) of such subsection), and annually thereafter through 2029, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate, and make available to the public, a report that assess the benefits and efficacy of the near real-time monitoring and mitigation program.

(e) Definitions.—In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) CORE FORAGING HABITATS.—The term “core foraging habitats” means areas with biological and physical oceanographic features that aggregate Calanus finmarchicus and where North Atlantic right whales foraging aggregations have been well documented.

(2) REAL-TIME.—The term “real-time” means that visual, acoustic, or other detections of North Atlantic right whales are transmitted and reported as soon as technically feasible, and no longer than 24 hours, after they have occurred.

(3) LARGE WHALE.—The term “large whale” means all Mysticeti species and species within the genera Physeter and Orcinus.

(f) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to support development, deployment, application and ongoing maintenance of the monitoring system as required by this section, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

(a) In general.—The Administrator shall, within 6 months of the date of enactment of this Act, establish a grant program, to be administered in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Maritime Administration, to provide assistance for the development and implementation of new or improved technologies that reduce threats to and enhance the habitats of marine mammals and other marine species by quantifiably reducing underwater noise from marine vessels.

(b) Eligible uses.—Grants provided under this section may be used to develop, assess and implement new or improved technologies that materially reduce underwater noise from marine vessels.

(c) Outreach.—The Administrator shall conduct outreach to eligible persons to provide information on how to apply for assistance under this section, the benefits of the program under this section, and facilitation of best practices and lessons learned.

(d) Eligible entities.—A person shall be eligible for assistance under this section if the person is—

(1) a corporation established under the laws of the United States; or

(2) an individual, partnership, association, organization or any other combination of individuals, provided, however, that each such individual shall be a citizen of the United States or lawful permanent resident of the United States or a protected individual as such term is defined in section 274B(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (9 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)).

(e) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator for carrying out this section, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, to remain available until expended.

The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator, and the Administrator of the United States Maritime Administration, shall, not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, submit to the Senate Committees on Armed Services; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the House of Representatives Committees on Armed Services; Energy and Commerce; Homeland Security; Natural Resources; and Transportation and Infrastructure, and publish, an unclassified report identifying existing non-classified naval technologies that reduce underwater noise and evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of incorporating such technologies in the design, procurement and construction of non-combatant vessels of the United States.

(a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings:

(1) As a party to the Law of the Sea Convention, the United States would be a powerful voting Council member of the International Seabed Authority, a body that is critical to negotiations regarding deep seabed mining, which is a practice that could have significant potential climate, environmental, and economic impacts.

(2) Being party to the Convention and holding membership on the International Seabed Authority is in the United States’ best interests in regard to competition with other countries over future rare earth element resources found on the seafloor.

(3) Without being party to the Convention, the United States cannot play a role in negotiating and providing international legitimacy to claims to the Arctic, an area that is rapidly becoming more accessible due to climate change.

(4) As a party to the Convention, the United States would be better able to participate in negotiations regarding the management of high seas fish stocks, migratory fish stocks, and marine mammals, which will become more important as the climate continues to change and species shift.

(5) The Convention imposes minimum requirements for ocean protections; the United States is already meeting or exceeding those requirements and could therefore positively influence international marine conservation by being party to the Convention.

(6) A diverse array of bipartisan Presidents and lawmakers, military leaders, industry stakeholders, and environmental organizations support ratification of the Convention, finding that it is in the United States’ best economic, political, and environmental interest to ratify.

(b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) the United States Senate should give its advice and consent to accession to the Law of the Sea Convention, adopted by the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea in December 1982 and entered into force in November 1994, to establish a treaty regime to govern activities on, over, and under the world’s oceans;

(2) the Law of the Sea Convention builds on four 1958 Law of the Sea conventions to which the United States is a party, namely—

(A) the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone;

(B) the Convention on the High Seas;

(C) the Convention on the Continental Shelf; and

(D) the Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas;

(3) the Law of the Sea Convention and an associated 1994 agreement relating to implementation of the treaty were transmitted to the Senate on October 6, 1994;

(4) in the absence of advice and consent from the Senate, the United States is not a party to the Convention nor to the associated 1994 agreement;

(5) becoming a party to the Law of the Sea Convention would give the United States standing to participate in discussions relating to the treaty and thereby improve the ability of the United States to intervene as a full party in disputes relating to navigational rights and defend United States interpretations of the treaty’s provisions; and

(6) becoming a party to the treaty would improve the ability of the United States to achieve the environmental, social, and economic purposes of supporting the implementation and enforcement of international fisheries agreements and the protection of highly migratory species under the Magnuson Stevens Act, the Shark Conservation Act, and the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act.

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every three years thereafter, the Administrator and in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit a report to Congress that describes—

(1) the manner and extent to which the United States has made progress towards achieving the targets of the 14th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations (relating to conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources); and

(2) plans for future United States actions to achieve those targets.

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, and in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce acting through the Administrator, shall develop a plan to provide technical assistance, data, and other resources for identifying and establishing strongly protected areas of the ocean in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

(a) Sense of congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the United States should honor its commitment to the Arctic Council to cut black carbon emissions by 2025 to a level that is between 25 and 33 percent below the levels emitted by the United States in 2013.

(b) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, the Administrator, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall develop a plan for the United States to cut black carbon emissions by 2025 to a level that is between 25 and 33 percent below the levels emitted by the United States in 2013. Such plan shall also describe—

(1) the measures the Federal Government will take to achieve such targeted emissions levels;

(2) the measures the Federal Government will take to prioritize black carbon emission reduction in communities of color, Tribal and Indigenous communities, and low-income communities; and

(3) how the United States may use multilateral and bilateral diplomatic tools to encourage and assist other member countries of the Arctic Council to fulfill the goals announced in 2017.

(c) Submissions to Congress and Updates to plan.—The Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to the public—

(1) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the plan developed under subsection (b);

(2) not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every three years thereafter, a report on the progress made toward implementing the plan submitted pursuant to subsection (b); and

(3) not later than January 1, 2025, a proposal for further reductions in black carbon emissions in the United States that should be accomplished by 2030.

(d) Appropriate congressional committees defined.—In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Commerce, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

(e) Public comment.—The Secretary of State shall—

(1) before submitting each such plan or report to the appropriate congressional committees under subsection (c)—

(A) consult with Indian Tribes and Indigenous communities; and

(B) provide a period of at least 90 days for public comment on each such plan or report; and

(2) after each such period for public comment, continue to make the proposed plan and report, as well as the comments received, available to the public on an appropriate website.

(a) Establishment.—The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a program to—

(1) improve the resilience of Indian Tribes to the effects of a changing climate;

(2) support building strong Tribal and Indigenous communities that are resilient to climate change;

(3) ensure agency effectiveness in fulfilling Federal Indian trust responsibilities in the face of climate change; and

(4) ensure the development of modern, cost-effective infrastructure in Tribal and Indigenous communities.

(b) Grants.—

(1) AUTHORITY.—As part of the program established under subsection (a), to the extent funds are made available through Acts of appropriation, the Secretary shall make multiyear grants to Indian Tribes and Indigenous communities for eligible activities described in paragraph (2).

(2) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—Grants under this subsection may be used for the following on Indian land and in Indigenous communities:

(A) Development and delivery of adaptation training.

(B) Adaptation planning, vulnerability assessments, emergency preparedness planning, and monitoring.

(C) Capacity building through travel support for training, technical sessions, and cooperative management forums.

(D) Travel support for participation in ocean and coastal planning.

(E) Development of science-based information and tools to enable adaptive resource management and the ability to plan for resilience.

(F) Relocation of villages or other communities experiencing or susceptible to coastal or river erosion and flooding.

(G) Construction of infrastructure to support emergency evacuations related to climate change.

(H) Restoration of ecosystems and construction of natural and nature-based features to address risks from coastal and riverine flooding and erosion.

(I) Restoration, relocation, and repair of infrastructure damaged by melting permafrost or coastal or river erosion and flooding.

(J) Installation and management of energy systems that reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions compared to the energy systems in use before that installation and management.

(K) Construction and maintenance of social or cultural infrastructure that supports resilience.

(3) APPLICATIONS.—An Indian Tribe or Indigenous community desiring a grant under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a description of the eligible activities to be undertaken using the grant.

(c) Interagency cooperation.—The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish under the White House Council on Native American Affairs an interagency subgroup on Tribal resilience, which shall—

(1) work with Indian Tribes and Indigenous communities to collect and share data and information, including traditional ecological knowledge, about how the effects of a changing climate are relevant to Indian Tribes and Indigenous communities; and

(2) identify opportunities for the Federal Government to improve collaboration and assist with adaptation and mitigation efforts that promote resilience.

(d) Tribal resilience liaison.—The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a Tribal resilience liaison to—

(1) coordinate with Indian Tribes, Indigenous communities, and relevant Federal agencies regarding the program under this section, grant opportunities related to the program, climate adaptation, and climate resilience planning; and

(2) help ensure Tribal and Indigenous engagement in climate conversations at the Federal level.

(e) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

(a) Establishment.—The Administrator shall make grants to eligible entities for the purposes of—

(1) designing and implementing large- and small-scale, climate-resilient living shoreline projects; and

(2) applying innovative uses of natural materials and systems to protect coastal communities, habitats, and natural system functions.

(b) Project proposals.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Administrator a proposal for a living shoreline project that includes—

(1) monitoring, data collection, and measurable performance criteria with respect to the project; and

(2) an engagement or education component that seeks and solicits feedback from the local or regional community most directly affected by the proposal.

(c) Project selection.—

(1) DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA.—The Administrator shall select eligible entities to receive grants under this section based on criteria developed by the Administrator.

(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the criteria under paragraph (1) to evaluate a proposed living shoreline project, the Administrator shall take into account—

(A) the potential of the project to protect the community and maintain the viability of the environment, such as through protection of ecosystem functions, environmental benefits, or habitat types, in the area where the project is to be carried out;

(B) the historic and future environmental conditions of the project site, particularly those environmental conditions affected by climate change;

(C) the net ecological benefits of the project including the potential of the project to contribute to carbon sequestration and storage;

(D) the ability of the entity proposing the project to demonstrate the potential of the project to protect the coastal community where the project is to be carried out, including through—

(i) mitigating the effects of erosion;

(ii) attenuating the impact of coastal storms and storm surge;

(iii) mitigating shoreline flooding;

(iv) mitigating the effects of sea level rise, accelerated land loss, and extreme tides;

(v) sustaining, protecting, or restoring the functions and habitats of coastal ecosystems;

(vi) protecting important cultural sites or values;

(vii) protecting low income communities, communities of color, Tribal communities, Indigenous communities, and rural communities;

(viii) sustaining, protecting, or restoring the functions and habitats of marine protected areas; or

(ix) such other forms of coastal protection as the Administrator considers appropriate; and

(E) the potential of the project to support resiliency at a military installation or community infrastructure supportive of a military installation (as such terms are defined in section 2391 of title 10, United States Code).

(3) STANDARDS.—The Administrator shall establish a living shorelines engineering standard for each region of the United States, which shall be used in selecting eligible projects for grants under this section.

(d) Use of funds.—A grant awarded under this section to an eligible entity to carry out a living shoreline project may be used by the eligible entity only—

(1) to carry out the project, including administration, design, permitting, entry into negotiated indirect cost rate agreements, and construction;

(2) to monitor, collect, and report data on the performance (including performance over time) of the project, in accordance with standards issued by the Administrator under subsection (f)(2); or

(3) to incentivize landowners to engage in living shoreline projects.

(e) Monitoring and reporting.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall require each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section (or a representative of the entity) to carry out a living shoreline project—

(A) to transmit to the Administrator data collected under the project;

(B) to monitor the project and to collect data on the ecological and economic benefits of the project and the protection provided by the project for the coastal community where the project is carried out;

(C) to make data collected under the project available on a publicly accessible website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and

(D) upon the completion of the project, to submit to the Administrator a report on—

(i) the measures described in subparagraph (B); and

(ii) the effectiveness of the project in increasing protection of the coastal community where the project is carried out through living shorelines techniques, including—

(I) a description of—

(aa) the project;

(bb) the activities carried out under the project; and

(cc) the techniques and materials used in carrying out the project; and

(II) data on the performance of the project in providing protection to that coastal community.

(f) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for purposes of carrying out this section.

(g) Definitions.—In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term “eligible entity” means any of the following:

(A) A unit of a State or local government.

(B) An organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.

(C) An Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)).

(2) LIVING SHORELINE PROJECT.—The term “living shoreline project” means a project that restores or stabilizes a shoreline using natural materials such as plants, sand, or rock.

(3) STATE.—The term “State” means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

(a) Living Shoreline and Nature-Based Infrastructure Research Program.—

(1) DEFINITION OF NATURE-BASED INFRASTRUCTURE.—In this section, the term “nature-based infrastructure” means a feature that is created by human design, engineering, and construction to provide risk reduction in coastal areas by acting in concert with natural processes.

(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall make competitive research grants available focused on developing and assessing the effectiveness of innovative approaches to nature-based infrastructures and features for the purposes of—

(A) preparing more resilient, sustainable cities and resilient communities;

(B) reducing the costs associated with climate-related disasters, built infrastructure degradation, and human relocation; and

(C) accomplishing improved resilience while maintaining ecosystem functions and habitats to the greatest extent possible.

(3) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, an applicant must be an institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, State, local, or Tribal Government, for-profit organization, United States Territory, or Federal agency that has statutory authority to receive transfers of funds.

(4) RESEARCH PRIORITIES.—The Administrator shall award grants for projects which focus on the following:

(A) Assessments of installed nature-based infrastructures, as of the date of enactment of this Act, for their effectiveness in addressing, if applicable—

(i) coastal resilience;

(ii) shoreline erosion;

(iii) storm damage including windstorms;

(iv) inland flooding;

(v) water quality;

(vi) impact on local ecosystems; and

(vii) other criteria as determined by the Administrator.

(B) Novel approaches to nature-based infrastructure and living shorelines aimed at optimizing resilience to climate change, extreme weather, and ecosystem sustainability.

(C) Interdisciplinary research including engineering, environmental and ecosystem sciences, biology, and social science.

(D) Regional, community, and industry partnerships to create locally-informed solutions.

(5) REPORTS FOR INFORMING LIVING SHORELINES AND NATURE-BASED INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT GRANTS.—Funded projects shall submit a summarized report of their findings at the conclusion of the grant to the Administrator to help inform the selection and prioritization of living shorelines and other nature-based infrastructure projects as described in section 1001 of this Act.

(6) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITIES.—The Administrator may use—

(A) the National Oceanographic Partnership Program established by section 8931 of title 10, United States Code, as a venue for collaboration and coordination to leverage partnerships between public institutions of higher education and Federal agencies;

(B) the Coastlines and People initiative under the National Science Foundation as a tool to use ongoing interdisciplinary research;

(C) the National Sea Grant College Program as a resource to help foster collaboration between public institutions of higher education and Federal agencies; and

(D) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Community Resilience Center of Excellence.

(7) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for purposes of carrying out this subsection.

(b) Coastal science and assessment: competitive external research.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall establish an annual competitive grants program that gives priority to interdisciplinary coastal resilience research projects that focus on developing scalable best practices for—

(A) protecting life and critical infrastructure;

(B) developing decision-support tools useful to coastal communities;

(C) determining societal, ecological, and resiliency benefits of coastal restoration and protection and natural, nature-based, and man-made infrastructure, and how these benefits affect the sustainability of coastal ecosystems;

(D) volunteer and community-science monitoring of coastal and marine resources as part of efforts to protect coastal communities from sea level rise;

(E) monitoring and developing ecosystem-based approaches to managing coastal ecosystems to promote sustainability;

(F) assessing and enhancing the capacity of human communities to adapt to coastal natural disasters;

(G) assessing coastal vulnerability and risk;

(H) evaluating adaptation, protection, and restoration approaches to reduce risk, including through the use of natural, nature-based, and man-made features;

(I) minimizing costs associated with damages incurred from natural disasters, flooding, and sea level rise;

(J) developing curriculum for new programs in coastal conservation at public community colleges and within college Sea Grant programs to train the new coastal conservation workforce;

(K) evaluating potential outcomes associated with developing new commercial and recreational fishery resources, including aquaculture and targeting invasive and range-expanding species; and

(L) engaging in outreach, training, and education connect actionable research to local communities, policymakers, planners, practitioners, and students.

(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an applicant must be an institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, State, local, or Tribal government, for-profit organization, United States territory, or Federal agency that has statutory authority to receive transfers of funds.

(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the following definitions apply:

(A) CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term “critical infrastructure” means infrastructure, including natural or nature-based infrastructure, the destruction or damaging of which would have a debilitating impact on national security or economic security, undermine community resiliency and adaptation, or threaten public health or safety.

(B) NATURAL AND NATURE-BASED FEATURES.—The term “natural features” or “nature-based features” means coastal wetlands, coral reefs, beaches, dunes, marshes, coastal forests, municipal green infrastructure, and living shorelines.

(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for purposes of carrying out this section.

(c) Grants for recovering oysters.—

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall establish a grant program (in this subsection referred to as the “Program”) under which the Administrator shall award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of conducting research on the conservation, restoration, or management of oysters in estuarine ecosystems.

(2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit to the Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may require.

(3) ALLOCATION OF GRANT FUNDS.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may award a grant under the Program to eligible entities that submit an application under paragraph (2).

(B) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—

(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in clause (ii), the total amount of Federal funding received under the Program by an eligible entity may not exceed 85 percent of the total cost of the research project for which the funding was awarded. For the purposes of this clause, the non-Federal share of project costs may be provided by in-kind contributions and other noncash support.

(ii) WAIVER.—The Administrator may waive all or part of the requirement in clause (i) if the Administrator determines that no reasonable means are available through which an eligible entity applying for a grant under this subsection can meet such requirement and the probable benefit of such research project outweighs the public interest in such requirement.

(C) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—The Administrator shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that grant funding under this subsection is apportioned according to the historic baseline oyster population of each estuary of the United States.

(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the following definitions apply:

(A) ACADEMIC COMMUNITY.—The term “academic community” means faculty, researchers, professors, and representatives of State-accredited colleges and universities.

(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term “eligible entity” means a member of the academic community, the seafood industry, a relevant nonprofit organization, or a relevant State agency, that is proposing or conducting a research project on the conservation, restoration, or management of oysters in an estuarine ecosystem.

(C) HISTORIC BASELINE.—The term “historic baseline” means the estimated population of oysters in an estuary in 1850.

(D) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term “nonprofit organization” means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.

(E) SEAFOOD INDUSTRY.—The term “seafood industry” means shellfish growers, shellfish harvesters, commercial fishermen, and recreational fishermen.

(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out this subsection.

(a) Definition of tidal shoreline refined.—Section 902 of the National Oceans and Coastal Security Act (16 U.S.C. 7501) is amended—

(1) by amending paragraph (7) to read as follows:

“(7) TIDAL SHORELINE.—The term ‘tidal shoreline’ means a ‘tidal shoreline’ or a ‘Great Lake shoreline’ as such terms are used in section 923.110(c)(2)(i) of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, or a similar successor regulation.”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(8) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian Tribe’ has the meaning given the term ‘Indian tribe’ in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

“(9) BLUE CARBON.—The term ‘blue carbon’ means the ability of an ocean or coastal ecosystem, habitat, or other natural resource to absorb, capture, and contain atmospheric carbon dioxide.”.

(b) Improvements to National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund.—

(1) DEPOSITS.—Section 904(b)(1) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 7503(b)(1)) is amended to read as follows:

“(1) IN GENERAL.—There shall be deposited into the Fund, which shall constitute the assets of the Fund—

“(A) amounts transferred to the Fund under section 908; and

“(B) such other amounts as may be appropriated or otherwise made available to carry out this Act.”.

(2) EXPENDITURES.—Section 904 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 7503) is amended by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:

“(d) Expenditure.—Of the amounts deposited into the Fund for each fiscal year—

“(1) not less than $150,000,000 shall be used for the award of grants under subsection (b) of section 906;

“(2) not less than $50,000,000 shall be used for the award of grants under subsection (c) of such section;

“(3) if amounts deposited into the Fund for each fiscal year are greater than $200,000,000, any amounts in excess of $200,000,000 shall be distributed such that—

“(A) 80 percent shall be used for the award of grants under subsection (b) of section 906; and

“(B) 20 percent shall be used for the award of grants under subsection (c) of section 906; and

“(4) of amounts provided in this subsection, not more than 4 percent may be used by the Administrator and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Foundation) for direct costs to carry out this chapter.”.

(c) Eligible uses of the fund.—Section 905 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 7504) is amended to read as follows:

(d) Grants.—

(1) ADMINISTRATION.—Subsection (a)(1) of section 906 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 7505) is amended—

(A) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:

“(B) Selection procedures and criteria for the awarding of grants under this section that require consultation with the Administrator and the Secretary of the Interior.”;

(B) by amending subparagraph (C)(ii) to read as follows:

“(ii) under subsection (c), as appropriate, to entities including States, local governments, regional and interstate collaboratives, associations, nonprofit and for-profit private entities, public-private partnerships, academic institutions, Indian Tribes, and Indigenous communities.”;

(C) in subparagraph (F), by striking “year if grants have been awarded in that year” and inserting “5 years”; and

(D) by adding at the end the following:

“(I) A method to give special consideration in reviewing proposals to projects with either direct or indirect coastal or marine blue carbon benefits and an accounting methodology to quantify these benefits for the purposes of the annual report required under section 907.”.

(2) GRANTS TO COASTAL STATES.—Subsection (b) of section 906 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 7505) is amended to read as follows:

“(b) Grants to coastal States.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to section 904(d)(1) and paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, the Administrator and the Foundation shall award grants to eligible coastal States based on the following formula:

“(A) 50 percent of the funds are allocated equally among such coastal States.

“(B) 25 percent of the funds are allocated on the basis of the ratio of tidal shoreline miles in a coastal State to the tidal shoreline miles of all coastal States.

“(C) 25 percent of the funds are allocated on the basis of the ratio of population density of the coastal counties of a coastal State to the average population density of all coastal counties based on the most recent data available by the U.S. Census Bureau.

“(2) ELIGIBLE COASTAL STATES.—For purposes of this subsection, an eligible coastal State is any coastal state as defined in section 304 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453).

“(3) MAXIMUM ALLOCATION TO STATES.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), not more than 5 percent of the total funds distributed under this subsection may be allocated to any single State. Any amount exceeding this limit shall be redistributed equally among the remaining eligible coastal States.

“(4) REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT PLANS.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an eligible coastal State shall submit to the Administrator for review and approval, a 5-year plan, which shall include the following:

“(i) Criteria to determine eligibility for entities which may receive grants under this subsection.

“(ii) A description of the competitive process the coastal State will use in allocating funds received from the Fund, except in the case of allocating funds under paragraph (7), which shall include—

“(I) a description of the relative roles of and consistency with the State coastal zone management program approved under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.), if the coastal State has such a plan, and any State Sea Grant Program, if the State has such program; and

“(II) a demonstration that such competitive process is consistent with the application and review procedures established by the Administrator and Foundation under subsection (a)(1).

“(iii) A process to certify that the project or program and the awarding of a contract for the expenditure of amounts received under this paragraph are consistent with the standard procurement rules and regulations governing a comparable project or program in that State, including all applicable competitive bidding and audit requirements.

“(iv) Procedures to make publicly available on the internet a list of all projects supported by the Fund, that includes at a minimum the grant recipient, grant amount, project description, and project status.

“(B) UPDATES.—As a condition of receiving a grant under this subsection, a coastal State shall submit to the Administrator, not less frequently than once every 5 years, an update to the plan submitted by the coastal State under subparagraph (A) for the 5-year period immediately following the most recent submittal under this paragraph.

“(5) OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.—In determining whether to approve a plan or an update to a plan described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (4), the Administrator or the Foundation shall provide the opportunity for, and take into consideration, public input and comment on the plan.

“(6) INDIAN TRIBES.—As a condition on receipt of a grant under this subsection, a State that receives a grant under this subsection shall ensure that Indian Tribes in the State are eligible to participate in the competitive process described in the State’s plan under paragraph (5)(A)(ii).

“(7) NONPARTICIPATION BY A STATE.—In any year, if an eligible coastal State or geographic area does not submit the plan required by paragraph (4) or declines the funds distributed under this subsection, the funds that would have been allocated to the State or area shall be reallocated to carry out subsection 906(c) for the national grant program.”.

(3) NATIONAL GRANTS FOR OCEANS, COASTS, AND GREAT LAKES.—Subsection (c)(2) of such section is amended—

(A) in subparagraph (B)—

(i) in clause (ii), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

(ii) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); and

(iii) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:

“(iii) nongovernmental organizations; and”; and

(B) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) CAP ON STATE FUNDING.—The amount of a grant awarded under this subsection shall not count toward the cap on funding to States through grants awarded under subsection (b).

“(D) INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.—Not less than $5,000,000 each year shall be awarded to Tribes and Indigenous Communities.”.

(e) Annual report.—Section 907 of the National Oceans and Coastal Security Act (16 U.S.C. 7506) is amended—

(1) by amending paragraph (3) of subsection (b) to read as follows:

“(3) a description of the expenditures made from the Fund for the fiscal year, including the purpose of the expenditures; and”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(4) an estimate of blue carbon benefits, in tons of carbon dioxide, expected through grants awarded to projects that received special consideration under section 906 due to their blue carbon potential.”.

(f) Funding.—Section 908 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 7507) is amended to read as follows:

(a) Establishment.—The Administrator shall establish a grant program to provide funding and technical assistance to eligible entities for purposes of carrying out a project described in subsection (d).

(b) Project proposal.—To be considered for a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit a grant proposal to the Administrator in a time, place, and manner determined by the Administrator. Such proposal shall include monitoring, data collection, and measurable performance criteria with respect to the project.

(c) Development of criteria.—The Administrator shall select eligible entities to receive grants under this section based on criteria developed by the Administrator, in consultation with relevant offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, such as the Office of Habitat Conservation and the Office for Coastal Management.

(d) Eligible projects.—A proposal is eligible for a grant under this section if—

(1) the purpose of the project is to restore a marine, estuarine, coastal, or Great Lake habitat, including—

(A) restoration of habitat to protect or recover a species that is threatened, endangered, or a species of concern under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);

(B) through the removal or remediation of marine debris, including derelict vessels and abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear, in coastal and marine habitats; or

(C) for the benefit of—

(i) shellfish;

(ii) fish, including diadromous fish;

(iii) coral reef systems;

(iv) marine wildlife; or

(v) blue carbon ecosystems such as coastal wetlands, beaches, dunes, marshes, coastal forests, oyster beds, kelp forests, and submerged aquatic vegetation; or

(2) provides adaptation to climate change, including sequestering and storing carbon or by constructing, restoring, or protecting ecological features or nature-based infrastructure that protects coastal communities from sea level rise, coastal storms, or flooding.

(e) Priority.—In determining which projects to fund under this section, the Administrator shall give priority to a proposed project—

(1) that would stimulate the economy;

(2) for which the applicant can demonstrate that the grant will fund work that will begin not more than 90 days after the date of award;

(3) for which the applicant can demonstrate that the grant will fund work that will employ fishermen who have been negatively impacted by the COVID–19 pandemic or pay a fisherman for the use of a fishing vessel;

(4) for which the applicant can demonstrate that any preliminary study or permit required before the project can begin has been completed or can be completed shortly after an award is made; or

(5) that includes communities that may not have adequate resources including low income communities, communities of color, Tribal communities, Indigenous communities, and rural communities.

(f) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $10,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 to carry out this section, to remain available until expended.

(g) Definitions.—In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term “eligible entity” means a nonprofit, a for-profit business, an institution of higher education, or a State, local, Tribal, or Territorial government.

(2) FISHERMEN.—The term “fishermen” means commercial or for-hire fishermen or oyster farmers.

(a) Establishment of initiative.—The Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (in this section referred to as the “Chair”) shall establish a Strategic Climate Change Relocation Initiative (in this section referred to as the “Initiative”) for the purposes of coordinating Federal agency activities to identify and assist communities that have expressed affirmative interest in relocation due to health, safety, and environmental impacts from climate change, including hurricanes, flooding, sea level rise, and repeat wildfires.

(b) Director.—The Chair shall appoint a Strategic Climate Relocation Director to manage the Initiative.

(c) Consultation.—The Chair shall coordinate and consult with Federal agencies conducting activities related to this section including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Denali Commission, the Corps of Engineers, the Office of Management and Budget, the National Economic Council, the National Security Council, the White House Council on Native American Affairs Interagency Subgroup on Tribal Resilience, and other Federal agencies as appropriate.

(d) External advisory panel.—The Chair shall establish an external advisory panel that may include community leaders, non-governmental organizations, State and local government representatives, Tribal leaders, Indigenous community representatives, climate adaptation professionals, and other relevant experts as appropriate.

(e) Report to Congress.—Not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chair shall submit a report to Congress recommending key elements of a Strategic Climate Change Relocation Program to identify and assist communities that have expressed affirmative interest in relocation due to health, safety, and environmental impacts from climate change. The report shall—

(1) identify—

(A) areas where climate change impacts make relocation a likely climate change adaptation strategy;

(B) communities that have expressed affirmative interest in relocation (in this section referred to as “sending communities”); and

(C) potential relocation areas and communities that have expressed interest in attracting climate migrants (in this section referred to as “receiving communities”);

(2) propose criteria to qualify for climate relocation assistance, with preference given to disadvantaged communities where community members have indicated a preference for retreat which would otherwise be challenged to relocate;

(3) describe the roles and responsibilities of specific Federal agencies in implementing the Strategic Climate Change Relocation Program and how the Program should be coordinated with applicable State and Federal agency plans and programs and identify Federal programs that can be tailored to incentivize self-identification of communities as receiving areas;

(4) outline the role that State, Tribal, Indigenous, and local governments should play in implementing the Strategic Climate Change Relocation Program, including identification of areas or communities where people leaving areas vulnerable to climate change can consider locating, and the specific resources needed to prepare those communities to be receiving communities in terms of Federal investment in infrastructure, affordable housing, and social services;

(5) summarize existing Federal and State programs for purchase of individual properties vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and propose how these programs might be restructured, improved, or expanded to incentivize climate change relocation;

(6) describe measures that governments or other organizations can take to reduce the psychological stress associated with relocation to preserve or support the historical and cultural identity of communities being relocated and to restore and conserve areas that are relocated from as publicly accessible natural assets, and how Federal programs will support these efforts;

(7) identify and recommend measures to overcome how institutional barriers, such as Federal programs that do not account for Tribal sovereignty, constrain Tribal communities’ ability to pursue self-determined management of their resources and built environment;

(8) identify measures that Congress, Federal agencies, or State and local governments should take to discourage or restrict new development and hard structural measures in areas vulnerable to such significant climate change impacts that they are likely to require a solution that includes relocation, in particular, where the Federal Government could establish stricter funding requirements for post-disaster funding that require updated building codes and land use strategies reflecting climate risk;

(9) describe existing policies and clarify responsibilities of governments in complying with obligations to protect private property, including providing just compensation for any taking of private property;

(10) propose an application process, available online, for States, Tribes, and communities to express affirmative interest in climate relocation assistance, either as a leaving community or receiving community;

(11) provide guidance on and identify additional funding for re-use planning and operations and maintenance requirements for vacated land, and identify the resources needed to prioritize public access, recreational spaces, or conservation areas;

(12) review efficacy of existing flood mitigation strategies on reducing flood risk to human populations, and identify opportunities to coordinate blue-green infrastructure solutions with buyout programs that increase the resilience of remaining residents; and

(13) outline the amount and timing of Federal funding that is expected to be needed to implement the Climate Change Relocation Program.

(f) Development of report to Congress.—In developing the report required under subsection (e), the Chair shall—

(1) provide for public review and comment of a draft of the report;

(2) solicit feedback from organizations representing State and local governments;

(3) engage in review by the external advisory panel; and

(4) evaluate projects implemented under the National Disaster Resilience Competition administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(g) Climate change strategic relocation program pilot projects.—Within 2 years after the date of submission of the report under subsection (e), the Chair shall establish and carry out pilot projects based upon the recommendations included in such report.

(h) Subsequent periodic reports to Congress.—Within 3 years after the date of submission of the report under subsection (e), and every 3 years thereafter, the Chair shall submit to Congress a report evaluating progress in the implementation of the Climate Change Relocation Program and making recommendations for needed changes to the Program.

(a) In general.—The Administrator shall designate institutions of higher education, defined by section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), as National Centers of Excellence in Coastal Resilience Research and Education (in this section referred to as “Centers of Excellence”).

(b) Purposes.—The purposes of such designations are the following:

(1) To recognize institutions of higher education that have exhibited national leadership in research and education in coastal climate change adaptation and mitigation.