| 1 | 1 | | II |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION S. 513 |
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| 5 | 5 | | To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish and carry out a grant |
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| 6 | 6 | | program to conserve, restore, and manage kelp forest ecosystems, and |
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| 7 | 7 | | for other purposes. |
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| 8 | 8 | | IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES |
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| 9 | 9 | | FEBRUARY11, 2025 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Mr. M |
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| 11 | 11 | | ERKLEY(for himself, Mr. KING, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. PADILLA) intro- |
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| 12 | 12 | | duced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com- |
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| 13 | 13 | | mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation |
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| 14 | 14 | | A BILL |
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| 15 | 15 | | To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish and carry |
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| 16 | 16 | | out a grant program to conserve, restore, and manage |
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| 17 | 17 | | kelp forest ecosystems, and for other purposes. |
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| 18 | 18 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 19 | 19 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Help Our Kelp Act 4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | of 2025’’. 5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | SEC. 2. GRANTS TO CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND MANAGE 6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | KELP FOREST ECOSYSTEMS. 7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | (a) E |
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| 26 | 26 | | STABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es-8 |
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| 27 | 27 | | tablish, not later than 180 days after the date of the en-9 |
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| 29 | 29 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 |
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| 30 | 30 | | •S 513 IS |
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| 31 | 31 | | actment of this Act, and carry out a grant program under 1 |
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| 32 | 32 | | which the Administrator shall award grants to eligible en-2 |
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| 33 | 33 | | tities described in subsection (b) to carry out eligible 3 |
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| 34 | 34 | | projects described in subsection (c) relating to the con-4 |
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| 35 | 35 | | servation, restoration, or management of kelp forest eco-5 |
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| 36 | 36 | | systems. 6 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (b) E |
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| 38 | 38 | | LIGIBLEENTITIES.—To be eligible for a grant 7 |
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| 39 | 39 | | under this section, an entity shall— 8 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) be— 9 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (A) a member of the fishing industry; 10 |
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| 42 | 42 | | (B) an institution of higher education; 11 |
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| 43 | 43 | | (C) a nonprofit organization; 12 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (D) an Indian Tribe; 13 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (E) a State agency; or 14 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (F) a local government; 15 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (2) consult or collaborate with any other entity 16 |
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| 48 | 48 | | described in paragraph (1) throughout the develop-17 |
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| 49 | 49 | | ment or implementation of a project relating to the 18 |
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| 50 | 50 | | conservation, restoration, or management of kelp 19 |
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| 51 | 51 | | forest ecosystems; and 20 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) submit to the Administrator an application 21 |
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| 53 | 53 | | describing that project at such time, in such man-22 |
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| 54 | 54 | | ner, and containing such information as the Admin-23 |
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| 55 | 55 | | istrator may require, including information regard-24 |
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| 56 | 56 | | ing— 25 |
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| 58 | 58 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 |
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| 59 | 59 | | •S 513 IS |
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| 60 | 60 | | (A) what criteria will be used to monitor 1 |
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| 61 | 61 | | and evaluate the effectiveness of the project; 2 |
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| 62 | 62 | | and 3 |
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| 63 | 63 | | (B) the qualifications of the applicant to 4 |
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| 64 | 64 | | conduct, monitor, and evaluate the project. 5 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (c) E |
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| 66 | 66 | | LIGIBLEPROJECTS.—The Administrator shall 6 |
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| 67 | 67 | | award grants to eligible entities for projects that— 7 |
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| 68 | 68 | | (1) address the greatest relative regional de-8 |
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| 69 | 69 | | clines in kelp forest ecosystems; 9 |
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| 70 | 70 | | (2) focus on elements such as— 10 |
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| 71 | 71 | | (A) the long-term resilience of kelp forest 11 |
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| 72 | 72 | | ecosystems; 12 |
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| 73 | 73 | | (B) long-term socioeconomic resilience re-13 |
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| 74 | 74 | | lated to kelp forest ecosystems; 14 |
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| 75 | 75 | | (C) kelp forest seeding and connectivity; 15 |
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| 76 | 76 | | (D) reestablishing or recovering natural 16 |
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| 77 | 77 | | trophic relationships and structure to support 17 |
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| 78 | 78 | | the resilience of kelp forest ecosystems through 18 |
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| 79 | 79 | | actions such as predator control through tar-19 |
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| 80 | 80 | | geted urchin removal and the recovery of sun-20 |
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| 81 | 81 | | flower sea stars; 21 |
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| 82 | 82 | | (E) monitoring and assessment of kelp for-22 |
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| 83 | 83 | | est ecosystems; 23 |
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| 84 | 84 | | (F) integration of Indigenous knowledge 24 |
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| 85 | 85 | | and cultural practices into restoration and mon-25 |
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| 87 | 87 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 |
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| 88 | 88 | | •S 513 IS |
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| 89 | 89 | | itoring of kelp forest ecosystems through con-1 |
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| 90 | 90 | | sultation with Indian Tribes or promotion of 2 |
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| 91 | 91 | | Federal or State co-management with Indian 3 |
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| 92 | 92 | | Tribes; or 4 |
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| 93 | 93 | | (G) other efforts to restore kelp forest eco-5 |
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| 94 | 94 | | systems and prevent large-scale losses of kelp 6 |
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| 95 | 95 | | forests; or 7 |
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| 96 | 96 | | (3) are identified by Indian Tribes or Federal 8 |
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| 97 | 97 | | or State restoration or management plans as focal 9 |
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| 98 | 98 | | areas for recovery of kelp forests and associated spe-10 |
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| 99 | 99 | | cies. 11 |
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| 100 | 100 | | (d) M |
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| 101 | 101 | | ATCHINGREQUIREMENT.— 12 |
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| 102 | 102 | | (1) I |
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| 103 | 103 | | N GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-13 |
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| 104 | 104 | | graph (2), the amount of Federal funding received 14 |
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| 105 | 105 | | as a grant under this section by an eligible entity 15 |
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| 106 | 106 | | may not exceed 85 percent of the total cost of the 16 |
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| 107 | 107 | | project for which the grant is awarded. For the pur-17 |
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| 108 | 108 | | poses of this paragraph, the non-Federal share of 18 |
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| 109 | 109 | | the costs of a project may be provided by in-kind 19 |
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| 110 | 110 | | contributions and other noncash support. 20 |
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| 111 | 111 | | (2) W |
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| 112 | 112 | | AIVER.—The Administrator may waive all 21 |
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| 113 | 113 | | or part of the requirement in paragraph (1) if the 22 |
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| 114 | 114 | | Administrator determines that— 23 |
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| 115 | 115 | | (A) no reasonable means are available 24 |
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| 116 | 116 | | through which an eligible entity applying for a 25 |
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| 118 | 118 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 5 |
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| 119 | 119 | | •S 513 IS |
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| 120 | 120 | | grant under this section can meet that require-1 |
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| 121 | 121 | | ment; 2 |
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| 122 | 122 | | (B) the probable benefit of the project out-3 |
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| 123 | 123 | | weighs the public interest in such requirement; 4 |
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| 124 | 124 | | and 5 |
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| 125 | 125 | | (C) the project undertaken is established 6 |
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| 126 | 126 | | on lands owned by or held in trust for an In-7 |
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| 127 | 127 | | dian Tribe. 8 |
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| 128 | 128 | | (e) G |
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| 129 | 129 | | UIDELINES ANDCRITERIA.—The Administrator 9 |
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| 130 | 130 | | shall— 10 |
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| 131 | 131 | | (1) issue guidelines for implementation of the 11 |
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| 132 | 132 | | grant program established under subsection (a); and 12 |
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| 133 | 133 | | (2) establish criteria for evaluating eligible 13 |
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| 134 | 134 | | projects, based on best practices, best available 14 |
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| 135 | 135 | | science, and community engagement, to rank eligible 15 |
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| 136 | 136 | | projects under subsection (c). 16 |
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| 137 | 137 | | (f) A |
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| 138 | 138 | | UTHORIZATION OFAPPROPRIATIONS.— 17 |
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| 139 | 139 | | (1) I |
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| 140 | 140 | | N GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 18 |
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| 141 | 141 | | appropriated to the Administrator $5,000,000 for 19 |
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| 142 | 142 | | each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out 20 |
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| 143 | 143 | | this section. 21 |
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| 144 | 144 | | (2) A |
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| 145 | 145 | | VAILABILITY TO INDIAN TRIBES.— 22 |
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| 146 | 146 | | (A) I |
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| 147 | 147 | | N GENERAL.—Of the amount author-23 |
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| 148 | 148 | | ized to be appropriated by paragraph (1) for a 24 |
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| 149 | 149 | | fiscal year, not less than $750,000 shall be 25 |
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| 151 | 151 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 6 |
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| 152 | 152 | | •S 513 IS |
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| 153 | 153 | | available to award grants under this section to 1 |
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| 154 | 154 | | eligible entities that are Indian Tribes. 2 |
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| 155 | 155 | | (B) C |
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| 156 | 156 | | ONTINGENCY; OUTREACH.—If no In-3 |
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| 157 | 157 | | dian Tribe is awarded a grant under this sec-4 |
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| 158 | 158 | | tion in a fiscal year— 5 |
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| 159 | 159 | | (i) for that fiscal year, the amount de-6 |
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| 160 | 160 | | scribed in subparagraph (A) shall be made 7 |
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| 161 | 161 | | available to award grants under this sec-8 |
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| 162 | 162 | | tion to other eligible entities; and 9 |
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| 163 | 163 | | (ii) the Administrator shall conduct 10 |
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| 164 | 164 | | outreach to inform Indian Tribes and orga-11 |
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| 165 | 165 | | nizations that work with Indian Tribes of 12 |
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| 166 | 166 | | the grant program established under sub-13 |
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| 167 | 167 | | section (a). 14 |
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| 168 | 168 | | (g) D |
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| 169 | 169 | | EFINITIONS.—In this section: 15 |
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| 170 | 170 | | (1) A |
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| 171 | 171 | | DMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-16 |
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| 172 | 172 | | trator’’ means the Secretary of Commerce, acting 17 |
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| 173 | 173 | | through the Administrator of the National Oceanic 18 |
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| 174 | 174 | | and Atmospheric Administration. 19 |
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| 175 | 175 | | (2) F |
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| 176 | 176 | | ISHING INDUSTRY.—The term ‘‘fishing in-20 |
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| 177 | 177 | | dustry’’ means— 21 |
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| 178 | 178 | | (A) processors; 22 |
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| 179 | 179 | | (B) commercial fishermen; and 23 |
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| 180 | 180 | | (C) recreational fishermen. 24 |
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| 182 | 182 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 7 |
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| 183 | 183 | | •S 513 IS |
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| 184 | 184 | | (3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 1 |
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| 185 | 185 | | has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the 2 |
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| 186 | 186 | | Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 3 |
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| 187 | 187 | | Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 4 |
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| 188 | 188 | | (4) I |
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| 189 | 189 | | NSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION .—The 5 |
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| 190 | 190 | | term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 6 |
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| 191 | 191 | | meaning given that term in section 101(a) of the 7 |
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| 192 | 192 | | Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 8 |
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| 193 | 193 | | (5) K |
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| 194 | 194 | | ELP FOREST ECOSYSTEM .—The term 9 |
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| 195 | 195 | | ‘‘kelp forest ecosystem’’ means a naturally occur-10 |
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| 196 | 196 | | ring, biotic system dominated by canopy-forming, 11 |
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| 197 | 197 | | stipitate, or prostrate benthic macroalgae and associ-12 |
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| 198 | 198 | | ated taxa. 13 |
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| 199 | 199 | | (6) L |
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| 200 | 200 | | OCAL GOVERNMENT .—The term ‘‘local 14 |
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| 201 | 201 | | government’’ means a unit of general local govern-15 |
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| 202 | 202 | | ment, a school district, or other special district es-16 |
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| 203 | 203 | | tablished under State law. 17 |
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| 204 | 204 | | (7) N |
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| 205 | 205 | | ONPROFIT ORGANIZATION .—The term 18 |
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| 206 | 206 | | ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means an organization— 19 |
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| 207 | 207 | | (A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the 20 |
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| 208 | 208 | | Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and 21 |
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| 209 | 209 | | (B) exempt from tax under section 501(a) 22 |
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| 210 | 210 | | of such Code. 23 |
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| 211 | 211 | | Æ |
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