Union Calendar No. 354
118th CONGRESS 2d Session |
[Report No. 118–429]
To amend the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988, and for other purposes.
March 24, 2023
Mrs. Radewagen (for herself and Mr. Case) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
March 21, 2024
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 24, 2023]
To amend the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
(b) Table of contents.—The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Amendment of South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Prohibited acts.
Sec. 5. Exceptions.
Sec. 6. Criminal offenses.
Sec. 7. Civil penalties.
Sec. 8. Licenses.
Sec. 9. Enforcement.
Sec. 10. Findings by Secretary.
Sec. 11. Reporting requirements; disclosure of information.
Sec. 12. Closed Area stowage requirements.
Sec. 13. Observers.
Sec. 14. Technical assistance.
Sec. 15. Arbitration.
Sec. 16. Disposition of fees, penalties, forfeitures, and other moneys.
Sec. 17. Additional agreements.
Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 973 et seq.).
(a) Applicable national law.—Section 2(4) (16 U.S.C. 973(4)) is amended by striking “described in paragraph 1(a) of Annex I of” and inserting “noticed and in effect in accordance with”.
(b) Closed Area.—Section 2(5) (16 U.S.C. 973(5)) is amended by striking “of the closed areas identified in Schedule 2 of Annex I of” and inserting “area within the jurisdiction of a Pacific Island Party that is closed to vessels pursuant to a national law of that Pacific Island Party and is noticed and in effect in accordance with”.
(c) Fishing.—Section 2(6) (16 U.S.C. 973(6)) is amended—
(d) Fishing vessel.—Section 2(7) (16 U.S.C. 973(7)) is amended by striking “commercial fishing” and inserting “commercial purse seine fishing for tuna”.
(e) Licensing Area.—Section 2(8) (16 U.S.C. 973(8)) is amended by striking “in the Treaty Area” and all that follows and inserting “under the jurisdiction of a Pacific Island Party, except for internal waters, territorial seas, archipelagic waters, and any Closed Area.”.
(f) Limited Area; Party; Treaty Area.—Section 2 (16 U.S.C. 973) is amended—
(g) Regional terms and conditions.—Section 2 (16 U.S.C. 973) is amended by inserting after paragraph (12), as so redesignated, the following:
(a) In general.—Section 5(a) (16 U.S.C. 973c(a)) is amended—
(1) by striking “Except as provided in section 6 of this Act, it” at the beginning and inserting “It”;
(4) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by inserting “, except in accordance with an agreement pursuant to the Treaty” after “Closed Area”;
(b) In the Licensing Area.—Section 5(b) (16 U.S.C. 973c(b)) is amended—
Section 6 (16 U.S.C. 973d) is repealed.
Section 7(a) (16 U.S.C. 973e(a)) is amended by striking “section 5(a) (8), (10), (11), or (12)” and inserting “paragraphs (6), (8), (9), or (10) of section 5(a)”.
(a) Determination of liability; amount; participation by secretary of state in assessment proceeding.—Section 8(a) (16 U.S.C. 973f(a)) is amended—
(b) Waiver of referral to attorney general.—Section 8(g) (16 U.S.C. 973f(g)) is amended—
(a) Forwarding and transmittal of vessel license application.—Section 9(b) (16 U.S.C. 973g(b)) is amended to read as follows:
(b) Fees and schedules.—Section 9(c) (16 U.S.C. 973g(c)) is amended to read as follows:
(c) Minimum fees required to be received in initial year of implementation for forwarding and transmittal of license applications.—Section 9 (16 U.S.C. 973g) is amended—
(3) by amending subsection (f), as so redesignated, to read as follows:
“(f) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may determine that a license application should not be forwarded to the Administrator if—
“(1) the application is not in accordance with the Treaty or the procedures established by the Secretary; or
“(2) the owner or charterer—
“(A) is the subject of proceedings under the bankruptcy laws of the United States, unless reasonable financial assurances have been provided to the Secretary;
(4) in subsection (g), as so redesignated—
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
“(1) chapter 12113 of title 46, United States Code;”;
(D) in the matter that follows paragraph (3), by striking “any vessel documented” and all that follows and inserting the following:
“any vessel documented under the laws of the United States as of the date of enactment of the Fisheries Act of 1995 for which a license has been issued under subsection (a) may fish for tuna in the Licensing Area, and on the high seas and in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States west of 146° west longitude and east of 129.5° east longitude in accordance with international law, subject to the provisions of the Treaty, this Act, and other applicable law, provided that no such vessel intentionally deploys a purse seine net to encircle any dolphin or other marine mammal in the course of fishing.”.
(a) Notice requirements to Pacific Island Party concerning institution and outcome of legal proceedings.—Section 10(c)(1) (16 U.S.C. 973h(c)(1)) is amended—
(b) Searches and seizures by authorized officers; limitations on power.—Section 10(d)(1)(A) (16 U.S.C. 973h(d)(1)(A)) is amended—
(a) Order to leave waters upon failure to submit to jurisdiction of Pacific Island Party; procedure applicable.—Section 11(a) (16 U.S.C. 973i(a)) is amended—
(b) Order of vessel to leave waters where Pacific Island Party investigating alleged Treaty infringement.—Section 11(b) (16 U.S.C. 973i(b)) is amended by striking “paragraph 7 of Article 5 of”.
Section 12 (16 U.S.C. 973j) is amended to read as follows:
“(a) Prohibited disclosure of certain information.—The Secretary shall keep confidential and may not disclose the following information, except in accordance with subsection (b):
“(b) Permitted disclosure of certain information.—The Secretary may disclose information described in subsection (a)—
“(2) if the information is used by a Federal employee—
“(B) in support of the homeland and national security missions of the Coast Guard as defined in section 888 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 468);
“(3) if the information is used by a Federal employee or an employee of the Fishery Management Council for Treaty administration or fishery management and monitoring;
“(5) to the secretariat or equivalent of an international fisheries management organization of which the United States is a member, in accordance with the requirements or decisions of such organization, and insofar as possible, in accordance with an agreement that prevents public disclosure of the identity of any person that submits such information;
Section 13 (16 U.S.C. 973k) is amended by striking “. In particular, the boom shall be lowered” and all that follows and inserting “and in accordance with any requirements established by the Secretary.”.
Section 14 (16 U.S.C. 973l) is repealed.
Section 15 (16 U.S.C. 973m) is amended to read as follows:
Section 16 (16 U.S.C. 973n) is amended—
Section 17 (16 U.S.C. 973o) is amended by striking “Article 4 of”.
Section 18 (16 U.S.C. 973p) is amended by striking “Within 30 days after” and all that follows and inserting “The Secretary may establish procedures for review of any agreements for additional fishing access entered into pursuant to the Treaty.”.
Union Calendar No. 354 | |||||
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[Report No. 118–429] | |||||
A BILL | |||||
To amend the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988, and for other purposes. | |||||
March 21, 2024 | |||||
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed |