1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Chesapeake Bay Oyster Research Act”.
Chesapeake Bay Oyster Research Act
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to provide grants supporting research on the conservation, restoration, or management of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.
2. Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall be the primary representative of the Administration in the Chesapeake Bay.
3. Grants for researching oysters in the Chesapeake Bay
Establishment— The Secretary of the Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall establish a grant program (in this section referred to as the “Program”) under which the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of conducting research on the conservation, restoration, or management of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.
Application— To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
Allocation of grant funds—
In general— The Secretary shall award a grant under the Program to eligible entities that submit an application under subsection (b).
Matching requirement—
In general— Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 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 subparagraph, the non-Federal share of project costs may be provided by in-kind contributions and other noncash support.
Waiver— The Secretary may waive all or part of the requirement in subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines that no reasonable means are available through which an eligible entity applying for a grant under this section can meet such requirement and the probable benefit of such research project outweighs the public interest in such requirement.
Definitions— In this Act, the following definitions apply:
Academic community— The term academic community means faculty, researchers, professors, and representatives of State-accredited colleges and universities.
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 the Chesapeake Bay developed through consultation with a member of the academic community, a member of the seafood industry, a relevant nonprofit organization, or a relevant State agency.
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.
Seafood industry— The term seafood industry means shellfish growers, shellfish harvesters, commercial fishermen, and recreational fishermen.
Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $2,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 2025 to carry out this section.