---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1421f–3"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1421f–3"
heading: "Reports to Congress"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1421f-3"
units:
  - "Chapter 31 — Marine Mammal Protection"
  - "Subchapter V — Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response"
---

# §1421f–3. Reports to Congress

- (a) **Definition of appropriate committees of Congress—** In this section, the term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—
  - (1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;
  - (2) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate;
  - (3) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and
  - (4) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.
- (b) **Health MAP status report—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not later than 2 years after December 23, 2022, the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation with the [Marine Mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) of the Interior, and the National Ocean Research Leadership Council, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the status of the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3).
  - (2) **Requirements—** The report under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall include—
    - (A) a detailed evaluation of the data made publicly available through the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3);
    - (B) a detailed list of any gaps in data collected pursuant to the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3), a description of the reasons for those gaps, and recommended actions to close those gaps;
    - (C) an analysis of the effectiveness of using the website of the [Observation System](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=4) as the platform to collect, organize, visualize, archive, and disseminate [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) and health data;
    - (D) a list of publications, presentations, or other relevant work product resulting from, or produced in collaboration with, the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3);
    - (E) a description of emerging [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health concerns and the applicability of those concerns to human health;
    - (F) an analysis of the feasibility of the [Observation System](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=4) being used as an alert system during [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) events, [entanglement](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=1) events, and [unusual mortality events](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=9) for the [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) network, [Observation System](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=4) partners, [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3) partners, Federal and [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) agencies, and local and Tribal governments;
    - (G) an evaluation of the use of [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3) data to predict broader ecosystem events and changes that may impact [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) or human health and specific examples of proven or potential uses of [Observation System](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=4) data for those purposes; and
    - (H) recommendations for the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3) with respect to—
      - (i) filling any identified data gaps;
      - (ii) standards that could be used to improve data quality, accessibility, transmission, interoperability, and sharing;
      - (iii) any other strategies that would contribute to the effectiveness and usefulness of the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3); and
      - (iv) the funding levels needed to maintain and improve the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3).
- (c) **Data gap analysis—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not later than 5 years after the date on which the report required under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) is submitted, and every 10 years thereafter, the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation with the [Marine Mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) and the Director of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14) [Fish and Wildlife](/usc/16/3102.md?p=17) Service, shall—
    - (A) make publicly available a report on the data gap analysis described in [paragraph (2)](#c-2); and
    - (B) provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress concerning that data gap analysis.
  - (2) **Requirements—** The data gap analysis under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) shall include—
    - (A) an overview of existing participants within a [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) network;
    - (B) an identification of coverage needs and participant gaps within a network;
    - (C) an identification of data and reporting gaps from members of a network; and
    - (D) an analysis of how [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) and health data are shared and made available to scientists, academics, [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a), local, and Tribal governments, and the public.
- (d) **Marine mammal response capabilities in the Arctic—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not later than 1 year after December 23, 2022, the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Director of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14) [Fish and Wildlife](/usc/16/3102.md?p=17) Service, and the Director of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14) Geologic Survey, in consultation with the [Marine Mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), shall—
    - (A) make publicly available a report describing the response capabilities for sick and injured [marine mammals](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) in the Arctic regions of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14); and
    - (B) provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on that report.
  - (2) **Arctic—** The term “Arctic” has the meaning given the term in [section 4111 of title 15](/usc/15/4111.md).
  - (3) **Requirements—** The report under [paragraph (1)](#d-1) shall include—
    - (A) a description, developed in consultation with the [Fish and Wildlife](/usc/16/3102.md?p=17) Service of the Department of the Interior, of all [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) agreements in place for the Arctic region of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14), including species covered, response capabilities, facilities and equipment, and data collection and analysis capabilities;
    - (B) a list of [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) and local government agencies that have personnel trained to respond to [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [strandings](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) in the Arctic region of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14);
    - (C) an assessment of potential response and data collection partners and sources of local information and knowledge, including [Alaska Native](/usc/16/3102.md?p=16) people and villages;
    - (D) an analysis of spatial and temporal trends in [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [strandings](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) and [unusual mortality events](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=9) that are correlated with changing environmental conditions in the Arctic region of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14);
    - (E) a description of training and other resource needs to meet emerging response requirements in the Arctic region of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14);
    - (F) an analysis of oiled [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) response and rehabilitation capabilities in the Arctic region of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14), including personnel, equipment, facilities, training, and husbandry capabilities, and an assessment of factors that affect response and rehabilitation success rates; and
    - (G) recommendations to address future [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) response needs for [marine mammals](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) in the Arctic region of the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 92–522, title IV, § 408B, as added Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title CIV, § 10408(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3990.)