Sec. 105. Revisions to emergency assistance
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Section 206 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 6405 ) is amended to read as follows: The Secretary may provide assistance, including issuing emergency grants and contracts, equipment, and technical assistance, to support a request from any State or local government agency with jurisdiction over a coral reef, or any entity contracted to act on behalf of a State or local government agency, to address an emergency pertaining to the coral reef or coral reef ecosystem.
The costs of such assistance provided by the Secretary may be provided from an appropriate account in the Damage Assessment Restoration Revolving Fund established by the Department of Commerce Appropriations Act, 1991 ( 33 U.S.C. 2706 note). In coordination with other Federal, State, or local government agencies as practicable, the appropriate Federal official may undertake or authorize all actions necessary to— prevent or minimize the imminent destruction, loss, or taking of, or injury to a coral reef, from— vessel impacts, including anchors, anchor chains, boat moorings, groundings, and abandoned vessels; derelict fishing gear or other marine debris; unforeseen or disaster-related circumstances pertaining to coral reef ecosystems, including as a result of human activities; harmful algal blooms, coral disease outbreaks, or invasive or nuisance species outbreaks; and unexploded ordnance or similar underwater munitions; and respond rapidly to assess, stabilize, repair, recover, or restore a coral reef that is destroyed or injured, or that has lost an ecosystem function; remove or stabilize a vessel grounded on or in the vicinity of a coral reef; and otherwise provide for rapid response to, assessment of, or monitoring of an emergency pertaining to a coral reef or coral reef ecosystem.
The Secretary may enter into written agreements with any State in which a coral reef is located regarding the manner in which the activities authorized under this section shall be conducted within the affected State’s waters. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit Federal response and restoration activity authority before any such agreement is final. All cooperative enforcement agreements in place between the Secretary and a State affected by this title shall be updated to include enforcement of this title where appropriate.
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall assess damages to coral reefs and applicable response and restoration costs in consultation with State officials regarding response and damage assessment actions undertaken for coral reefs within State waters. The Secretary shall make such assessments, including any related data and information, readily available to the public on a government Internet website upon completion of such assessments. In this section, the term appropriate Federal official means— the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with respect to any coral reef or component thereof in— any unit of the National Marine Sanctuary System; any unit of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System; any marine national monument designated by an Act of Congress or under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (commonly known as the Antiquities Act of 1906) under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce; or any territorial waters under the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce; or the Secretary of the Interior with respect to any coral reef or component thereof in— any unit of the National Park System; any unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System; any national monument or marine national monument designated by an Act of Congress or under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (commonly known as the Antiquities Act of 1906) under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior; or any territorial waters under the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior. .
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